I have a 1993 mobile home. For the past 3 months I have been getting a strong sewer smell in the bathroom after draining the bathtub. The bathtub and sinks have mechanical vents, and the toilet and shower are hooked to the roof vent.
My dad replaced the vents on both sinks and the bathtub, and he put a water hose down the roof vent to check for clogs. The water came out under the house. We called a plumber and told him that our roof vent was disconnected, but when he arrived he said that it was connected perfectly under the house. He asked me to run the shower for 5 minutes and he returned with a video on his cell phone of my shower drain leaking under the house. He did not have a ladder to test the roof vent.
I called another plumber and he said that he didn't see a leak in the shower drain (although the first plumber showed me a video so I believe it's there). He tested the roof vent and was amazed that all of the water came out under the house. He said the pipe is connected under the house, and that it must be disconnected inside the wall in the bathroom.
He also said that my drain pipe (I think for the toilet but maybe all of them) are to steep (3" drop in 4' section) and that's probably what is causing the odor.
Is it more likely that the odor is being caused by the steep drain pipe or the disconnected vent? Since the odor only occurs after I drain the tub, and the tub is on a mechanical vent, I don't want to cut into the wall if the vent isn't causing the odor. It's a huge expense and my wallpaper is 20 years old and can't be replaced.
As long as I'm not getting an odor, is it safe to leave the roof vent disconnected? Also, how can I find out which problem is causing the smell?
My dad replaced the vents on both sinks and the bathtub, and he put a water hose down the roof vent to check for clogs. The water came out under the house. We called a plumber and told him that our roof vent was disconnected, but when he arrived he said that it was connected perfectly under the house. He asked me to run the shower for 5 minutes and he returned with a video on his cell phone of my shower drain leaking under the house. He did not have a ladder to test the roof vent.
I called another plumber and he said that he didn't see a leak in the shower drain (although the first plumber showed me a video so I believe it's there). He tested the roof vent and was amazed that all of the water came out under the house. He said the pipe is connected under the house, and that it must be disconnected inside the wall in the bathroom.
He also said that my drain pipe (I think for the toilet but maybe all of them) are to steep (3" drop in 4' section) and that's probably what is causing the odor.
Is it more likely that the odor is being caused by the steep drain pipe or the disconnected vent? Since the odor only occurs after I drain the tub, and the tub is on a mechanical vent, I don't want to cut into the wall if the vent isn't causing the odor. It's a huge expense and my wallpaper is 20 years old and can't be replaced.
As long as I'm not getting an odor, is it safe to leave the roof vent disconnected? Also, how can I find out which problem is causing the smell?
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