[condo1]

Hi, I have a condo and a bathroom upstairs. In the recent couple of months I have been trying to find out where a gas smell from my tub's shower drain is coming from. I have checked the trap and it's clean, I have checked under the tub (I have two access panels that pull off) and found no leaks after a shower or even a bath. There is no water stains on the plywood under the bath. The drain and trap are located in the ceiling of my downstairs half bath with a vent cover0. I have no smell down stairs at all in my half bath ad I have pulled off the vent cover and checked for any leaks down stairs nothing.

Can someone help me figure out where the gas/sewer smell is coming from. I have sewer hookup. I had someone tell me it's my vent pipe in the wall leading up to my roof and they told me there could be a hole in it. How could that be? Could that cause the smell?

Help please...

Tony

[ballengerb1]

Most tub odors come from hair and body oils getting snagged on the stopper mechanism. Remove and clean or try to snag the hair with a coat hanger or a little white plastic thing called a zip strip. It is designed to slide into the drain and snags hair on the small barbs along the side.

[condo1]

Hi, I have done that already and it's clean. When I pulled up the drain there was no rubber gasket just plubmers putty around the drain and I replaced the putty and put the drain back. As I screwed the nut into the drain to put it back the putty squeezed out and I removed the excess. I forgot to mention I have a toilet next to the shower and it's a little loose. Could that or the rubber flange be letting gas out? I checked the toilet and smelled around the bottom of it and I got no smell.

Please help... :( :confused:

[ballengerb1]

Loose toilets usually mean sewer gas problems. If the toilet has been allowed to wiggle I'd replace the wax ring and secure the toilet, come back 15 minutes later and tighten just a bit more. This may be your total issue.

[condo1]

Hi,

I will try that tonight or tomorrow. The toilet being loose will send gas smells into the tub's drain. Are they connected?

[ballengerb1]

They are connected but the gas would actually seep out between the toilet and the floor. Sewer gas does a great job floating around and hiding where it comes from.

[condo1]

Thanks for all your help. I will try it. Is the wax ring hard to replace? Should I call a plumber or can I do that myself.