Plumbing problem: foul drain smell in kitchen after using upstairs en-suite

SarahB1

MikeJXE said:

Have you checked the sink trap as in running water into it after flushing the upstairs toilet ? Also if someone stands with their ear to the sink they might hear the water in the trap being sucked out. Plus remember there are plumbers and there are plumbers 

Thanks, I will give that a go.

Re: plumbers, yes it is difficult - I have used 4 different plumbers already and still not sorted!

SarahB1

diystarter7 said:

SarahB1 said:

diystarter7 said:

How long have you been there?
Have you noted the smells since mivig in?
Or have you had recent alterations, and or new toilet/basin fitted etc

Are you 100% the stench is coming from where you think it is? As it times it may be another place

do the smell happen with hot and cold water?

If its only hot water it could be a rat/etc is dead lying against a hot pipe/etc and speaking the smell.

Many years ago and I posted about this a couple of weeks ago - we lived in what is called an up and over pre 1900 mid terraced house in London - massive house, split level ground floor, mid and upper levels. At times around the smae time of the day there was a stench between the door to the dining room and gas/elec cupbaord under the stairs. I though there was damp we could not see or dead rate etc under the floorboard. The stench happend as i said around a certtin time about 5/30 6pmish but oly in hot waether.  

We had a bathroom and toiet and a toilet upstairs and in hotter weather small windows were left open to cool the house.
Then I thought I'd close the windows and see if hot smell arrived around the usal times it did not - tried a few times could not work it out and then went outside - it was next door cocking fish and their extractor was at the back of the house and our open windows where in the U shape gap between the up and over houses and we were getting their fish smells land in the lowest parts of our hose and as the door was closed there and small space the smells gathers. There was me thinking it was a dead rat/drains etc.

So smell around with you nose and ask others to help to IF the exact location of the smell and when it happens EG turn on/this and the other is it hot/cold/etc

Thanks for this - the smell only arrives after we use the en-suite, either flush the toilet or use the sink/shower

I'm no expert but its the set up/piping in the ensuite I'm almost 100% sure about this.
whatever they did with the pipes, must be wrong.

Try using the basin alone one day, see it that results i smell
Then the toilet the next day and as above
then the shower and as above

If its just the one easier to resolve if its all three then the problem is lower down the pipes imo

Thanks.

I have been trying this - the issue seems to be caused by the shower and the basin and not the toilet (interestingly following an earlier comment it seems that the smell is worse after running the hot tap - although I think I may be imagining this!).

diystarter7

SarahB1 said:

diystarter7 said:

SarahB1 said:

diystarter7 said:

How long have you been there?
Have you noted the smells since mivig in?
Or have you had recent alterations, and or new toilet/basin fitted etc

Are you 100% the stench is coming from where you think it is? As it times it may be another place

do the smell happen with hot and cold water?

If its only hot water it could be a rat/etc is dead lying against a hot pipe/etc and speaking the smell.

Many years ago and I posted about this a couple of weeks ago - we lived in what is called an up and over pre 1900 mid terraced house in London - massive house, split level ground floor, mid and upper levels. At times around the smae time of the day there was a stench between the door to the dining room and gas/elec cupbaord under the stairs. I though there was damp we could not see or dead rate etc under the floorboard. The stench happend as i said around a certtin time about 5/30 6pmish but oly in hot waether.  

We had a bathroom and toiet and a toilet upstairs and in hotter weather small windows were left open to cool the house.
Then I thought I'd close the windows and see if hot smell arrived around the usal times it did not - tried a few times could not work it out and then went outside - it was next door cocking fish and their extractor was at the back of the house and our open windows where in the U shape gap between the up and over houses and we were getting their fish smells land in the lowest parts of our hose and as the door was closed there and small space the smells gathers. There was me thinking it was a dead rat/drains etc.

So smell around with you nose and ask others to help to IF the exact location of the smell and when it happens EG turn on/this and the other is it hot/cold/etc

Thanks for this - the smell only arrives after we use the en-suite, either flush the toilet or use the sink/shower

I'm no expert but its the set up/piping in the ensuite I'm almost 100% sure about this.
whatever they did with the pipes, must be wrong.

Try using the basin alone one day, see it that results i smell
Then the toilet the next day and as above
then the shower and as above

If its just the one easier to resolve if its all three then the problem is lower down the pipes imo

Thanks.

I have been trying this - the issue seems to be caused by the shower and the basin and not the toilet (interestingly following an earlier comment it seems that the smell is worse after running the hot tap - although I think I may be imagining this!).

Thanks for the update. IMO, you are getting closer to the problem, and once sorted if you have a mo, please share.
(With the new ifno, I'm sure someone will have the answer)
Good luck and have a nice weekend

SarahB1

Update:

It appears that the issue is due to a belly in the pipework which is holding water, restricting flow and causing blockages (this is all happening under our kitchen floor!).

I have made a claim on our Insurance which has been declined as "the most likely cause of damage would be point loading from the above property which is not covered under the terms of the policy".

The insurer has said that "accidental damage would be a sudden, identifiable external force and there is no evidence of this".

I have checked my policy and loss / damage caused by Subsidence, heave or landslip is covered under the policy, however "normal settlement, shrinkage or expansion" is not covered (the house is approx 25 years old).

Any advice on how to proceed with the insurers would be appreciated - I will also post on the Insurance forum.

Many thanks for any help!