Odor in Bathroom

kjhardy · Jan 30, 2014

Hi, Newbie homeowner here with a smell issue in a bathroom. The bath in question has a tub/shower, toilet and double sink. The bath is on the main floor of a ranch. The basement is finished with a full bath with an ejector pump.

The smell isn't there all the time so I'm thinking one or all of the trap water is somehow being pulled out of the traps allowing the smell to come up.

My question is if the backflow value on the ejector pump isn't working correctly, could this be the culprit? Could the backflow be pulling the water out of the traps? Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks,
Ken

IFIXH20 · Feb 2, 2014

Maybe 8 out 10 sewer smell in bathroom comes from broken toilet wax seals. If the sewer smell can't be pin pointed I would start by replacing the wax seal. If your ejector pump check valve is bad your system probably would be continually cycling.

pf4711 · Aug 6, 2014

So I have the same problem in a small bathroom with a toilet shower and sink. I tried replacing the wax seal twice. Its still there. Problem is, I'm not sure if I'm replacing the seal properly because the toilet doesn't sit flush on the floor and must be caulked into place. So, during installation, it seems impossible to push the toilet down on the new seal and then caulk it without any rocking at all. I'm worried the rocking during install, even if minimal, may be compromising the new seals.

Any advice or install tips re the rocking?

How do I know if the seal is the problem or not? What is the next most likely cause. I don't seem to have any symptoms of a clogged vent. Thanks

havasu · Aug 6, 2014

Have you tried the Waxless toilet seals? I hear wonders about them, but never used them myself.

pf4711 · Aug 7, 2014

havasu said:
Have you tried the Waxless toilet seals? I hear wonders about them, but never used them myself.

No, never tried them and didn't know they exist. That seems like a good idea to try. Thanks.

pf4711 · Sep 1, 2014

pf4711 said:
No, never tried them and didn't know they exist. That seems like a good idea to try. Thanks.

I installed a waxless seal a couple weeks ago, and it seems to have solved the problem. So if you have a toilet not flush with the floor and prone to rocking, I'd definitely recommend a waxless seal! Thanks for the suggestion!