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Original poster

Toilet absolutely stinks

29 replies

yohyohy · 09/10/2023 16:00

So my toilet downstairs absolutely stinks. More so in the morning or if we've been out all day and it's not been used for a while.
It stinks of sewage.
There's no blockage, it flushes fine, it's not leaking. We've put horrendously strong industrial strength drain dissolver down there and it still stinks.
We've cleaned the toilet and all around it.
I googled it and it said if it rocks then the seal might be broken, but it is firmly fixed to the floor.

I just don't know what to do next?

OP posts:
Original poster
yohyohy · 09/10/2023 16:01

Sticking bleach etc down every single day but it's not making any difference.

OP posts:
DustyLee123 · 09/10/2023 16:02

Are you in a dip ? Neighbours of ours in a dip used to get the sewage backing up their downstairs loo.

Original poster
yohyohy · 09/10/2023 16:07

Nope, on a drive way of 3 houses on top of a hill. Lived here 3 years and it's just started happening.

OP posts:
Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 09/10/2023 16:24

Take the seat off completely and clean everything. All the seals, screw/bolt threads and the rubber bump/rest bits. Urine gets everywhere.
have you checked the flooring and walls, as some people seem to spray…. Iyswim.
otherwise I would look really closely at the seals and for any cracks that’s could be harbouring dirty water.

chaos76 · 09/10/2023 16:30

did you check the drain in the sink ? and put bleach in the sistern

chaos76 · 09/10/2023 16:33

also wht type of flooring have you in this room the leak could be further along the pipe and in under the floor

Original poster
yohyohy · 09/10/2023 16:35

Yes cleaned the sink drain too. It's not a urine smell, it's more like when you open a nappy bin in a public bathroom.

OP posts:
Original poster
yohyohy · 09/10/2023 16:35

We have Lino that's been down for years.

OP posts:
mrsbyers · 09/10/2023 16:46

Have you checked the external drain ?

KievLoverTwo · 09/10/2023 16:47

Are you on a septic tank?

On/near farmland?

KnittedCardi · 09/10/2023 17:04

We have that problem. Is it a "new" style toilet where there is no overflow outlet? If so, the overflow in the tank goes back down into the main drain. Stupid design, as they are very prone to being stinky as the bottom of the pipe collects poo as it drains away. Try putting bleach down that pipe, it's in the water tank. And don't poo in it! We only poo upstairs.

Original poster
yohyohy · 09/10/2023 17:10

The toilet was put in before we moved in. At a guess is say maybe 10 years old. It's definitely not lovely and modern. I haven't checked the drains outside no. Someone said the water company might come out and check them if you report it?

OP posts:
Original poster
yohyohy · 09/10/2023 17:10

No septic tank and maybe a mile away from a farm!

OP posts:
ClematisBlue49 · 09/10/2023 17:10

I had to deal with a similar issue at my mum's place. I couldn't work out where the smell was coming from. In the end I had a drain survey done prior to renovations and they found that the external pipe was cracked and had to be relined / replaced. Fortunately they were able to do it without taking out the toilet. Cost about £1K to fix, but the survey was only £200 or so.

griegwithhimandhim · 09/10/2023 17:18

You're probably going to have to take the flooring up, to see if there's anything going on underneath. After that, it will need to be a plumber I reckon.

KievLoverTwo · 09/10/2023 17:26

Talk to your neighbours and ask them if smells ever kick off relating to nearby farmland - if it does, they'll be used to it and can tell you.

Our bathrooms stink to high hell now and then and most of the time it's related to the agricultural work going on around us.

It's particularly horrific when it's really windy in a particular direction.

(the smell is like a mixture of sewerage and being at the seaside)

HerkyBaby · 09/10/2023 17:30

I suspect it’s a Durgo Valve that has failed or is repeatedly getting stuck. I’m afraid it’s a job for a plumber. We were in the same situation - extreme cleaning and bleach will have no effect unless this is sorted .

shapovalov · 09/10/2023 17:30

My mum interestingly gets the same problem - this is on and off and tends to happen in the family bathroom and another toilet which isn't used that much. It also sometimes happens in the shower (which isn't used at all).

We still don't know what it is - as it comes and goes we tend to forget about it until the next awful occasion where it comes back.

rwalker · 09/10/2023 17:33

Can u get underfloor to look may be drain problem and sewage leaking into void underfloor

Twiglets1 · 09/10/2023 17:49

Get a plumber round to have a look. My Dad had this in his flat and a plumber sorted it out in less than an hour after suffering with the sewage smell for years. Can't remember the reason sorry, but it was something to do with something not fitting properly, the plumber replaced it and problem solved.

Zmasshoprace · 09/10/2023 18:04

Do you leave the bleach overnight and don't flush it till the next morning?

I have this but bleach solves it every 4 months or so.

2jacqi · 09/10/2023 18:18

can you go outside and find your house drain point. check which one each toilet comes out of and get someone to put a tissue down and see how long it takes for it to come down to the point where you see it? then get someone to plunge it while you are watching for anything coming out. if necessary they can use a bucket of hot water to plunge

2jacqi · 09/10/2023 18:20

shapovalov · 09/10/2023 17:30

My mum interestingly gets the same problem - this is on and off and tends to happen in the family bathroom and another toilet which isn't used that much. It also sometimes happens in the shower (which isn't used at all).

We still don't know what it is - as it comes and goes we tend to forget about it until the next awful occasion where it comes back.

the shower might need flushed through. just turn it on for an hour and let it run. it doesnt have to be hot. but run it quite hard. needs done probably monthly when shower is not used.

FawnDrench · 09/10/2023 18:41

Check your external drain - just lift up the cover to see if there's a "backlog".

mrsbyers · 09/10/2023 18:49

Before you start anything I’d just lift the drain outside , I’m fond of using drain rods but understand if you don’t - if there’s sewage in there then it needs rodding

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