My toilet stinks - why is it? (Long)

[GoLowDrew]

***Let me first say, this is not a joke and I'm not trying to be funny. This is a real question and I hope to get real answers. Please don't spam it. Thanks.***Question: Only one of my toilet stinks. The other one is fine. This is on a new construction home, less than one year old. Normal use, cleaned often, etc, etc. So it should not have any smell. From past experiences with new construction homes, I should not have this problem for at least 5+ years.I'm guessing it's the pipe. I have poured bleach to soak, and the smell comes back in about a day or two. One time it soaked for one week. No matter what I used, it's more like a cover up. In short, nothing has worked so far.1. I've heard that there is a plumbing vent pipe that connects to the roof. I know nothing about construction. Yes, there are "things" that look like pipes that sticks out from the roof. I have not really look to pin point the location. Could the vent pipe be stuck? So therefore it is not properly vented?2. Could there be an internal leak? But I don't think the smell is coming from outside the toilet bow. Is there a way I can tell? I can't take the toilet apart. I not nothing about how a toilet is installed into the ground. I think the smell is from in the bowl.3. I heard plumbers use something like the snake to un-clog pipes. Could something be cloging up the pipes? Therefore, it holds back the wastes that maybe should be gone. And it's just having more waste buildups with normal use.I have gotten no "expert" help (at Home Depot for example) from anyone because they just discount it by saying in short "clean your toilet." Again, it's not the cleaning. Cleaning is not the problem.Any advise and education about toilets would be helpful.TIA

[millster]

First of all, unless the water is bubbling it's not gas backing up because that's the only way it can get in. You might check your roof vent (it'll be a small pipe on your roof just above your bathroom) to make sure it's not blocked by a bird's nest or something but I doubt it is.If I had to take a guess and having had it happen before, I'd say the wax seal between the toilet and the flange in the floor was either not properly seated when it was installed or has otherwise been damaged. I'd almost bet money that's your issue. Replace that seal and your problem should go away.

[GoLowDrew]

Quote, originally posted by millster »If I had to take a guess and having had it happen before, I'd say the wax seal between the toilet and the flange in the floor was either not properly seated when it was installed or has otherwise been damaged. I'd almost bet money that's your issue. Replace that seal and your problem should go away.1. Wax seal is something that connect the toilet and the pipe in the ground? If it's damage, it mean wastes is leaking out?2. Flange is the two "screws", one on each side that hold the toilet down?So I could literaly unscrew it and left the toilet up? To check?TIA

[scherry2]

here ya go. the first line says "Why Is My Bathroom Always Stinky?"http://www.hammerzone.com/arch...e.htm

[joatmon]

I agree with millster, and would suspect the wax seal between the toilet and the pipe. and that is a good "how-to" scherry2

[millster]

The wax seal is the seal between the toilet bowl and the flange (the floor end of the main pipe.The two screws are held into the flange. You would have to unscrew the toilet and lift it up. If you do that though, whether the seal is damaged or not you need to replace it. It'll never reseal.Usually if it's gone bad you'll have water leaking out from under the toilet but not always.

[GoLowDrew]

Thanks guys. The link really helps. Thinking back when the house was under construction, they actually installed the wrong toilet. They corrected it. I bet they probably used the same wax seal again.

[joatmon]

At work, one of the bathrooms really smelled like death all the time. The building maintenance and cleaning crews tried all kinds of things to fix the problem. That bathroom has a floor drain, which is a just in case thing, usually not needed, and over time the water in the trap evaporates, providing a free path for sewer gas to vent into the bathroom, aided by the building HVAC systems which tends to put a minor vacuum on that room. After I pointed this out to them, they now dump some water down there every week to keep water in the trap, and the odor problem is fixed. Most homes don't have floor drains in the bathrooms, but just in case yours does, that might be another possible cause.

[millster]

Well, even if they did replace it, they can be kind of tricky to get placed just right and you only have one shot to get it right. I've actually had them fail when I've replaced them because they didn't seat quite right. If you do replace it, I would advise against falling for the temptation of the "waxless" gaskets. Sure they're not as messy and they install easier but I've NEVER had anything leak so bad in my life! If the bottom of the toilet isn't perfectly flat or if the flange in the floor has ANY imperfections they'll leak horribly! With the wax, it'll deform to fill any imperfections. They're messy, sticky and a pain to deal with but wax is the best way to go.

[drunkenmaxx]

i agree with the wax seal. we had a bad seal in our upstairs bathroom and it made a hole in the downstairs bathroom ceiling from all the leakage. the seals are messy, and you have to scrape up the old one before installing the new one. (i suggest wearing gloves, the wax is hard to get off your hands)it took everything i had to keep my immagination at bay and keep this thread on topic...

[joatmon]

Quote, originally posted by drunkenmaxx »it took everything i had to keep my immagination at bay and keep this thread on topic... It also took some self control for me earlier to not make a comment involving you.

[GMJAP]

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »At work, one of the bathrooms really smelled like death all the time. The building maintenance and cleaning crews tried all kinds of things to fix the problem. That bathroom has a floor drain, which is a just in case thing, usually not needed, and over time the water in the trap evaporates, providing a free path for sewer gas to vent into the bathroom, aided by the building HVAC systems which tends to put a minor vacuum on that room. After I pointed this out to them, they now dump some water down there every week to keep water in the trap, and the odor problem is fixed. Most homes don't have floor drains in the bathrooms, but just in case yours does, that might be another possible cause.This can also happen with tub drains in bathrooms that aren't used very much (like a guest bath).

[GoLowDrew]

Quote, originally posted by millster »Well, even if they did replace it, they can be kind of tricky to get placed just right and you only have one shot to get it right. How heavy is a toilet? Is this a one man job? Or is two a must?

[nygiantzz1]

You can handle it by yourself. make sure to turn off the water supply and disconnect the water line from the tank before you try to move it. Once the water is disconnected, loosen and remove the nuts holding down the toilet. Lift the toilet straight up and set it on the floor (use a tarp or cardboard to protect the floor. Remove the old seal, clean the flange around the drain and put the new seal in place. lower the toilet straight onto the seal. reinstall the washers and nuts to hold the toilet in place and reconnect the water line. If nothing is rusted or stuck, it should take less than 30 minutes, start to finish.

[jake75]

From your posts you seem to have handyman skills similar to mine. Therefore, my advice is to hire a licensed plumber!

[jimincalif]

Everyone here has given you good advice. Yes you can do it solo. Be sure to buy the wax ring and replacement hold down bolts before you start, Get a second wax ring while you are there, they are cheap and good to have in case you mess up the first one. Also recommend the ones with the funnels, helps hold it in place.If the toilet is the kind with a separate bolt on tank, do not lift the toilet by the tank, it will crack. Lift by holding around the bowl.One other bit of info - although unlikely in a new house. In a previous house the subfloor was higher than the pipe flange the toilet sat on. I had to stack two wax rings, one on top of the other to ensure a seal.Good luck.