We just finished a remodel and the toilet was moved a few feet in a separate room. The toilet has two flush modes (small and large) and due to the remodel the waste line travels a ways with two large radius 90 degree bends. It's vented of course. I've noticed a musty odor in the room, but it's intermittent. I should add we have two other similar toilets with no problems. Any ideas? The toilet sits on a tile floor, could the problem be at the wax ring, or a problem with venting. Also, I'm not entirely sure as the odor is intermittent, but it seems like if I flush the toilet a few times the odor seems to go away.

The first thing in the morning lift the tank lid and smell the water. No smell? Then sniff along the base. Still no smell? Now flush and then sniff the lavatory and tub/shower drains.
Before you can even start to fix this problem you must localize it. Smells and noise/vibration are the hardest questions that we have to answer because you have to be there to track it down. If you can nail it down to one fixture then we can start to repair it. The fact that it comes and goes doesn't make it any easier. Let me know ehat you find. Regards, Tom

It seems to be coming from the base of the toilet. The toilet is in it's own room and the odor is confined to there. Our contractor mentioned caulking around the base of the toilet, but I was concerned if there was a small leak it might just cover things up. I should add the toilet is on the second floor, so I suspect a major leak would be visible from below. What do you think about caulking, and what do you think our next step should be.

I just went through this with our master bath. Tom says nail it down to one fixture. After duct taping over the sink and shower drain and covering the heating vent didn't help, I replaced the wax ring in the toilet. Be sure and tape over the overflow on the sink too. The intermittent may have to do with the furnace. When it comes on, the bad smell mixes with all the other air and you can't smell it any more.

My wife came home in the middle of the project. ''Don't you think you should do something about the floor while you have the toilet off?'' Well the wall paper was in bad shape too and the ceiling needed painted. The house was built in 1970, and this was the first we did much with that bath. Looks good and smells much better.

So I have the odor nailed down, the base of the toilet. I don't think it's related to the furnace as the odor is confined to a small room without a vent. The toilet was just recently installed as part of a remodel. So where does anyone recommend going from here, asking the contractor to pull the toilet and replace the wax ring (could this be the cause of an odor) having the contractor caulk around the base of the toilet, or something else. Also the toilet has 2 flush modes and I'm not certain if the odor is related to the size of the flush used, but it is not always there.

I would go with a new wax ring. Caulking is a bandaid to me. Does the toilet set solid?