Smell from behind washing machine and under boiler

chris1012

http://imageshack.us/g/1/10330923/
We had some extension work few months back and ever since the work was completed, occasionally we have been getting smells from behind the washing machine and under the boiler (which are next to each other).

I have attached pictures of while works were being completed and after work has been completed.

InitiallyI thought it was to do with no U Bend present in the waste pipe behind the washing machine so I bought a white connecter for the 2 (as seen in the picture) however this has made no difference and we also can smell it very strong from the gap where the pipes connect to the boiler.

Any ideas what it could be?
A suggestion by a friend was to foam up the gaps and see if the smells still persists but I am guessing that ain't really resolving the issue but just stopping the smells from existing from that location which could mean it could find another gap to exit from.

keystone

It might help if you could characterise the smell please.

Cheers

chris1012

Musty and a maybe a bit stagnant.

It only happens once we have used the washing machine and not all the time its as strong.
Sometimes the smell stays confined to utilities section and 3 times in the last 2 months it stank the whole ground floor...

keystone

OK thanks but I think I already sussed it from this picture in your album:

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/1558/zhq6.jpg

Its the boiler condensate. They bodged the waste plumbing. You get a condensate blockage in that pipework and use the w/m at the same time when the washing machine empties the w/m waste water will come straight back out of the top of the pipe and flood your utility. Thats apart from the smell of course. Get em back to fix it.

Cheers

chris1012

Theres been no flooding at all on each occasion. Bone dry and only occurs after using the washing machine.

We had an occasion of no smells in the first month as we weren't using the sink and dish washer due to pending of worktops to be installed.

Could this be related?

keystone

No you misunderstand or I didn't express myself properly. If you get a condensate blockage at some time in the future in the black pipe then if you have the WM running at the same time as the blockage you will get a flood.

Are you SURE there isn't a trap somewhere in that waste pipe run. You should be getting sewer smells if there isn't. Whichever, its still a bodge and they still need to come back and sort it.

Do the sink and DW connect to the same waste pipe?

Cheers

chris1012

I don't think there is otherwise I would of seen it on the pictures.

Both sink and DW are connected to the same waste pipe.

keystone

Ok ta. Under the floor perhaps? No Ok after looking at the pics there isn't.

If there is no trap what you might be smelling is sewer although condensate does honk a bit. Its rather difficult to tell over t'interwebz. Whichever it is though I think you should get them back to sort it.

Cheers

Edit: I wonder if there might be a leak in that waste under the floor?

chris1012

I hope there is no leak, otherwise the only way to access the pipe would be to break the new tiles.

Do you think a new trap and maybe a foam and silicon filler should be ised first to cover all the gaps and see if that does the trick first?

paddedjohn

Id be more worried about the proximity of the waste pipe to the plug socket, surely that cant be right.

keystone

chris1012 wrote: »

I hope there is no leak, otherwise the only way to access the pipe would be to break the new tiles.

Understand.

Do you think a new trap and maybe a foam and silicon filler should be ised first to cover all the gaps and see if that does the trick first?

Rather than try and do something at your own expense I think I'd be inviting the builder back to sort it out at his. What would happen if you took the action you are suggesting but only buried the problem for it to emerge later possibly much more severely?

Cheers