We have a new home of about 2 months (new septic etc.. also) and we were
caught in that tropical storm mess yesterday which dropped about 2 inches of
rain on our newly, still strawed yard. Yesterday and last night in the
master bathroom only we are getting a very bad (like raw sewage) smell from
the shower or toilet area. Their is no backup into either or any sign of it
but it smells really bad. When we woke this morning either we had become
immune or the smell is no longer that strong. Any idea what's going on
here.

--
My hourly rates:
$35 per hour.
$45 per hour if you want to watch.
$55 per hour if you want to help.
$100 per hour if you tried to fix it, and failed.

In a nearby neighborhood here, that meant the municipality had not installed
sewer pipes correctly. Lots of factors were involved, including the fact
that they ran the storm sewers into the same lines as the home systems. Big
rains or overly fast snow thaws resulted in lots of very smelly basements.
The town had to dig up a couple of miles of pipe and start from scratch. You
might want to start documenting these things, and yelling at the appropriate
people. An evaluation from a plumber might be a good idea, too.

"Bryan Martin" wrote in message
. com...
We have a new home of about 2 months (new septic etc.. also) and we were
caught in that tropical storm mess yesterday which dropped about 2 inches
of rain on our newly, still strawed yard. Yesterday and last night in the
master bathroom only we are getting a very bad (like raw sewage) smell
from the shower or toilet area. Their is no backup into either or any
sign of it but it smells really bad. When we woke this morning either we
had become immune or the smell is no longer that strong. Any idea what's
going on here.

--
My hourly rates:
$35 per hour.
$45 per hour if you want to watch.
$55 per hour if you want to help.
$100 per hour if you tried to fix it, and failed.

Doug Kanter wrote:
In a nearby neighborhood here, that meant the municipality had not installed
sewer pipes correctly. Lots of factors were involved, including the fact
that they ran the storm sewers into the same lines as the home systems. Big
rains or overly fast snow thaws resulted in lots of very smelly basements.
The town had to dig up a couple of miles of pipe and start from scratch. You
might want to start documenting these things, and yelling at the appropriate
people. An evaluation from a plumber might be a good idea, too.

"Bryan Martin" wrote in message
. com...

We have a new home of about 2 months (new septic etc.. also) and we were
caught in that tropical storm mess yesterday which dropped about 2 inches
of rain on our newly, still strawed yard. Yesterday and last night in the
master bathroom only we are getting a very bad (like raw sewage) smell
from the shower or toilet area. Their is no backup into either or any
sign of it but it smells really bad. When we woke this morning either we
had become immune or the smell is no longer that strong. Any idea what's
going on here.

--
My hourly rates:
$35 per hour.
$45 per hour if you want to watch.
$55 per hour if you want to help.
$100 per hour if you tried to fix it, and failed.





Didn't he say "septic"? If so, why tell him about municipal sewer systems?

Methinks he's got a venting problem which is sucking traps dry.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."

As Jeff says this is with a septic system. Is their anything I can check
with this or should I just contact the people who installed it?

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
In a nearby neighborhood here, that meant the municipality had not
installed sewer pipes correctly. Lots of factors were involved, including
the fact that they ran the storm sewers into the same lines as the home
systems. Big rains or overly fast snow thaws resulted in lots of very
smelly basements. The town had to dig up a couple of miles of pipe and
start from scratch. You might want to start documenting these things, and
yelling at the appropriate people. An evaluation from a plumber might be a
good idea, too.

"Bryan Martin" wrote in message
. com...
We have a new home of about 2 months (new septic etc.. also) and we were
caught in that tropical storm mess yesterday which dropped about 2 inches
of rain on our newly, still strawed yard. Yesterday and last night in
the master bathroom only we are getting a very bad (like raw sewage)
smell from the shower or toilet area. Their is no backup into either or
any sign of it but it smells really bad. When we woke this morning
either we had become immune or the smell is no longer that strong. Any
idea what's going on here.

--
My hourly rates:
$35 per hour.
$45 per hour if you want to watch.
$55 per hour if you want to help.
$100 per hour if you tried to fix it, and failed.

Regardless whether a septic system or sewer connection, I would have
thought the traps in the drains would prevent fumes from entering the home.
Ensuring that the traps are full of water is the first thing I would check.


On Fri 08 Jul 2005 12:48:20p, Bryan Martin wrote in alt.home.repair:

As Jeff says this is with a septic system. Is their anything I can
check with this or should I just contact the people who installed it?

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
In a nearby neighborhood here, that meant the municipality had not
installed sewer pipes correctly. Lots of factors were involved,
including the fact that they ran the storm sewers into the same lines
as the home systems. Big rains or overly fast snow thaws resulted in
lots of very smelly basements. The town had to dig up a couple of miles
of pipe and start from scratch. You might want to start documenting
these things, and yelling at the appropriate people. An evaluation from
a plumber might be a good idea, too.

"Bryan Martin" wrote in message
. com...
We have a new home of about 2 months (new septic etc.. also) and we
were caught in that tropical storm mess yesterday which dropped about
2 inches of rain on our newly, still strawed yard. Yesterday and last
night in the master bathroom only we are getting a very bad (like raw
sewage) smell from the shower or toilet area. Their is no backup into
either or any sign of it but it smells really bad. When we woke this
morning either we had become immune or the smell is no longer that
strong. Any idea what's going on here.

--
My hourly rates:
$35 per hour.
$45 per hour if you want to watch.
$55 per hour if you want to help.
$100 per hour if you tried to fix it, and failed.








--
Wayne Boatwright Õ¿Õ¬
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

Jeff Wisnia wrote:
Doug Kanter wrote:

-


Didn't he say "septic"? If so, why tell him about municipal sewer systems?




Because right or wrong, Kanter just has to say something.

"G Henslee" wrote in message
...
Jeff Wisnia wrote:
Doug Kanter wrote:

-


Didn't he say "septic"? If so, why tell him about municipal sewer
systems?




Because right or wrong, Kanter just has to say something.

Yeah...I guess you're right. Yawn............

Yeah, as usual, Doug Kanter is giving advice, without even having a
clue.

If gas odor is coming up from a shower drain, that means either there
is a problem with the traps, eg there not being one, or else there is a
problem with the vent system for the drains.

wrote:

Yeah, as usual, Doug Kanter is giving advice, without even having a
clue.

If gas odor is coming up from a shower drain, that means either there
is a problem with the traps, eg there not being one, or else there is a
problem with the vent system for the drains.



Just a WAG, without being able to eyeball your place, but is perhaps the
bathroom in question on a "slab floor" and maybe all that rain is
pushing something up out of the ground around a toilet flange or a
shower drain not properly sealed to the slab? That might let a little
foul smelling ground water come up around it and out from under the
toilet base or from under the tub.

When our house was built for us 20 years ago, the basement guest room
bath had a big hole in the slab hidden under its tub, and we had a
problem with ground water coming up through it. The builder had it done
over right fort us, but wasn't very happy about that as the
subcontractor who did the original job had disappeared by the time the
leak started a couple of months after we moved in. G

If the toilet bowl has water in it at a normal level, it's pretty hard
to see how any kind of gasses could be getting up through that, but the
shower drain might be improperly trapped.

Things which "go away by themselves" usually come back by themselves. If
it happens again, try putting one of those floppy rubber disk stoppers
over the shower drain to see what that does. If it stops the smell, I'd
suggest you contact a professional. If the words "new home" in your OP
mean "just built", I'd hope you'd have some leverage with the builder,
but you might need to try and get some assistance from the local board
of health/plumbing inspector as sewage gasses are not something very
healthy to live with.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."

Doug Kanter wrote:



Yawn............



Well guys, we found the source of the smell.

"Bryan Martin" wrote in message
. com...
We have a new home of about 2 months (new septic etc.. also) and we were
caught in that tropical storm mess yesterday which dropped about 2 inches
of
rain on our newly, still strawed yard. Yesterday and last night in the
master bathroom only we are getting a very bad (like raw sewage) smell
from
the shower or toilet area. Their is no backup into either or any sign of
it
but it smells really bad. When we woke this morning either we had become
immune or the smell is no longer that strong. Any idea what's going on
here.

While picking the brain of the guys installing my sister's septic system, I
was told that sometimes, during hurricanes or strong storms, the drastic
change in air pressure will sometimes either suck or blow the water from the
traps (don't remember which).

Since the smell seems to be going away, this may be the case.

You can tell for sure whether it's the smell going away, or your getting
used to it, by leaving the house for a couple hours, then returning, and
taking a whiff. If it's less, (and this time you know what to smell for)
then it's certainly going away, and you probably have nothing to worry
about. As you use your shower and toilet, the water in the traps will get
replaced.

Pagan

"G Henslee" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:



Yawn............

Well guys, we found the source of the smell.

I guess you've never been doing 12 things at once, read something to fast,
and reacted incorrectly. Must be great being perfect, eh?

Doug Kanter wrote:
"G Henslee" wrote in message
...

Doug Kanter wrote:



Yawn............

Well guys, we found the source of the smell.


I guess you've never been doing 12 things at once, read something to fast,
and reacted incorrectly. Must be great being perfect, eh?




Oh okay. I did do something wrong - once.