If you see smoke, take pictures! That would be interesting.
Can't figure out where smell is coming from in bathroom
- Thread starter Mattdub1
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So I taped plastic around the toilet and continue to smell a light stale smell. I did my daily floor crawling the other day and noticed a draft on my face from the vanity drawer closest to the toilet. I pulled out the drawers and to my surprise there was a small hole in the wall. I found the cleanout and vent behind there. I stuck my phone camera in the hole because my head wouldn't fit, and the pic at the link below is what I found....
Looks like the guy who finished the basement drove at least two nails into the vent when securing vanity to the wall. So could this be the issue? It makes sense to me since I can feel the draft coming from this hole when the bath fan is on due to the negative pressure...Only thing that doesn't make sense to me is if the holes are plugged by the nails , how is the sewer smell getting past them?
http://imgur.com/YwAzHxp
Looks like the guy who finished the basement drove at least two nails into the vent when securing vanity to the wall. So could this be the issue? It makes sense to me since I can feel the draft coming from this hole when the bath fan is on due to the negative pressure...Only thing that doesn't make sense to me is if the holes are plugged by the nails , how is the sewer smell getting past them?
http://imgur.com/YwAzHxp
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It seems to me that would be quite a coincidence to have nails through the vent and an unrelated smell.
What is that white thing on the left side of the picture? Is that another penetration of the pipe? If so, who knows what other holes could have been drilled etc on that same vertical line.
What is that white thing on the left side of the picture? Is that another penetration of the pipe? If so, who knows what other holes could have been drilled etc on that same vertical line.
I'm not sure which white thing you are seeing, but there are two nails on the left lower side of the vent in the pic.
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Oh OK, I see what you mean. I am not sure what that is, but it appears to be much much larger than a nail or screw. Could be my phone light reflecting off some other piping way up there, electrical cord, or something else. I will have to shine a brighter light up there and see.
I am not a pro, so I would be thinking of a tape such as silicone self-fusing tape such as https://www.rustoleum.com/product-c...erformance/specialty-products/Leak-Seal-Tape/ . There are going to be other ways, even solutions suitable for pressure pipe.
The Homewerks Worldwide 1-1/2 in. PVC Slide Repair Coupling could also be used. It is OK for pressure even. Also available in other sizes.
Even cheaper is to use two 1-1/2 in. PVC DWV Repair Couplings and a piece of PVC. The repair coupling does not have the stop in the middle, so you can slide those over the pipes totally before you apply primer and glue. I am a bit concerned that the repair couplings don't have the interference fit of regular PVC couplings. You are not supposed to use that for pressure fittings, but yours is a vent application.
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The pipe that has the nails is the one with the cleanout at the base of it....It's quite a bit larger than 1 1/2"...More like 4". Does this change the recommendation?
I also doubt that the air is coming through those holes with nails in them. I am suspecting you will find a bigger hole somewhere.
Given access, I think there are different ways. But if I fixed it at all, I would tend toward clipping the nails, apply a dab of J-B Weld to the hole, and wrap with silicone tape. Some would screw a short sheet metal screw into each hole. I would avoid a fix that involves cutting a section of the pipe out.
Im
I'm confused...Didn't you say this earlier? "It seems to me that would be quite a coincidence to have nails through the vent and an unrelated smell.". I thought you were saying that it makes sense for the nails to be related. Did I misinterpreted that?
I thought I was finally onto something here...
I'm confused...Didn't you say this earlier? "It seems to me that would be quite a coincidence to have nails through the vent and an unrelated smell.". I thought you were saying that it makes sense for the nails to be related. Did I misinterpreted that?
I thought I was finally onto something here...
Here's another shot with more light. It appears the white line you asked about in the prior photo was a reflection of my camera light off the duct work. I can't see anything else wrong besides the nails and there is no way for me to access higher up the pipe.
http://imgur.com/vUER9sK
http://imgur.com/vUER9sK
You are absolutely right... but after thinking about it, I am thinking that a builder who pounded nails into the PVC could easily have made a bigger hole elsewhere. It will be interesting to see if that white thing is penetrating the pipe, or if it just a piece of white cable that passes outside the PVC? Staying tuned.
So I have mixed thoughts on this. Coincidences happen. Yet.... you have a mystery smell and a penetration in the same area.
How about that cleanout? A 4 inch, or even 3 inch, PVC pipe might continue right up through the roof. Is there another floor above this bathroom? Do you have a plumbing vent on your roof above there? There is a thing called a test ball that can be inflated in a cleanout and block the pipe. Then you run a garden hose from the roof, and see where the water squirts out. Water should not squirt out. You would not want to put the water in fast. You would stay in contact with the garden hose operator while you are looking through your hole in the wall. I have not used such a test ball. I hope there would be a way of getting the test ball out without having gallons of water spill onto the floor.
This bath is in the basement. There are two bathrooms upstairs on this same side of the house, and a roof vent in this same area which likely vents all three bathrooms because I don't see another roof vent. Also, the roof vent appears smaller so the one with the nails and clean out on it may just be the sewage line for all the toilets and not a vent??? The guy who finished the basement is not the same as the person who built the house, at least I don't think so because the basement was finished six or more years after the house was built. There are permit records and it appears to be one of the prior owners that did the basement.
I mentioned a post or two back (with another pic) that the white thing was just reflection from my camera off the duct work, so that should rule it out.
Another thought to add....If the smell was coming from the nail holes, wouldn't there be a slight water leak from them if the toilets and fixtures above drain down through this line?
Also, I stuck my phone under the hole in the subfloor underneath the upstairs jacuzzi and took this pic.
http://imgur.com/ah1rTk3
This was best I could do, but it shows the pipe comes up and goes over to the other two toilets. It does not go straight up through the roof. I could not see anything wrong from my limited view under the subfloor. Not sure if this helps any but just adding more info..
Also, I stuck my phone under the hole in the subfloor underneath the upstairs jacuzzi and took this pic.
http://imgur.com/ah1rTk3
This was best I could do, but it shows the pipe comes up and goes over to the other two toilets. It does not go straight up through the roof. I could not see anything wrong from my limited view under the subfloor. Not sure if this helps any but just adding more info..
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MattCT
New Member
Even better, how about a quick video? Had the smoke test done today and finally found the source of the odors. Lead pipe under subfloor leading to toilet. I don't want to rip up ceiling in kitchen to replace it so I think we will be remodeling this bathroom finally.
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