I have a ensuite which contains a shower, toilet and sink. This room is not used regular and every so often if not used for a couple of days there is a smell from the room. I can not find out where the smell is coming from but when the smell comes I flush the toilet, run water down the sink and put the shower on for 1 minute and the smell goes away.

Can anyone advise as to what this smell is and is there anything I can put down the toilet, sink and shower to try and clear the drains in case one of them are blocked etc.

Any advise would be appreciated.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pbyrne

I have a ensuite which contains a shower, toilet and sink. This room is not used regular and every so often if not used for a couple of days there is a smell from the room. I can not find out where the smell is coming from but when the smell comes I flush the toilet, run water down the sink and put the shower on for 1 minute and the smell goes away.

Can anyone advise as to what this smell is and is there anything i can put down the toilet, sink and shower to try and clear the drains in case one of them are blocked etc.

Any advise would be appreciated.

---

The drain traps in the sewer pipes connected to your toilet are drying out from not being used. (Toilets and sinks have "J" traps that trap clean water in them to stop odors from being able to come from the sewer; if toilets and sinks aren't used often enough the water in the trap will evaporate and you will get the odor.)

Traps can evaporate but not in just a few days. I think you may have another problem. Next time the smell apears just do one of the things you did like flush the toilet. If the smell stopd then we know to work on the toilet. If not then try running water in the shower, one way or another we will track it down to just one fixture. Are you 100% sure the shower has a trap separate from the toilet?

One common problem in a bathroom is that the wax seal where the commode connects to the flange on the floor fails to seal properly (although the smell that would escape shouldn't be affected by running water in the drain). Isolate each bath fixture if you can and see if that fixture has an effect.

Will try an isolate each in turn. Will update you as soon as I narrow it down.

One way to isolate a drain is to put duct tape over it. On the sink, tape over the vent too. A few days is too soon to dry out. Check the traps you can for a small leak.