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Plumbing
Sewer smell from toilet
Anonymous user 19 May 2022 - 3.09 PM
We bought a late 60's built house about a year ago. In the master bedroom a small toilet & basin have been installed into what I assume was a cupboard space previously. The flush system is operated electrically into what I assume will be an out of sight macerator. This unit is only used for night time visits to urinate, nothing else. After flushing there is a foul, sewer type smell seemingly emanating from the pan before it refills with water. Any ideas what the problem may be? We do not have a stench pipe attached to the house but I can see where one may have been previously. Edit: Could the system have been fitted with 'anti vac traps' which are failing somewhere? Also, my main bathroom toilet & shower (no bath) is on the ground floor. UPDATE: Thanks for your thoughts and ideas guys. Since posting I got to thinking whether the smell was coming from the small washbasin which seems to be connected to the toilet (if I run enough water, the toilet flushes). I experimented with leaving the basin plug in which appears to have eliminated the problem so far.
4 answers from MyBuilder tradespeople
you need to get a qualified plumber to visit site and advise you. anti vac traps air inlet valves (durgo valves) on soil pipes are mechanical and as such liable to failure, also they will not overcome back pressure in soil and waste systems, backpressure normally caused by blockages will push smells through traps, these are installed to overcome poor plumbing design or installation, always use a qualified plumber and check his qualifications.
Answered
19 May 2022
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your need 4inch black pipe to release the smell out. or if the pipe is already there then it could be quite down from the toilet level. I can tell u all after looking at it.
Answered
19 May 2022
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Interesting you say before the pan refills with water, i think you have a Saniflow with intergrated fill, ie you dont have a glush tank but it refills from the main, if so could be the non return valve, even with a standard macerator its likely to be the non return valve. No need for smells really. Basin if connected to sani shouldnt make a difference, is connected to the same trap as toilet
Answered
28 May 2022
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Without a vent pipe (soil stack) higher that the level of the said toilet smells will always be present. Although the system is on a macerator most likely on a smaller diameter pipe. A raised section of pipework is necessary.
Answered
20 May 2022
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