what to do when the toilet bowl smell like sewer?

Question by machinmichelle Reward: 25 Pond Points + 10 Knowledge Tokens Status: Pending a resolution
what to do when the toilet smell like sewer?



Reply from Dave User Rating:  84 Knowledge Tokens
Try adding toilet bowl cleaner or bleach inside the tank (behind the bowl) and let it sit for a few hours.
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Reply from MikeBrWade User Rating:  120 Knowledge Tokens
Ammonia can also work, add it to the main bowl and the reserve. However do NOT ADD WITH BLEACH!
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Reply from TCGates User Rating:  230 Knowledge Tokens
I dont think cleaning the toilet will help. It sounds like the seal is broken and sewer gas is leaking into your bathroom. This is a fairly common problem. Cracks in either plumbing drain lines or vents pipes are the other source of sewer gas leaks. If the crack is in a drain line, you often see an associated water leak. But vent pipe cracks are far more elusive. They can leak vast amounts of sewer gas and you might not be able to locate the source easily without a special machine.

Most likely it is the seal though. Replacing a wax bowl ring is pretty straightforward. Just yank the throne, tip it over, scrape off the old goop, slap a new doughnut in place, and drop the john back on the pipe.

It is possible that the vent stack is plugged. I had a house were birds had built a nest in the pipe up on the roof.....took me a LOT of frustration before I finally figured out the problem.

If the problem persists after you inspect the toilet seal, go up on the roof and try to look back down thru the vent with a flashlight. See if you can see straight down. If not try to take a garden hose and fill the vent line with water. What size is the vent line on the roof? Age of house, what is the vent line made of????

If all else fails, it may point to the toilet itself. Try another new toilet.
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Reply from Labman User Rating:  260 Knowledge Tokens
See if duct tape around the base provides a temperary fix. If so, follow the above answer. If it flushes without a bunch of gurgling somewhere, it is unlikely the vet is clogged.

By the way, sewer gas is toxic and flammable.
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