Smelly Loo

[CatherineS2]

Can anybody advise please? (Have done a search for "septic tank" as I was sure this must have been covered, but can't find the answer to my problem!)

For the past few weeks, there has been a pervading smell, very similar to urine, in my toilet. At first I thought that one of the boys must have been careless. So I have repeatedly thoroughly cleaned the floor and the toilet, but the smell remains. I have poured in Eparcyl and weekly doses of WC-Net, and I have put a blue block in the cistern, but to no avail. Even though the flushed toilet water is a lovely bright blue, if I put my nose down into the toilet bowl, it still smells yucky.

I had always supposed that a septic tank smell would be of a different (i.e. "poo"!) variety, so not sure whether the problem is the septic tank, or whether it is something else.

Any advice? Thanks in advance!

[Val_2]

Depending on where you loo is sited in the property, it is possible that an animal/rodent has got in and either died or peed or you have had a visit by a fouine which leaves urine everywhere and stinks. Toilets don't normally smell like this unless they are neglected,constantly have pee everywhere or are leaking. The fosse usually give a sewerage type smell if it is not working properly but not urine. Have you changed the toilet seat too?

[Jackie]

Just a thought. Is the water level high enough in the pan so smells are blocked from coming up the waste pipe? If not could indicate a leak in the coupler to the waste pipe. A leak here, maybe only slight, could cause a pong even if the water level in the pan is high enough. We had one do this once and it took ages to find as the leak was so slight that there were no tell tale drips on the floor. The "suck down" effect, on flushing, due to no air getting into the waste pipe beyond the loo trap can also produce a lower than normal level in the pan, had this problem once too! Does the water in the cistern smell ok?..................John not Jackie 

[Fantine<br><br><br><br>Susie]

Is it possible that someone in the household has a urine infection? My aged FIL had one and the smell was awful and lingering, despite cleaning thoroughly, until I got the doctor out and got him some antibiotics.

[Viv]

Try re booting your septic tank with some friendly bacteria like BIO 7G from Bricorama. This may well do the trick.

As for dead animals I was told that some rural folk actually throw small dead things into the fosse to help the bacteria. I don't know if / how this works , its just what i've been  told

[Punch]

A client of ours had this problem, and after several attempts to find the problem , he called me in to have a look. I changed the toilet bowl itself which cured the smell instantly. The probelm was the older type of toilet have quite shallow traps and the "waste" had built up over the years which was causing the smell.

Paul

[suein56]

**The problem was the older type of toilet have quite shallow traps and the "waste" had built up over the years which was causing the smell.**

Paul

How old might this 'older type of toilet' be? Our rented house is 10 years old but we have a slight smell associated with both ours loos and I have cleaned and cleaned and cleaned.

BTW they were both pretty bad when we moved in but are a lot better now!

Sue

[Nearly Retired (I am now)]

Do you know, we have got the exact same problem in our house. The WC pan was put in by the previous owner in 1986. We have changed the (wooden) seat but the smell still pervades.

We then took a chance with the possible effect on the fosse and used all manner of chemicals to clean the ceramic pan. The smell is much reduced - but still there, especially if you put your head right in it.

I guess that the glaze on the ceramic pan has worn and the china itself is impregnated with the pong. We will soon be getting a new pan too.

P S I don't think we killed the fosse!

 

[CatherineS2]

Thanks everyone for the advice! We are planning to update our bathroom next year - I thought I might not need to bother changing the toilet (it's in a separate room), but I think I will have to after all!

[suein56]

Just a short note but I have since asked my neighbours about this problem and I have been told that, usually, the problem lies in the build-up of 'whatever' (did not catch the word) under the rim especially at the front of the bowl.

Yucky it was but I had a look and, yes, there were brown calcified deposits there. After a good scour with scouring pads and cleaner (rubber gloves v necessary) the whole is greatly improved and smelling a lot better. Round two tomorrow methinks. As ours is a rented house changing the loo is not really an option unless we pay for it ourselves.

Sue

[Bannon]

Had the same thing. Turned out to be the shower trap.... there wasn't one. So the poo smell was comming back up the plug hole from the septic tank. Fitting a trap sorted it out a treat.