Browse Forums Bathrooms and Laundry 1 Oct 23, 2011 12:24 pm I am having a lot of trouble with plumbing in our newly built home (well it is just about 1 year old now). In the ensuite there is an overpowering odour, sewerage smell, foul air. The smell has been there ever since we moved in, straight away. House was built Sep 2010 but sat vacant till we moved in May 2011. I complained about the issue to the builder who came around and basically said it was the sewerage system in the area and as there was a lot of new construction in the new estate it takes a while for it to settle down. He also took the cover off the waste and pulled up a bit of hair and gunk/slush from the drain and said the smell was because of this. I wasn't home at the time but my wife showed him the vanity s trap siphon noise but he didn't see an issue with it. I have cleaned the floor waste out and flushed it with water several times but the smell stays (also used garden hose on full speed jet spray to try and clean and flush it). The smell is mainly in the ensuite but also get it in the main bathroom but not as bad. I think it is more noticeable in the ensuite because it is near where we sleep and we keep the door shut which boxes it in. The house has a single vent pipe above the main toilet up above the tin roof, the main bathroom and toilet are next to each other and approx 12m away from the ensuite. There is no vent pipe at the ensuite. If I look down the drain in the shower in the main bathroom, there is water that sits in the pipe. The exact same design shower in the ensuite, looking down the pipe it is bone dry (even after you have just ran water through the shower). Also in the ensuite when you run the tap of the vanity and turn it off, a few seconds later there is a gurgle and something causes the water that should be sitting in the S trap under the vanity to be sucked into the floor waste leaving the vanity S trap bone dry too. The ensuite shower, toilet and vanity get used on a daily basis. Thirdly I believe the toilet in the ensuite is some how linked to the floor waste, because occasionally in the ensuite floor waste you can see what looks like white mushy toilet paper and nothing like that has gone down the shower or vanity drain. I am guessing the problem is a result of: 1. vanity S trap siphoning so no water seal 2. shower drain siphoning so no water seal (-do showers have an S trap underneath or something? because the main bathroom shower has water in its pipe but the ensuite doesnt) 3. toilet backing up to the floor waste occasionally all of these result in odour coming into the ensuite. Does anyone know how I can fix this problem? Is this something the builder should be fixing? Does the house need a second vent pipe installed to the ensuite? Or has the plumbing been designed wrong or maybe they forgot to install the water trap in the shower drain? It passed council plumbing inspection, I asked the builder for a plan of the plumbing but he said he didn't have one. I can request it from the council if I pay the fee. I was contemplating buying a Medidrain/Drain Mate cover for the floor waste to stop the odour, but they are $100 and it isn't going to fix the problem given the water in the traps is getting sucked out. Below is a diagram I drew to try and explain the plumbing in the Ensuite: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Appreciate anyone's input Re: Ensuite Odour and Plumbing Siphons 2Oct 23, 2011 2:22 pm It definitely sounds to me like you need a vent pipe fitted (the real purpose of a vent pipe is to break any potential siphon effect that will suck water out of the traps by letting air into the drains) Proper design of a house drainage system includes fully isolating the inside of the house from any sewer smells no mattter how bad by having properly functioning water traps The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Ensuite Odour and Plumbing Siphons 3Oct 23, 2011 4:27 pm I have to agree with Bashworth on the vent pipe. A vent installed before the toilet ensures the water doesn't get siphoned out . Either that or the plumber has connected the toilet to the floor waste riser before the S-bend or doesn't have enough fall in his pipes. http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc455/stewiesno1/SEWERPIPE.jpg Stewie Re: Ensuite Odour and Plumbing Siphons 4Oct 23, 2011 4:33 pm Is it normal for a house to need two vent pipes? Is this something that could be retro fitted now easily or a major operation like needing to go inside a wall or the concrete cut up? The other thing I noticed is that the ensuite shower if I shine a torch and watch the drain while the shower is running or immediately after, the drain never has water in it at the bottom, is it possible it should have an s trap and they forgot in the ensuite? The main bathroom has the exact same shower yet the shower recess drain has stagnant water in the bottom when the shower isn't in use? Thanks for all your help. Re: Ensuite Odour and Plumbing Siphons 5Oct 24, 2011 9:55 am Quote: Is it normal for a house to need two vent pipes? Sometimes. It depends on your layout. I think there are maximum distances between fittings as to whether you need one or two. Any plumbers on the forums would know the correct specs or regulations for this. Quote: Is this something that could be retro fitted now easily or a major operation like needing to go inside a wall or the concrete cut up? If it is a slab on ground it could be a) expensive b) messy c) difficult d) all of the above Quote: The other thing I noticed is that the ensuite shower if I shine a torch and watch the drain while the shower is running or immediately after, the drain never has water in it at the bottom, is it possible it should have an s trap and they forgot in the ensuite? The shower drains into the 4 way riser ( below the floor waste )which is where the s-trap is so no need for a separate s-bend for the shower. Vanities do have an s or p trap before they go into the 4 way riser. Quote: The main bathroom has the exact same shower yet the shower recess drain has stagnant water in the bottom when the shower isn't in use? When you say stagnant is it dirty looking or clear water ? Stewie Re: Ensuite Odour and Plumbing Siphons 6Oct 27, 2011 8:55 pm Needs to be vented just put a durgo vent in that will fix it also the distance could be too long or it could be blocked If there have been changes, variations, during construction then the drawings should be revised, the building permit amended and the current, as built drawings given to… 2 4480 Thanks for the suggestion. The space between shower and sinks was too tight. I agree about the toilet location. So I have tried two other options: The lower one is… 3 6139 the step up is 30mm and wanting it to be flat . how much does the concrete have to be lowered .we plan on removing bath and lenghten shower and adding seat. the old bath… 0 11835 |