Bathroom smells of rotten eggs when dishwasher is on?

tallulah31

I've started noticing lately that when the dishwasher is on in the kitchen downstairs, there is an unpleasant smell (like rotten eggs) coming from the bathroom upstairs.

It only seems to smell when the dishwasher is on...it doesn't smell the usually, and I haven't noticed it smell when the washing machine is on.

Anyone got any ideas what might be causing the smell?

Thanks

boliston

It might be worth putting some drain cleaner in the kitchen sink as the drain pipes under the sink can create smells if not cleaned every so often. I normally use cillit bang "power cleaner with bleach" which seems to work OK - put about a third of a bottle down the sink and leave for a couple of hours before running tap or using dishwasher or washing machine.

Cottage_Economy

A few years ago i asked a plumber about the sulphur rotten egg smell coming from my downstairs shower. He told me that it could be one of several things.

It could be that when the pipework was put in to take the shower waste water to the sewer, it wasn't fitted with a trap. It's a u-shaped pipe that traps some water as it flows through in order to block sewer gasses from escaping back up the drain into the bathroom.

He also said that sometimes there may be a build up of hair, conditioner and other gunk that gets caught and eventually begind to rot down.

It comes and goes with us. We usually stick something over the hole and that keeps it at bay. We're suffering at the moment with it and this weekend i'll clean it through to see if that helps.

I've always wondered why thougn it comes and goes as it does. Months with nothing and then one day...bleurch! Maybe the water board are doing something periodically in the sewers and it forces the gases to move differently and back up into my bathroom. In your case it could be that the movement of the water from the dishwasher to the sewer forces some gas back up the pipes to your bathroom.

Dave_J_3

i'd start investigating your waste pipes for everything.

It could be that when your dishwasher empties, it is syphoning the trapped water from other u-bends (if fitted) in other areas (basins washing machine, showers etc.

However as mentioned, it can be one of many things

keystone

I'm inclined to suspect its syphonage and its a shallow shower trap causing the problem. Do the waste pipes from the bathroom discharge into a hopper or is it all connected into one single pipe including the D/W.

Is the W/M connected to the same pipe and if so, does it do it when the W/M operates.

Cheers

fluffymuffy

keystone wrote: »

I'm inclined to suspect its syphonage and its a shallow shower trap causing the problem. Do the waste pipes from the bathroom discharge into a hopper or is it all connected into one single pipe including the D/W.

Is the W/M connected to the same pipe and if so, does it do it when the W/M operates.

Cheers

An anti syphon trap on the wash basin will fix it if that's the problem.
You can get one on eBay for a few quid and fit it yourself - no harder than screwing a bottle top on.

keystone

not if its the shower trap it won't!

Cheers

fluffymuffy

keystone wrote: »

not if its the shower trap it won't!

Cheers

Yes it will. It will let air into the system and stop the suction on the shower trap.

martinthebandit

fluffymuffy wrote: »

An anti syphon trap on the wash basin will fix it if that's the problem.
You can get one on eBay for a few quid and fit it yourself - no harder than screwing a bottle top on.

That's what I would go for.

keystone

fluffymuffy wrote: »

Yes it will. It will let air into the system and stop the suction on the shower trap.

If you say so.

Cheers