smell in bath room

[gkumar]

we moved into newly built condo. We are the first owner. Condo is Laguna 3 in Jometiien beach Pattaya.

There is persistent smell in bathroom. It goes away for a day or two after much water is added to  drains.

we do not know why it goes away and then come back. I think it is the floor drain, but not 100% sure.

It appears there are no vents installed. I went to roof of 8 story roof and found no vent pipe sticking out. Do other people have this isssue.

please help 

[madmen]

its normal for Thailand. I had a bad episode for months and then nothing for years.  Consider placing a cover over the drain as well as a monthly squirt from the bum gun. worked for me

[BigT73]

Our condo vent pipe is coming out the side of the building.  They do struggle in knowing how to install s traps and only in the last few years I noticed they just start selling them in hardware shops. 

[lopburi3]

There are normally no U bends so you need an inverted cone type drain/cover and water must be kept in it above the bottom of the cone to prevent smells coming up.

[Kinnock]

On 2/21/2019 at 4:22 PM, lopburi3 said:

There are normally no U bends so you need an inverted cone type drain/cover and water must be kept in it above the bottom of the cone to prevent smells coming up.

Yes - no proper water seals in Thailand, and these help.  I also use an old Loy Kratong polystyrene float to cover the floor drain.  It helps seal the drain, and if there's water that needs to go down the drain, it floats up and opens the drain.

[user343434]

I had in a former house the same Problem. Baking Soda and Vinegar is one of Grandma's favorite and works temporary but after a period the smell will come again, sometimes after a weather drop the anaerobic Bacteria start growing extremely fast.

Flushing daily with a copious amount of water might help, change the Siphon could be also a solution as the old one could be already half full of Hair and other sediments.

The most simple solution is fill a strong plastic bag with water and put it on the drain as it will close it tight.

[BernieOnTour]

On 4/8/2019 at 3:50 AM, user343434 said:

had in a former house the same Problem. Baking Soda and Vinegar is one of Grandma's favorite and works temporary

Works well. - However ...baking soda and vinegar might be a WMD for the bacteria in your septic tank.

[transam]

On 2/21/2019 at 4:22 PM, lopburi3 said:

There are normally no U bends so you need an inverted cone type drain/cover and water must be kept in it above the bottom of the cone to prevent smells coming up.

Yep...OP, check that the shower AND any floor drain has one of these, must be the type that has an internal trough and "mushroom" that can sit in the trough water to block smells..

[samuttodd]

Hydrogen sulfide!  Don't smoke in the bathroom.

[JAS21]

If your floor drain is the type with a water seal ... top it up every day. During this very hot weather the water evaporates very quickly. Two days and we get a smell from the drains ... this is the first year that we have noticed it and have had the house 17 years ...

[samuttodd]

We stopped off at a ptt station as we headed south on 35.   There was a tour bus of some kind taking a break and a whole bunch of people using the bathroom.    There was a commotion and a shout,   and then a panic stricken guy ran out and his friends gathered around him.    I mean this guy was white as a sheet and obviously shaken.

 

"What is wrong Larry?"  they asked.

 

He stammered a moment and finally let it out.   He was shaking his head in disbelief as he said

 

"Some guy is taking a shit in there"

Edited June 22, 2019 by samuttodd

[moontang]

On 2/21/2019 at 4:22 PM, lopburi3 said:

There are normally no U bends so you need an inverted cone type drain/cover and water must be kept in it above the bottom of the cone to prevent smells coming up.

The problem with those can be that the tile can make them about 5 mm to high, which is a big gap if you are talking sewer gas..If only you could get a taller cap.. or they would make a larger one that was trimmable.  They love to tile on tile here, too, so it just keeps raising the cap, and it becomes nonfunctional. I used one of these bladder, condom type things... 100% better, but you may have to clean it more often.  https://m.th.aliexpress.com/item/32664267066.html?trace=wwwdetail2mobilesitedetail&spider=y&productId=32664267066&productSubject=Silicone-deodorization-smell-proof-drain-core-long-core-drain-core-deodorization-smell-proof-anti-odor-device

[transam]

3 minutes ago, moontang said:

The problem with those can be that the tile can make them about 5 mm to high, which is a big gap if you are talking sewer gas..If only you could get a taller cap.. or they would make a larger one that was trimmable.  They love to tile on tile here, too, so it just keeps raising the cap, and it becomes nonfunctional. I used one of these bladder, condom type things... 100% better, but you may have to clean it more often.  https://m.th.aliexpress.com/item/32664267066.html?trace=wwwdetail2mobilesitedetail&spider=y&productId=32664267066&productSubject=Silicone-deodorization-smell-proof-drain-core-long-core-drain-core-deodorization-smell-proof-anti-odor-device

You must angle grind/cut a square hole in the tiles to seat the drain thing at the same level...

[lopburi3]

3 minutes ago, moontang said:

The problem with those can be that the tile can make them about 5 mm to high,

Not sure what you are talking about as this is a two piece system - bottom with ring and top with cap and you install both at same time to tile height.  Yes if you retile you will also have to reinstall a new unit - easy enough to do, dig up old and replace with new.

 

 

 

[moontang]

22 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Not sure what you are talking about as this is a two piece system - bottom with ring and top with cap and you install both at same time to tile height.  Yes if you retile you will also have to reinstall a new unit - easy enough to do, dig up old and replace with new.

 

 

 

The top parts don't always match the bottom part, or lock in, the top parts are sold all over Thailand and the caps are not thick enough, or tall enough.  I am talking older condos, too, and the renovators rarely cut out the old one and set it in correctly.  My 30 year old condo has the locking strainer, and the cap is long gone.  No replacements, anywhere. The silicon bladder I posted prevents gas from coming back up, period. 

[moontang]

36 minutes ago, transam said:

You must angle grind/cut a square hole in the tiles to seat the drain thing at the same level...

But they didn't, and now a renter is faced with the stink....

[GregTN]

I had to add a few washers between the white plastic bell and the metal cover to adjust mine to the proper hight in the water. A longer screw is also needed.