Poor Flushing Toilet and Bad Odor


  #1  
Old 12-18-01, 06:00 PM
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Question Poor Flushing Toilet and Bad Odor

Since moving into a new manufactured home about six months ago, we have had a continuous problem with the toilet in our childrens bathroom, and over the last six weeks, we have started to have foul odor problems.

The children's bathroom is on the end of the house closest to the septic tank. It has two sinks (each with a vent/valve under them), a tub, and a toilet. The master bathroom, kitchen and washer-dryer is on the far end. A long, strait drain pipe comes from the kitchen/washer-dryer area to the far end of the house and then curves and goes down and out to the septic tank. The drain pipe for the childrens bath tees into this long pipe about two thirds of the way down from the washer-dryer/kitchen area. Both ends of the house have roof vents that I assume are for waster water drainage ventilation.

When we moved in we immediately started having problems with the kid's toilet. It leaked around the base and wouldn't drain correctly. When flushed, the water/waste in the bowl would start to go down then the water from the tank would fill it back up,almost to overflow. Then it would slowly empty to nearly the bottom, then fill up to the level where it normally was when the tank was full. Using a good plunger will clear the problem temporarily, but it always comes back.

The toilet has been replaced and new wax seals added several times, which fixed the leaking around the bowl, but did nothing for the poor flushing.

About six weeks ago I noticed a musty smell coming from the washer dryer area. This would always clear up with the next load of clothes washed. Then, about three weeks ago, a very foul, sewer-like smell (much different from the smell coming from the washer-dryer area) started coming from the kids bath. The smell isn't always there, but it seems like it becomes present when no water is run in the bathroom for several hours. It's bad enough that when present, the kids refuse to go in the bathroom at all.

I have gone under the house and checked around and above the insulation to make sure there aren't any leaks and had someone run water from everywhere in the house while trying to flush the kid's toilet and can't see a pattern of any kind. (I thought maybe when water was running from the kitchen end of the house, it was slowing the drain water from the kid's bath)

The repair man for the dealer that sold us the home checked with the factory and they said to replace both under-sink vents and the toilet again. Another person from the dealership said that perhaps adding some exta "p" traps in the main drain lines under the house might get rid of the odor.

Does anyone out there have some advice/insight on 1) what is causing the toilet and odor problems 2) if they are related, and 3) what I can do to fix it, with our without the manufacturers help.

We love our new home, but the problems listed above are really becoming a glaring problem. Any help would be grealy appreciated.
 
  #2  
Old 12-18-01, 08:09 PM
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The sewer gas odor is coming through sink and tub traps that have the water drained out due to clogged or poor venting.
When water flows through a drain/waste/vent system, and the vent is clogged or not functioning properly, the water will create another "vent" by siphoning water out of traps...allowing sewer gas in.
A toilet has its own built-in trap, and if too much paper or anything other than what is supposed to go down a toilet (plastic toys, toothbrushes, curlers, etc.) get flushed, it usually hangs up in the toilet itself.
Another problem is due to the Federally required "low flow" water saver toilets...most just do not have enough water to flush like the older toilets.
You can't do anything with the auto-vents under the sink but replace them. To make sure that the two roof vents are clear, you can pull out any leaves or debris in them that you can reach, and flush them both with a water hose sprayer.
Has that dealer had a licensed pro plumber come out to inspect and correct all of this, or just their "repair man"?
Good Luck!
Mike
 
  #3  
Old 12-19-01, 01:32 PM
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Originally posted by OldGuy
The sewer gas odor is coming through sink and tub traps that have the water drained out due to clogged or poor venting.
When water flows through a drain/waste/vent system, and the vent is clogged or not functioning properly, the water will create another "vent" by siphoning water out of traps...allowing sewer gas in.
A toilet has its own built-in trap, and if too much paper or anything other than what is supposed to go down a toilet (plastic toys, toothbrushes, curlers, etc.) get flushed, it usually hangs up in the toilet itself.
Another problem is due to the Federally required "low flow" water saver toilets...most just do not have enough water to flush like the older toilets.
You can't do anything with the auto-vents under the sink but replace them. To make sure that the two roof vents are clear, you can pull out any leaves or debris in them that you can reach, and flush them both with a water hose sprayer.
Has that dealer had a licensed pro plumber come out to inspect and correct all of this, or just their "repair man"?
Good Luck!
Mike
 
  #4  
Old 12-19-01, 01:48 PM
Mike Swearingen's Avatar
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Here is a typical drain/waste/vent system.

Anything that goes down the vent should go right down the drain.
Mike
 
 

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