Shower Not Blocked but Stinks!

the_skiing_bear

We are in a new build - 2 years old. The shower in our bathroom has started to pong. There is water in the trap and the shower flows and is not blocked. I have used cleaning products in any case but the smell continues. When i run the sink I can hear the water in the pipes, almost a gurgle. There is no smell from the toilet or the sink. Any ideas here people? Smell is rank. Much appreciated.

mark_cycling00

Two thoughts:
1) dead mouse/rat.  You'll get lots of blue-bottles and then a few weeks later the smell will go
2) there could be a big poo stuck in the chamber where all the pipes from loos and showers meet and go off to the main drain. We had to sort this once; unscrew inspection cover and use a watering can to flush it away. It's a mildly unpleasant task but only takes a few seconds

the_skiing_bear

Thanks Mark.. Re the inspection cover- is this outside? We have loads of manhole covers in our front garden. i understand  they are a requirement where the pipework has a 90 degree bend.

coffeehound

Is it one of these traps where you pull up on the silver top disc and the trap lifts out?



If so, it could be gunked up and needs emptying.  

Also since it is a new build, the building airtighness may be causing the extractor system to pull sewer gas up through the trap.  If you crack open a window, does the smell go away?

the_skiing_bear

the shower drain cover is chrome, u lift it out and there is a plastic cup (the trap i believe). it is totally clean.  the shower doesnt have a window.  

the_skiing_bear

mark_cycling00 said:

Two thoughts:
1) dead mouse/rat.  You'll get lots of blue-bottles and then a few weeks later the smell will go
2) there could be a big poo stuck in the chamber where all the pipes from loos and showers meet and go off to the main drain. We had to sort this once; unscrew inspection cover and use a watering can to flush it away. It's a mildly unpleasant task but only takes a few seconds

i lifted the manhole cover in the garden the drains are clear - really clean in fact. do we have an airlock somewhere maybe? hence the gargling sound. i am confused -(

mark_cycling00

Ours is outside. It's an old house so we had them checked after we bought it. 
Inspection things I think we have: one to allow the mains water to be turned off (can't open that) one to check all the internal house waste, and one for all the roof drainage. 
The one for the loos/showers/sinks has "inspection chamber" on the cover and comes off easily. 

I guess you could damage it if it isn't easy to unscrew so be careful and maybe do after you're tried the other suggestions 

coffeehound

Maybe try a window elsewhere and leave the door open and see if the smell stops.  Is it a powerful extractor fan system?

alleycat`

You've said the trap contains water but is it "high enough" level wise to stop air feeding back up from the soil stack/drains?

I had to modify our shower trap to prevent the water level dropping "below" a certain point that allowed an "air gap" to form between the outflow pipe and the drain (didn't happen instantly but over time).

This wasn't caused by the trap drying out over time / not getting used but by, i believe, the sink drain causing a "suction effect" when water was run and pulling some of the water out of the shower trap.

A dry(ish) trap would seem the most likely scenario.

EssexExile

If there is a white insert in the trap that you pull out to clean, make sure it is pushed fully home, push and twist, or the trap doesn't seal. Check the o-ring around it too, again if that is not seated properly or missing it won't seal.

Upzeecreek

We're having our bathroom refitted in our reasonably new house. Some of our waste pipes were running uphill so could be that. Those pipes stank when they were removed. Although I couldn't smell them before they were ripped out.