Drains clear but smell still in bathroom

[8-P]

Hi All

I have an ongoing battle with the drains in our house(well outside really). I'm more than familiar with my drain rods than I'd like and every 6 months or so they come out to unblock a drain that runs from my downstairs bathroom to the end of my drive (a bit longer than a cars length). My guess is its a bit too flat. I should say the toilet in this bathroom is a few feet from the drive and the first access point.

So once again, I've cleaned these out - its just bog roll that blocks them - no wet wipes or anything naughty. I tend to rod them, then tip 3 or 4 big kitchen bin loads of water down to give them a big shove and then normally followed up by some hosing. They are totally clear. I have no shared drains btw.

However this time I'm still getting a bit of a waft of blocked drains smell. I'm sick of doing this, but as I know what I'm doing and its not a surprise I'm not too bothered but I'm now wandering how there is still a bit of a smell coming back into my bathroom. Can smells get through a u-bend?

Any ideas appreciated, but digging up my drive is not on the cards.

[CambsBill]

Can't help with the pong but we did have a similar problem with a shallow drain blocking on a too-regular basis. I found that the easiest way to clear it was a hosepipe fed up from the downhill end (needs a good rinse when you pull it back out of course) but eventually realised that the source of the problem was a smaller than average cistern on which the installer had set the float height too low as well, resulting in not enough water in the flush to carry everything down the drain in the first place. Adjusted the float height and we haven't had a blockage since.

[8-P]

Interesting. Our toilet is a cistern built into the wall. It has 2 buttons, 1 big and 1 small. Because of this we always hold the big button down for a longer flush so I dont think that will help. I intentionally never st in there, but my daughter and wife both do and I cant stop them.

[Far Cough]

Every now and then poor a huge bucket of water down the loo to give what's sitting in the pipe a little persuasion.

[Sheepshanks]

Our downstairs toilet - original from late 60's S-Bend mortared into clay pipe in floor - always smelled a bit and neighbour told us there's did until they changed the pan and connector. So I did that too, just push fit stuff, and the smell went.

[CambsBill]

8-P said:

Interesting. Our toilet is a cistern built into the wall. It has 2 buttons, 1 big and 1 small. Because of this we always hold the big button down for a longer flush so I dont think that will help. I intentionally never st in there, but my daughter and wife both do and I cant stop them.

If you can get into the cistern it'll still be worth seeing how high the fill level is.

[CambsBill]

Far Cough said:

Every now and then poor a huge bucket of water down the loo to give what's sitting in the pipe a little persuasion.

This can also work, but better to fix the cause if you can

[8-P]

CambsBill said:

If you can get into the cistern it'll still be worth seeing how high the fill level is.

The button panel is removable and I think you can adjust things from in there. Everything else is concealed, toilet doesnt even touch the ground so getting to anything else is basically impossible.

Perhaps I need to make it a month task. Lift manhole cover, tip large bin of water down hole, replace manhole cover.

I had been fairly regularly dropping a bucket or two of water down the toilet for good measure, but the amount of toilet paper and poop that came out this time was a few months worth I reckon.

If only the bog roll broke down more easily it would help, but as it is, its really quire robust.

[Sheepshanks]

8-P said:

If only the bog roll broke down more easily it would help, but as it is, its really quire robust.

Really? Kitchen roll is remarkably robust, but bog roll breaks down almost instantly it's wet.

[8-P]

Sheepshanks said:

8-P said:

If only the bog roll broke down more easily it would help, but as it is, its really quire robust.

Really? Kitchen roll is remarkably robust, but bog roll breaks down almost instantly it's wet.

Not so it’s a proper toughy. Lots written online about it.

[CambsBill]

8-P said:

Sheepshanks said:

8-P said:

If only the bog roll broke down more easily it would help, but as it is, its really quire robust.

Really? Kitchen roll is remarkably robust, but bog roll breaks down almost instantly it's wet.

Not so it’s a proper toughy. Lots written online about it.

Buy the cheap stuff, problem solved

[8-P]

Im planning on doing a bit of a test!

https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/the-only-toilet...

[Munter]

Take it out. Install a urinal.

(Or would they still....)

[Sheepshanks]

I've no idea what we use, but I'd be amazed if my wife hadn't bought the most expensive bog roll available. I grabbed a few pieces the other evening to wipe up some coffee I'd spilt and it just instantly turned to mush and there were bits of the stuff everywhere.

[psi310398]

Out here in Italy, we have to use soda crystals on a monthly basis to help break up the clag and also keep on top of the calcification in the pipes. Not pleasant but better than fetching out the submersible pump and rods when the otherwise inevitable happens. I treat the inside pipes to muriatic acid once a year.

HG sells a useful two stage kit that can help out with stubborn pipes.

[8-P]

psi310398 said:

Out here in Italy, we have to use soda crystals on a monthly basis to help break up the clag and also keep on top of the calcification in the pipes. Not pleasant but better than fetching out the submersible pump and rods when the otherwise inevitable happens. I treat the inside pipes to muriatic acid once a year.

HG sells a useful two stage kit that can help out with stubborn pipes.

Thanks for the tips

[Pothole]

For the smell, fill your bucket from the hot tap and add a bottle of thick bleach...pour...

[8-P]

Pothole said:

For the smell, fill your bucket from the hot tap and add a bottle of thick bleach...pour...

On my exciting list of things to do. Life on the edge in this house

[Mandat]

You say it is a bathroom, therefore it also probably contains a wash hand basin and perhaps a bath and/or shower.

How often do the other appliances get used?

It sounds like perhaps the trap is drying out in one of the less often used appliances, thus allowing the sewer smells to enter the bathroom.

I get this exact problem with a guest bathroom if it is not used for a long while, and all that is required is to run the tap for a short while to re-fill the traps every so often.

[Mabbs9]

We had a smell. Turned out the soil stack hadn't been connected to the roof vent so had a roof cavity full of drain smell. Possibly worth investigating.