How can I fix the sewer smell in my house caused by adding a half bath without having to tear out walls or hire a new contractor?
I’m new around here and looking for some advice.
Recently, I had a half bath added near my kitchen, and now whenever I do laundry, my house starts to smell like a sewer. The laundry room is right next to the kitchen. This wasn’t an issue before the half bath was added.
My house was built in 1995, and I’ve noticed that there aren’t any vent pipes sticking out of the roof. However, I do have large electric whirlybirds.
I’m pretty sure the contractor didn’t properly vent the new half bath because the wall where the toilet is located is an original one. I checked under the house last week, and I saw that he connected the new bath to the existing sewer line.
Does anyone have any advice on how to fix this without having to tear out walls or anything drastic? I’ll have to take matters into my own hands or hire a different contractor since the person who did the work is part-time and it’s been two years.
You should’ve snapped some pictures while you were down there. Did a plumber handle the plumbing or did the contractor attempt to do it all? Was a permit obtained?
The contractor handled everything. Permits aren’t necessary where I live. My husband will inspect it again tomorrow. I’ll ask him to take pictures and share them here.
Oh yeah. No wonder it’s not working properly. It takes over 4 years to obtain a plumbing license. One weekend course for a contractor license. Luckily, I had both. The contractor license wasn’t actually related to the work itself, just some contract laws and insurance levels. But I needed it when I was flipping houses.
Hey Travis! I’m also in Kentucky and it’s interesting that contractors mainly focus on getting an LLC here. The contractor I hired is the maintenance supervisor for the local electric company and has experience in planning and building offices. It’s surprising that he didn’t deliver as expected despite trying to gather multiple quotes. A reliable contractor in this area is usually in high demand.
Hey Amy! It seems like many people think they’re doing a good job, but lack the necessary knowledge. The scope of work for an electrical engineer and a plumber is quite different. HVAC and plumbing share some similarities. Feel free to share some pictures for easier troubleshooting, like if there’s a missing p-trap.
Hey there! I’m also from Kentucky and I do general handyman work. I’m required to have a license through the contractor’s board, as well as a minimum of $1M insurance. My insurance coverage depends on my certifications, such as basic plumbing and electrical work (with limitations). I don’t operate under an LLC, I prefer being a sole proprietor. The first sentence you mentioned has some issues, but it might vary by county. Looks like your contractor may have overestimated his abilities and done similar setups before without realizing the potential issues. Personally, I would have declined the job if I was unsure about the correct approach.
LLC can also operate as a sole proprietorship, , reducing your liabilities. If you make a serious error, the client might end up taking everything from you, including your house.
A half bath typically consists of a sink and toilet. The sink should vent into the toilet, and the p-trap for the sink is usually located in the cabinet. This p-trap needs to connect to a vertical pipe that serves as a vent above.
For plumbing without tearing down walls, consider using a cheater vent, also known as an auto air vent.
Detailed pictures of the plumbing under the sink and in the crawlspace/basement would provide more insight into the situation.
– a plumber
Hey , I really appreciate it! I’ll grab those tomorrow and share them here.
It’s best to keep your drain plugs in place until you find a solution. I encountered a similar issue in my kitchen, where there’s a 1 1/2 inch pipe directly rising under the sink from the main 4” drain line. The P trap is connected to it, but it extends about 6 inches above the p trap and remains open at the top. I connected my dishwasher drain to the open line and sealed it to prevent any odors. Haha
Reminds me of those scenarios I’ve come across on YouTube. The way the drain is set up, using one drain can cause the water to be sucked out of the p-trap of another drain, allowing sewer gas to enter the house.
Hey Doug, do you reckon connecting a separate line from the bathroom (disconnecting it from the kitchen sink and laundry) to the septic would solve the issue?
Hey Amy, they refer to it as trap siphoning. Maybe all you need to do is adjust the traps.
Hey Doug, have you tried simply flushing or running water to fill up the trap after using the washer?
Affirmative
You should ensure there is at least 1 vent stack that goes outside. Air admittance devices could be an option for the new plumbing, but typically having at least 1 vent stack leading outside is necessary. Have you checked if there is one anywhere? Do you have access to the attic?