My main bathroom started smelling like urine a couple of days ago so I
went on the roof and flushed out the sewer vent (w/o a bladder) with the
garden hose but it still smells. I've tried disinfecting everything and
taking everything out of the bathroom that isn't nailed down. The base
of the toilet is sealed off with silicone and the holes where it's
screwed down are sealed too.

Question: On average, how often should sewer vents be cleaned out with a
sewer rooter? I've here 5 years and I haven't had it done yet. It's a
slab house.

Any suggestion on what to do next?

On 5/2/2012 11:30 AM, gonjah wrote:
....

... The base
of the toilet is sealed off with silicone and the holes where it's
screwed down are sealed too.

That's not good...there is no reason for and there should not be any
caulking around the base of the stool; the seal is at the flange.

More than likely your problem is there is a leak there and you can't see
it because you've forced it to stay in there and soak up the subfloor,
etc., instead of having early indications of a problem.

Take up all that caulk and I'll bet you'll find it's damp/wet.

After that, the fix will likely be obvious--take up the stool and repair
what's needed. If you're lucky it'll only be a new wax seal not a new
subfloor.

Question: On average, how often should sewer vents be cleaned out with a
sewer rooter? I've here 5 years and I haven't had it done yet. It's a
slab house.

This house is 100 yr old and has never had vents rooted out. Unless a
bird builds a nest or somesuch, what's to clog them--they're just vents
above the trap there's nothing but air.

Any suggestion on what to do next?

See above...

--

On 5/2/2012 11:56 AM, dpb wrote:
On 5/2/2012 11:30 AM, gonjah wrote:
...

... The base
of the toilet is sealed off with silicone and the holes where it's
screwed down are sealed too.

That's not good...there is no reason for and there should not be any
caulking around the base of the stool; the seal is at the flange.

I was thinking about taking a look there eventually but why would there
be any odor of there isn't a place for the odor to escape?

The seal is there so bath water doesn't get under the toilet and cause
mold or bug problems.


More than likely your problem is there is a leak there and you can't
see it because you've forced it to stay in there and soak up the
subfloor, etc., instead of having early indications of a problem.

Take up all that caulk and I'll bet you'll find it's damp/wet.

After that, the fix will likely be obvious--take up the stool and
repair what's needed. If you're lucky it'll only be a new wax seal
not a new subfloor.

The floor consist of cement and ceramic tile so I doubt there is an
issue there.


Question: On average, how often should sewer vents be cleaned out with a
sewer rooter? I've here 5 years and I haven't had it done yet. It's a
slab house.

This house is 100 yr old and has never had vents rooted out. Unless a
bird builds a nest or somesuch, what's to clog them--they're just
vents above the trap there's nothing but air.

Any suggestion on what to do next?

See above...

--


Thanks.

On 5/2/2012 12:17 PM, gonjah wrote:
On 5/2/2012 11:56 AM, dpb wrote:
On 5/2/2012 11:30 AM, gonjah wrote:
...

... The base
of the toilet is sealed off with silicone and the holes where it's
screwed down are sealed too.

That's not good...there is no reason for and there should not be any
caulking around the base of the stool; the seal is at the flange.

I was thinking about taking a look there eventually but why would there
be any odor of there isn't a place for the odor to escape?

Look there first, not last unless you have another drain somewhere that
is unused (like a floor drain) that possibly has been so long that the
water in the trap has evaporated below the necessary level to stop all
sewer gas. That's about the only other possibility unless there's
another waste line somewhere that has a leak.

Odor being airborne is able to get places that are still watertight;
there may even be a tiny amount of damp getting through that evaporates
faster than you yet notice it.

The seal is there so bath water doesn't get under the toilet and cause
mold or bug problems.
....

The tub is to hold bath water, not the floor...

All you're doing is covering up a potential problem; it should _NOT_ be
there. If you get so much water on the floor as to make it seem a need
the problem is one of training the users to not be so sloppy.

--

On 5/2/2012 12:30 PM, dpb wrote:
On 5/2/2012 12:17 PM, gonjah wrote:
On 5/2/2012 11:56 AM, dpb wrote:
On 5/2/2012 11:30 AM, gonjah wrote:
...

... The base
of the toilet is sealed off with silicone and the holes where it's
screwed down are sealed too.

That's not good...there is no reason for and there should not be any
caulking around the base of the stool; the seal is at the flange.

I was thinking about taking a look there eventually but why would there
be any odor of there isn't a place for the odor to escape?

Look there first, not last unless you have another drain somewhere
that is unused (like a floor drain) that possibly has been so long
that the water in the trap has evaporated below the necessary level to
stop all sewer gas. That's about the only other possibility unless
there's another waste line somewhere that has a leak.

Odor being airborne is able to get places that are still watertight;
there may even be a tiny amount of damp getting through that
evaporates faster than you yet notice it.

The seal is there so bath water doesn't get under the toilet and cause
mold or bug problems.
...

The tub is to hold bath water, not the floor...

All you're doing is covering up a potential problem; it should _NOT_
be there. If you get so much water on the floor as to make it seem a
need the problem is one of training the users to not be so sloppy.

--

I have to respectfully disagree but thanks anyway.

gonjah wrote:
My main bathroom started smelling like urine a couple of days ago so I
went on the roof and flushed out the sewer vent (w/o a bladder) with
the garden hose but it still smells. I've tried disinfecting
everything and taking everything out of the bathroom that isn't
nailed down. The base of the toilet is sealed off with silicone and
the holes where it's screwed down are sealed too.

Question: On average, how often should sewer vents be cleaned out
with a sewer rooter? I've here 5 years and I haven't had it done yet.

In my personal experience, having owned many properties since 1970, I have
cleaned out the sewer vents exactly zero times. It is very rare that
something clogs a sewer vent, but I'm sure it can happen. When it does, I
think the problem tends to be slow draining and/or a glub-glub sound when
draining because the air isn't venting properly.

It's a slab house.

I guess it is possible that you have a broken sewer line somewhere under the
slab.

Any suggestion on what to do next?

I would take the toilet off and look to see if the wax ring is leaking etc.
If it is, even though you used silicone to seal everything off around the
toilet, I think that if there is a leak in the wax ring the smell could
still come through.

On 5/2/2012 1:08 PM, TomR wrote:
gonjah wrote:
My main bathroom started smelling like urine a couple of days ago so I
went on the roof and flushed out the sewer vent (w/o a bladder) with
the garden hose but it still smells. I've tried disinfecting
everything and taking everything out of the bathroom that isn't
nailed down. The base of the toilet is sealed off with silicone and
the holes where it's screwed down are sealed too.

Question: On average, how often should sewer vents be cleaned out
with a sewer rooter? I've here 5 years and I haven't had it done yet.
In my personal experience, having owned many properties since 1970, I have
cleaned out the sewer vents exactly zero times. It is very rare that
something clogs a sewer vent, but I'm sure it can happen. When it does, I
think the problem tends to be slow draining and/or a glub-glub sound when
draining because the air isn't venting properly.

It's a slab house.
I guess it is possible that you have a broken sewer line somewhere under the
slab.

Any suggestion on what to do next?
I would take the toilet off and look to see if the wax ring is leaking etc.
If it is, even though you used silicone to seal everything off around the
toilet, I think that if there is a leak in the wax ring the smell could
still come through.



Thanks. I took everything out and now it seems much better. I might have
solved it but it'll need more time to be sure. My nephew is learning how
to use the potty and he may have just gone in there and soaked something.

On 5/2/2012 1:08 PM, TomR wrote:
....

Any suggestion on what to do next?

I would take the toilet off and look to see if the wax ring is leaking etc.
If it is, even though you used silicone to seal everything off around the
toilet, I think that if there is a leak in the wax ring the smell could
still come through.

+2

All he really has to do is to cut the caulk and watch the water run out
if he has a leak...and odds are, he does.

I've worked on many houses in more years than I care to think of (mostly
refurb's; renting is about the _last_ thing I'd consider ) and w/o
exception the caulking of the stool base causes more trouble than it
cures by delaying the discovery of a problem.

I OP's case, being a slab, about the worst will be that he may have some
loosened tiles from the long-time dampness; in the case of conventional
construction it can go from a case where can leave the subfloor to dry
out and it'll be ok if find it early enough to the point of having to
repair/replace floor joists that are rotted through to the point of near
collapse.

The caulk is _bad_idea_ (tm) despite the many homeowner sites that
suggest it.

--

gonjah wrote:
My main bathroom started smelling like urine a couple of days ago so I
went on the roof and flushed out the sewer vent (w/o a bladder) with
the garden hose but it still smells. I've tried disinfecting
everything and taking everything out of the bathroom that isn't
nailed down. The base of the toilet is sealed off with silicone and
the holes where it's screwed down are sealed too.

Question: On average, how often should sewer vents be cleaned out
with a sewer rooter? I've here 5 years and I haven't had it done yet.
It's a slab house.


Approximately never.

Maybe twice as often in extreme cases.

Wild ass guess - you might try flusing something with a distinctive, but not
too bad, smell: Oil of cinnamon, gasoline, perfume, and see if you detect
the odor thereafter. If so, the toilet is the culprit. Likewise with the
tub/shower.

On 5/2/2012 1:20 PM, HeyBub wrote:
gonjah wrote:
My main bathroom started smelling like urine a couple of days ago so I
went on the roof and flushed out the sewer vent (w/o a bladder) with
the garden hose but it still smells. I've tried disinfecting
everything and taking everything out of the bathroom that isn't
nailed down. The base of the toilet is sealed off with silicone and
the holes where it's screwed down are sealed too.

Question: On average, how often should sewer vents be cleaned out
with a sewer rooter? I've here 5 years and I haven't had it done yet.
It's a slab house.

Approximately never.

Maybe twice as often in extreme cases.

Wild ass guess - you might try flusing something with a distinctive, but not
too bad, smell: Oil of cinnamon, gasoline, perfume, and see if you detect
the odor thereafter. If so, the toilet is the culprit. Likewise with the
tub/shower.



Not a bad idea but I'm thinking I know the problem now and he's about 3'
tall.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-...361783_n.jp g

gonjah wrote:
On 5/2/2012 1:08 PM, TomR wrote:
I would take the toilet off and look to see if the wax ring is
leaking etc. If it is, even though you used silicone to seal
everything off around the toilet, I think that if there is a leak in
the wax ring the smell could still come through.

Thanks. I took everything out and now it seems much better. I might
have solved it but it'll need more time to be sure. My nephew is
learning how to use the potty and he may have just gone in there and
soaked something.

Very funny! I'll bet that's it.

On 5/2/2012 1:16 PM, dpb wrote:
On 5/2/2012 1:08 PM, TomR wrote:
...

Any suggestion on what to do next?

I would take the toilet off and look to see if the wax ring is
leaking etc.
If it is, even though you used silicone to seal everything off around
the
toilet, I think that if there is a leak in the wax ring the smell could
still come through.

+2

All he really has to do is to cut the caulk and watch the water run
out if he has a leak...and odds are, he does.

I've worked on many houses in more years than I care to think of
(mostly refurb's; renting is about the _last_ thing I'd consider )
and w/o exception the caulking of the stool base causes more trouble
than it cures by delaying the discovery of a problem.

I OP's case, being a slab, about the worst will be that he may have
some loosened tiles from the long-time dampness; in the case of
conventional construction it can go from a case where can leave the
subfloor to dry out and it'll be ok if find it early enough to the
point of having to repair/replace floor joists that are rotted through
to the point of near collapse.

The caulk is _bad_idea_ (tm) despite the many homeowner sites that
suggest it.

--

In my old house I didn't seal it because it wasn't slab. If it's not my
nephew the next thing I'll do is yank the toilet but I think I solved
it. :-)

Good info on the vents.

On May 2, 1:29*pm, gonjah wrote:
On 5/2/2012 1:16 PM, dpb wrote:





On 5/2/2012 1:08 PM, TomR wrote:
...

Any suggestion on what to do next?

I would take the toilet off and look to see if the wax ring is
leaking etc.
If it is, even though you used silicone to seal everything off around
the
toilet, I think that if there is a leak in the wax ring the smell could
still come through.

+2 *

All he really has to do is to cut the caulk and watch the water run
out if he has a leak...and odds are, he does.

I've worked on many houses in more years than I care to think of
(mostly refurb's; renting is about the _last_ thing I'd consider )
and w/o exception the caulking of the stool base causes more trouble
than it cures by delaying the discovery of a problem.

I OP's case, being a slab, about the worst will be that he may have
some loosened tiles from the long-time dampness; in the case of
conventional construction it can go from a case where can leave the
subfloor to dry out and it'll be ok if find it early enough to the
point of having to repair/replace floor joists that are rotted through
to the point of near collapse.

The caulk is _bad_idea_ (tm) despite the many homeowner sites that
suggest it.

--

In my old house I didn't seal it because it wasn't slab. If it's not my
nephew the next thing I'll do is yank the toilet but I think I solved
it. :-)

Good info on the vents.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Let us know the final outcome.

On May 2, 10:32*am, gonjah gonjah.net wrote:
On 5/2/2012 12:30 PM, dpb wrote:

SNIP

I have to respectfully disagree but thanks anyway.

You disagree all you want with dpb (respectfully or otherwise)
but based on my similar experiences with older homes (tile floor, bath
tubs, etc)........ his analysis is "spot on".

good luck

let us know how it all turns out

cheers
Bob

PS my home is 81 years old (I've owned it for 33 years) and I have
never had to mess with the vents

On May 2, 11:13*am, gonjah wrote:
SNIP

Thanks. I took everything out and now it seems much better. I might have
solved it but it'll need more time to be sure. My nephew is learning how
to use the potty and he may have just gone in there and soaked something.

Consider having him "practice" outside.......

On 5/3/2012 12:20 AM, DD_BobK wrote:
On May 2, 11:13 am, wrote:
SNIP
Thanks. I took everything out and now it seems much better. I might have
solved it but it'll need more time to be sure. My nephew is learning how
to use the potty and he may have just gone in there and soaked something.
Consider having him "practice" outside.......

He does. I think this was an accident and I'm pretty sure we nailed it.
It's been hours now and still no smell. I'm guessing he got out of the
pool and ran for the potty but didn't make it. He puts it off until he
just can't hold it anymore because he's having so much fun. Great kid
but his pee really stinks.