Toilet water is cloudy with a strong smell
#1
08-25-06, 09:12 PM
Toilet water is cloudy with a strong smell
I have a half bath on the second floor of my house. I have found that after it sits over night or throughout the day unused I open the lid and it is cloudy with a strong gassy smell that makes it hard to breath. The smell is never there when the lid is down, and it isn't always accompanied by the cloudiness.
This does not happen in my downstairs bathroom.
Is this due to hard water from my well, or is there another explanation for this?
This does not happen in my downstairs bathroom.
Is this due to hard water from my well, or is there another explanation for this?
#2
08-26-06, 03:41 AM
Member
alienx, Welcome to the DIY Forums.
It sounds like you have a vent problem. A clogged vent will allow a fixtures trap to be sucked out and when there is no water seal, sewer gas can enter the home. I would suggest you mark the water line in the toilet bowl (using a pencil for ease of removal) and then flush the toilet and see if the water level is higher than the mark. This will tell you if the water has gone down. If so, you will need to go onto the roof (if safe) and check the vent pipe for blockages and flush it with a garden hose after removing anything you can by hand. Good luck.
It sounds like you have a vent problem. A clogged vent will allow a fixtures trap to be sucked out and when there is no water seal, sewer gas can enter the home. I would suggest you mark the water line in the toilet bowl (using a pencil for ease of removal) and then flush the toilet and see if the water level is higher than the mark. This will tell you if the water has gone down. If so, you will need to go onto the roof (if safe) and check the vent pipe for blockages and flush it with a garden hose after removing anything you can by hand. Good luck.
