Hi We bought this 1887 house 7 years ago, and at that time there was a problem with the water from the sink running into the bathtub bringing a horrible smell that filled the entire room. This is the 2nd floor bathroom.
So I decided to change the bathtub and put in a stand up shower, we still have the same problem and cannot figure out how to fix it.
The water in the shower at times has to be plunged to make it move, or wait for a while for it to go down itself.
Even when the shower is going the water builds up and you are standing in water up to your ankles. Sometimes the water does not leave unless plunged.
Can you tell me where the problem would be is it the sink or the shower or the pipes leading into the same downspout going to the main pipe that carries the water out of the house?
How can I fix this so the smell will not come up the drain? in the shower stall?

 

Carmel, Welcome to the DIY Forums.
Try a drain product called Drain Care. It is an enzyme drain cleaner that clings to clogs and eats them. Most drain cleaners go right past the clog. You can find it at home centers, Walmart and Ace. About $8. It takes overnight and may need more than one application but it does work. It is safe for septic systems also. Good luck.

 

So you believe it is a clog? not the pipes that were installed I did not have much of a downslope from the Shower drain pipe to the one that also connects to the sink pipe. I have a P pipe in the middle of the two.
I have poured other uncloggers down and it works for a while then it starts the same thing again, but I still have the horrible smell sometimes. The guy who originally put in the bathroom on the 2nd floor put the stink pipe right out the side of the house not up in the air like you would see elsewhere.
What do you think about that?

 

Not sure where you live but I know of nowhere that it is legal to run the vent (stinkpipe) out the side of the house. It is always an extention of the main drainline and extends out the roof. Try pouring a bleach and water solution down the offending drain and let it sit overnight. It may be a mold in the piping that makes the smell.

 

I thought this was strange also as usually the stink pipe is never so obvious.
I often wondered about this and if there should be an extention put on so that it would go up instead of out, we could cut off part of it as it is extending about 4 feet out from the house, and then put an angle pipe with another extention going up. What do you advise on this.
Is this probably the problem with the smell?
I am going to follow your first suggestion and put the Drain Care down to see if that will clear it up.
I am worried though about that pipe out the side of the house. I don't imagine any amount of sewage smell is good for a person.
Thank you for taking the time to try to solve this problem I appreciate your help.