rotten egg smell coming from bath plug hole

isy1011

I have this awful smell coming from what seems bath plug hole. I have tried drain cleaner but it just comes back.

Not sure what to do next!

MX5huggy

Is the ubend seal intact, ie can you see water held in the plug hole, therefore sealing you off from the drains

The p trap on this page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_%28plumbing%29

vturner

I agree the smell is wholly likely to be the smell of your soil pipe.

You need to get that bath panel off and check that there is an air lock ( U Bend ) present where the waste pipes connect to your bath water outlet, sometimes if you can feel a faint draft coming up the plug.... easy to buy but a little tricky to fit in the confined space... good luck ( other wise keep the plug in all the time, that's the cheap solution )

isy1011

I just took bath panel off and there is a little u bend there but I cant get it off. Maybe have to wait till hubby gets home.

googler

Two possibilities occur to me;

One, you don't use your bath very often, and the water in the trap has evaporated, allowing foul air to come up from the drains

Two, other water appliances in the house are creating a vacuum which is drawing the water out of the bath trap, with the same result.

There's no need to take the trap off, you've seen there is a trap below your bath now, that's all you need do.


Shine a strong torch down the plughole and see if there's any water lying there, or fill the bath slightly, and let it drain. Try releasing water down the drain elsewhere (WC, kitchen sink etc) and then look again to see if the water in the trap has moved. If so, that confirms theory 2 above.

Has it been like this for long? Have you just moved in, and noticed it when you moved in?

More importantly, have any changes been made to the plumbing recently?

Have you tried merely leaving the plug in the bath all the time.......?

isy1011

Used the bath last night.

Its been like it for a while but I have tried to deal with it by using Mr Muscle drain cleaner. Doesnt seem to help really.

When I put bath plug in it helps but I suppose I want to tackle the source of problem.

Canucklehead

Hi

The overflow arrangement is usually a good source of smells.;)

Remove and clean is the best way of dealing with it.

GSR.

isy1011

Thank you handy folks:D

googler

Canucklehead wrote: »

Hi

The overflow arrangement is usually a good source of smells.;)

Remove and clean is the best way of dealing with it.

GSR.

Or..... to save removing it, fill bath to overflow level, and add drain cleaner to the water that's now flowing down the overflow?

Decant drain cleaner into something which will fit through the overflow grill, and feed it in that way?

isy1011

Yes will give that a go. Just put my nose next to overflow and bad smell so I think that could be main cause.

isy1011

Okay - this is what Ive just tried.

Couldnt pour drain cleaner into standing water or couldnt really deacnt drain cleaner down overflow so..

got syringe (Im a nurse) with a rubber tube (daughters chemistry kit) and syringed bleach down overflow. Hope that helps. We will see.