Missing p trap in shower and I think my contractor is lying… am I wrong ?

[Isabella rose]

Hi. I recently completed a condo renovation. My contractor had a plumber come do some work like the new shower.

Since, I’ve had horrible sewage smell in my bathroom and master bedroom. At night it’s unbearable.

I attached photos. Here’s what it looked like before they finished the platform and above and everything. Also here’s the response from my GC

I haven’t bugged him for anything since the completion so his response is rude. It was early when I wrote him but it’s not my fault if people don’t put their phones on silent when they sleep.

I’m a regular person.. but I don’t think that elbow going to the main condo slab there in the wall is the p trap ……

Help and advice appreciated.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Did they install a toilet ? Remove and reinstall a toilet ?

I believe the shower does have a trap.

Is this the ground floor ?

 

[Isabella rose]

Did they install a toilet ? Remove and reinstall a toilet ?

I believe the shower does have a trap.

Is this the ground floor ?

It is the 14th floor. They did reinstall a toilet. I thought it was the toilet and had ANOTHER company come redcheck. Remove. Put in a flange extender a new seal because my contractor literally had installed the toilet but put two regular flanges on top of one another. Yes. He shoved one on top. Because my building requires new bathrooms to have a new subfloor cushioning and it’s thicker. So the original flange was lower than the tiling. Anyway. My contractor left two horns and seals in there. Another company came and cleaned it out and repealed with extender and gasket.

Otherwise it doesn’t really smell in the day. Only at night when people aren’t using the bathrooms in the building I guess.

 

[Twowaxhack]

I don’t know where your smell is coming from but I do believe the shower has a running trap. It was common and still can be in some high rise buildings. There may be tensioned cables in the floor……

 

[breplum]

If you pop the trim grate off, can you see standing water...if so, then that is an integral trap. I've never seen that one.
UPC doesn't allow copper DWV in slabs but it sure makes for easier/tighter assembly as in your case.

 

[johnjh2o]

There is a running trap but is it vented?

 

[Twowaxhack]

There is a running trap but is it vented?

I would say yes based off what’s known.

I kinda suspect the toilet, but anything’s possible.

It would be pretty easy to stuff and “ rag in a plastic bag “ and jam it into the shower drain after removing the strainer or possible duct taping over the drain and see if the STANK goes away.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Put your ear to the shower drain and have someone flush the toilet. If the trap is compromised you’ll hear the toilet flushing sound come through the shower drain.

A lit cigarette or piece of paper smoking can also be held all around where the toilet meets the floor to check for drafts or positive pressure.

 

[Isabella rose]

If you pop the trim grate off, can you see standing water...if so, then that is an integral trap. I've never seen that one.
UPC doesn't allow copper DWV in slabs but it sure makes for easier/tighter assembly as in your case.

Hi! Thanks for your reply. Yes I can see standing water inside. Also today I went in around 10 pm when it smells very bad as most people aren’t using the toilet / plumbing at that time .. the bathroom smells ALOT like sewage. Very strong. But the shower, when I opened the door.. nothing. Smelled clean. I’d assume if it was the shower then inside the closed shower would smell extra awful.

 

[Isabella rose]

I would say yes based off what’s known.

I kinda suspect the toilet, but anything’s possible.

It would be pretty easy to stuff and “ rag in a plastic bag “ and jam it into the shower drain after removing the strainer or possible duct taping over the drain and see if the STANK goes away.

I do too butttt here’s the history:

My toilet gasket was either not changed or not changed properly during reno. It leaked to the unit below and I had to have their bathroom repaired.

Contractor came and the guy shoved a regular gasket on top of the old one. Resulting in two horns.

Smell started soon after this BUT the above toilet now started leaking on ME. My upstairs neighbour also is doing reno. They changed their gasket. My ceiling and wall had to be repaired too. Exactly like what I did to my neighbour below maybe a month earlier.

Smell was bad so I called another company. They discovered my contractor put two regular gaskets on top of each other instead of a double gasket for the height of my tile.

The smell didn’t go away. The plumbing company came back and now installed a flange extender + normal gasket. They said NOTHING should be getting through that now.

Yet the smell continues.

COULD my above neighbour have not done a correct fix ? Could my leak to the guy below he making me think it’s a me problem hit in fact it’s the guy above who did not repair their leak / seal correctly ?

I feel like I’ve done everything I can.

You guys confirmed the shower had a p trap. I verified today i don’t think it’s the source.

The sick is unlikely and brand new.

The toilet was remediated TWICE now by a good plumbing company (I got a highly rated / well known and expensive one so I didn’t have to deal with any issues).

I’m left thinking it’s outside my unit. … would me taking out the ceiling vent and having a peek up there help with anything ?

 

[Isabella rose]

Put your ear to the shower drain and have someone flush the toilet. If the trap is compromised you’ll hear the toilet flushing sound come through the shower drain.

A lit cigarette or piece of paper smoking can also be held all around where the toilet meets the floor to check for drafts or positive pressure.

I will try this tomorrow ! See my other replies for more to the story / leaks to my neighbour and leak on to me if that helps for context. Thanks so much.

 

[Isabella rose]

I don’t know where your smell is coming from but I do believe the shower has a running trap. It was common and still can be in some high rise buildings. There may be tensioned cables in the floor……

Gotcha. Yes. My building is old so this is not surprising. But from the pics it looks like my contractor dug out some slab to fit the ptrap and recovered it in to the concrete.

 

[Isabella rose]

Update.
I’ve begun to duct tape various parts of the bathroom to see if the smell improves. I started with the base of the toilet. Nothing. I also taped the air vent to see if it was coming from the ceiling. Nothing. Horrible sewage smell still. Sick and shower smell fine. Could my toilet porcelain be compromised ? I see the toilet and the water basin thing on top are not all one piece but two screwed together. I’ve now taped around that. Any other suggestions ?

 

[Twowaxhack]

Might be time to call in a pro or call the building mangers.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Are all your bathroom fixtures in the same room or does the toilet have its own space with a door ?

If so, try to seal the room off and isolate the stink to a particular area other than the entire bathroom.

There are a lot of possibilities with neighbors so close sand all the piping that runs through your walls which some are not even yours.

 

[Isabella rose]

Are all your bathroom fixtures in the same room or does the toilet have its own space with a door ?

If so, try to seal the room off and isolate the stink to a particular area other than the entire bathroom.

There are a lot of possibilities with neighbors so close sand all the piping that runs through your walls which some are not even yours.

Thank you. No all the fixtures are in 1 room. But you’re right. I the I’ll call experts in and building management.

 

[Hamberg]

Everyone of these guys are way more experience than we are, but couple ideas (from past experience)…

14th floor is way up there, are you the only one on that floor? Neighbors have the same problem?

Cast iron waste lines crack, you’d (or the pro) would need to open up the wall to check. Depending on the severity it may also be wet.

Also, I’d check for a broken AAV (stuck open) if they were allowed?!

 

[Isabella rose]

Are all your bathroom fixtures in the same room or does the toilet have its own space with a door ?

If so, try to seal the room off and isolate the stink to a particular area other than the entire bathroom.

There are a lot of possibilities with neighbors so close sand all the piping that runs through your walls which some are not even yours.

All the fixtures are in the same spot yes.

Everyone of these guys are way more experience than we are, but couple ideas (from past experience)…

14th floor is way up there, are you the only one on that floor? Neighbors have the same problem?

Cast iron waste lines crack, you’d (or the pro) would need to open up the wall to check. Depending on the severity it may also be wet.

Also, I’d check for a broken AAV (stuck open) if they were allowed?!

yea so had photos from behind the wall from a couole lontjs ago. plumber said it wall looks good. Venting good.

I asked the building if they had this problem. I am waiting to hear back. Otherwise plumber said we may need to buy a new toilet and see because maybe (rare) but maybe the toilet is a dud.