Disgusting smell downstairs when showering/ using toilet in upstairs ensuite

[Alison Holden]

We have an upstairs ensuite that has recently been refurbished.


We have a shower that has a pump and the toilet is a a saniflo – there is an issue with the pump as we have to switch it on and off as it stays on even after showering the people who did the conversion originally did a really poor job!

I am noticing smells in the bathroom that seem to come from sink/toilet area – there are definitely no leaks from the pipes.

We have also noticed that when we shower or use the toilet in the ensuite we get a disgusting smell downstairs near the stack – for some reason the previous owners put the stack inside the house and bricked it up. We think there is an issue there as we heard scratching from inside the other day – but that’s another issue we need to resolve. The smell is not all the time only when we are using the upstairs ensuite.

Any help advice would be great

 

[Sylvan]

Try a peppermint test as you may have a vent that is defective

 

[Sponsor]

 

[WorthFlorida]

I agree with Sylvan. I’ll bet the saniflo may not be vented and as it pumps, the air in the pipe in front of the waste water is being pushed out into the traps of your fixtures and the air escapes from the drains.

Why it doesn’t shut off could be the float switch inside the saniflo.

Since this is on a second floor, why was a saniflo used?

 

[ImOld]

Agree and also want to know what floor the sani-flo is on. The vent connection is obvious and must not have an AAV. Pressure within the pump unit must be as designed. Also check size of pipe to sewer. Cannot be larger than 1" which may seem wrong until you realize everything is ground up. Bigger pipe, you lose pressure. Sani-flo works perfectly IF you do it by the book.

Edit to add picture

 

[Alison Holden]

I agree with Sylvan. I’ll bet the saniflo may not be vented and as it pumps, the air in the pipe in front of the waste water is being pushed out into the traps of your fixtures and the air escapes from the drains.

Why it doesn’t shut off could be the float switch inside the saniflo.

Since this is on a second floor, why was a saniflo used?

i have no idea the idiots who had the house previously did bodge jobs on everything!

 

[Alison Holden]

Try a peppermint test as you may have a vent that is defective

peppermint test?

 

[Alison Holden]

what about the issue with the smell downstairs near the soil stack when we shower or use the toilet please?

 

[Reach4]

You can try to isolate where the smell comes from using cheap plastic "drop cloths" (very thin polyethylene sheet) that are sold to catch paint drips during painting. Cover fixtures, drains or hang as curtains. See which side of the plastic the smell comes from.

If the smell comes from a drain, that is one kind of problem. If it comes through a wall or floor, that is a different kind of problem.

 

[Sylvan]

A peppermint test is as follows

Take 1 part liquid peppermint concentrate to 10 parts of near boiling water poured down vent terminal and the person using the oil of peppermint stays OUT of the structure until the test is complete

The people inside the building walk around sniffing and when they smell peppermint chances are there is a busted vent line allowing the foul odors to escape .

Just make sure all the traps have a water seal including floor drains

 

[Alison Holden]

due to hearing scratching we've had to expose the soil stack in the kitchen/area - see pictures below.
there is not split in the soil stick put if you put your noses near it, it really stinks!! any further ideas of what we should do please?