We have been in our house for almost 8 years
and just a few weeks ago have started having a very foul smell coming out from under the counter in our master bathroom. It is definitely a sewer smell and is VERY strong. It is not constant, however, and seems to get worse when it is cold outside (though the sink is not on an outside wall). The bathroom is close to our laundry room and we had one plumber tell us he thought the problem was the washer pulling strongly on the water line and getting all the air out of the bathroom sink trap. He told us to run water down that sink drain when we use the washing machine. That hasn't helped and there doesn't seem to be a strong relationship to when the smell is bad and when we've run the washer. Any help we can get before I call another plumber and waste more money would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

Beth - I am going to move this thread into Plumbing, as maybe our plumbing moderator has some ideas on how to help you.

Anyone else who has any ideas for Beth can go to Plumbing to answer them!

Thanks!

Lydia
DoItYourself.com

 

beth,have you noticed a leak,or signs of
a leak in the wall that the vanity backs up
to?
sometimes the cast iron drain piping
will deteriorate leaving a large hole
in the side of the pipe,and may not
leak.if the trap is not getting syphoned
down, there is a damaged area in the drainage
system close bye,probobly in the wall.
you may want to look for it yourself,
I have found many leaks in cast iron
with special smoke bombs,by capping off
the roof vents and setting one off usually
does the job.also is there any chance it is the seal around the toilet?
P.S. talk to a good plumber about the smoke
testing over the phone if this becomes
necessary.
good luck
Robert