Why does my bathroom smell like sewage?

by delavin home May 24, 2024

Sources

Bathroom Smell Like Sewage? Understanding Common Causes ...

emergencyplumb.co

What to Do When You Notice a Sewer Smell in Bathroom Spaces

home.howstuffworks

Smell Sewage in Your Bathroom? Here's Why - Mr. Rooter

mrrooter

Answer

There are several common reasons why your bathroom may smell like sewage:

Clogged drains: Buildup of hair, soap scum, and debris in the shower drain or sink drain can create a perfect environment for bacteria growth, leading to foul odors135.
Dry P-trap: The P-shaped pipe under your sink or shower drain is designed to hold water and create a seal that prevents sewer gases from entering your bathroom. If this water evaporates, especially in bathrooms that are rarely used, sewer gas can seep in134.
Damaged wax ring: The wax ring that seals the toilet to the floor can deteriorate over time. If it's damaged, water can leak out and sewer gases can come in4.
Sewer line issues: Cracks or breaks in the sewer line near your home, often caused by ground movement, tree roots, or old pipes, can allow sewer gases to escape into your bathroom4.
Septic tank problems: If you have a septic system, a full septic tank or issues with the drain field can cause sewage odors to back up into your bathroom5.

To resolve the issue, start by pouring water down all your drains to refill the P-traps. Ensure your toilet is flushed regularly. If the smell persists, use a drain cleaner or plunger to clear any clogs. If the problem is more serious, like a broken wax ring or sewer line issue, you may need to call a plumber for repairs134.

References

1. Bathroom Smell Like Sewage? Understanding Common Causes ...2. What to Do When You Notice a Sewer Smell in Bathroom Spaces 3. Smell Sewage in Your Bathroom? Here's Why - Mr. Rooter 4. Why Does My Bathroom Smell Like Sewage?5. 6 Potential Reasons Your Bathroom Smells Like Sewage

hzH5U7exNFk

Author: The Grumpy Plumber

Key insights

"Hi I hear you have a sewer gas smell in your bathroom."
Rocking or loose toilet could be the source of the sewer smell in the bathroom.
Checking and fixing the wax ring and toilet flange can help eliminate the sewer gas smell in the bathroom.
The use of a repair flange with set screws can help create a tighter and more secure seal for the toilet, preventing sewer smells in the bathroom.
Raising the flange of the toilet can help prevent the need for multiple wax rings to make a seal, reducing the risk of sewer smells in the bathroom.
Properly installing and sealing the toilet can eliminate the sewer smell in the bathroom.

Timestamped Summary

00:00 Identify and fix sewer gas smell in bathroom by checking for potential issues.
00:29 Check for sewer smell in the bathroom by running water in unused fixtures, checking for a rocking toilet, and smelling around the base of the toilet.
01:06 Check the wax ring and toilet flange for sewer gas leaks, and fix any issues with the flange if necessary.
02:10 Use a repair flange with set screws to fix a loose toilet and eliminate sewer smell in the bathroom.
03:00 Raise the flange to be above the finished floor to use only one wax ring for the toilet seal, and grease the gasket before installation.
03:53 Replace the wax ring and use spacer flanges to fix the sewer smell in the bathroom.
04:29 Use spacers underneath the toilet, not on top, to fix sewer smell in the bathroom.
05:13 Don't use caulk around the toilet to stop sewer gas, instead use a sewer gas blocker like Odie or Soo Chief.

Video Full Text

00:00 Hi I hear you have a sewer gas smell in your bathroom. I'm the grumpy plumber. I'm going to tell you how to fix it. Hi my dad. Jim has been a plumber for 48 years. He's a master plumber in michigan and a c-36 licensed plumbing contractor in california he has saved my wife and I thousands of dollars but you just got to watch out. He gets a little bit grumpy when he's giving advice so piss him off. First thing you're going to have to do is you're going to have to check it out. There's couple things could be wrong.
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00:29 One thing is the bathroom that doesn't get much use. You could have a shower that that's trapped in the shower as the the water in the trap is evaporated okay so you always want to take and maybe just run some water in the shower or the bathtub bathroom sink can be the same thing but a lot of times it's a toilet and if you grab a hold of your toilet and it rocks that's probably one of the spots right there that you got a problem or if it's down tight. It could be a problem and a good way to do it. You're not going to like this is what I always did is. I got down on the floor and I smelled around the base of the toilet.
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01:06 Okay. A little gross. But that's the way you got to check this out. Then. I would pull the toilet okay first. I'd empty out flush the toilet and turn the water off empty all the water out. I usually had a shop back there that could suck all the water out so you're not getting any water on the floor and I lift it off and then I look at the closet and what you're going to see first is you're going to see this here at this wax ring. That's sitting there that the toilet makes it seal up and it's probably half gone. Three quarters gone or whatever it is and it could be. That's where the sewer gas is coming from another thing is the toilet flange okay. This is what holds the toilet to the floor you could have uh a problem with they maybe a few years ago you tiled the floor. You maybe did some construction and put concrete down then tile. Now this flange sits below the finished floor like maybe about that much okay but there's a way to fix it. Now this happens to be a four inch closet flange.
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02:10 They do make them in three inch but I'm going to show you the one on the four inch if the four inches down you make sure it's tight to the floor. So then you take some new bolts that hold the toilet on and you slide them. In some taller bolts. You know the three inch instead of the two and a quarter inch you put those up. Then there's this flange. This is called a repair flange okay and it's kind of neat it. What it will do. It will go down into this to it like this here and you put it into the bolts on it and you can tighten them down. So it's nice and tight. But on the inside of this particular one. There's these set screws and as you tighten the set screws and you'll see the gasket and say to be out here a little ways. It will seal itself against the pipe. That's in there it'll make a tighter fit and it'll seal itself.
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03:00 So that's going to hold it down on so that raises it up and you want to get it either above. The the this part above. The finished tile or you want to get this to be with the finished tile if you get this above the finished tile. Then you only need one wax ring to make the seal on the toilet if you have to go a little below the tile you might have to do two but never use. Three three is not a cure for your problem but the whole idea is that you've got to raise that flange get it up there. So it's this is at least a little above the finished floor one. Other thing is these come different ways. This one happens to have the set screws in it. You can get them with a gasket on that you put. I would always grease it up with even hand lotion or anything that would slide down in the pipe.
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03:53 You set it. You lock it down with the uh the bolts on the closet bolts that will hold it down put the wax ring. On. Then you put it on again. Then you tighten it down. You might need extra bolt but you'll get a good seal like that and I'll tell you what that'll cure your problem. There are spacer flanges that you can buy in a package of three. They're about just about all you. See is just this piece. Here. They're probably a little thinner. Now you could use those underneath here to help raise them up but do not put them on top of the old flange think you've got an easy cure.
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04:29 No they do not make a good seal. They say you can caulk them everything else. Let me tell you no just use them underneath for a spacer do not use them on top so use it between the old and the new just to raise it up. You could use anything you could cut a piece of copper half an inch maybe use. It make a little spacer in between you could you know you don't you could even use some plastic shims to raise this up because once it's in there and tight here the space does not matter the part here. This gasket is what's going to seal the water from coming back on it and then the wax ring is what seals the water from coming off the top of it and one other thing is. I don't like caulk.
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05:13 I think talk is the most miserable thing they ever do on a toilet and I don't care if it's in the rule. Book don't. I don't use it. I don't like to use it. It gets grungy looking and it is not going to stop the sewer gas from coming out from underneath that toilet. If you would like to know where to buy these which you can buy them several places but click my link below to find out where they're at there are different brands. This happens to be what we call odie and there's a brand called soo chief. Su chiefs make a lot of different ones they're big into repair stuff really like sushi okay so keep click the link below and they'll tell you where to go to get thank you so now if you don't like that idea find some plumber that thinks he knows what he's doing thank you you.
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