Quite recently our upstairs neighbour fitted a macerator in their kitchen. Its propbably about 14 feet from outside wall and the pipe outside goes directly into the main sewer pipe. When the macerater is 'in action',the noise terrible and the sound of it going through the smaller pipe into the sewer pipe is vicious! The main drains are in our garden next to our kitchen. Since they fitted the macerater we have been getting an awful smell in our kichen which does not smell like sewerage or anything else I've experienced. We can't smell anything outside and oddly there are short periods when the smell goes completely. I've checked everything possible, our sink traps, washing machine, put soda down the drain. My question is, could the macerater and the force at which it expels their waste, stir something in the main drain which somehow enter our flat? It's a conversion flat by the way. Hope you can help with this problem chrissy

Hi Khrissy

By what you describe you certainly could be having an issue with the new installation... macerators/ejector systems are famous for causing odor issues when connected to the plumbing system improperly.

First thing to ask here is whether the neighbor pulled a plumbing permit on the work. If he/she did then, most likely, the work has been done properly as the plumbing inspector's job is to make sure of it. If there was no permit pulled, then almost anything is possible here... *UGH*!

Chat with your neighbor and see if a plumbing contractor was used and see if he pulled a plumbing permit as he should have if this is a new installation, OK?

Let us know more...

Mark