Smell from Ensuite only in the evening

[Hugh Jaleak]

I would hope the extractor vents to outside too, you dont really want to be blowing warm, moist air into the loftspace either.... It's not unknown to use a tile vent to terminate a soil pipe so might be worth checking what purpose the neighbours tile vent is serving.

AAV's (Air Admittance Valves), are as the name suggests, one way valves to allow air into the system, but keep foul odours etc out. Problem with using these on all stacks, and not providing an open vented end, is any positive pressure in the system has nowhere to escape. It can then, in extreme circumstances, bubble back up via traps in the sanitary appliances, and cause unpleasant and unwanted odours, as you are currently experiencing....

 

[Nige F]

Hi - thanks for the reply.

I cant see where the soil pipe from the en suite toilet goes as it's all boxed in.

I've look all over the roof and there's no pipe sticking out, I assumed it was therefore ending in the loft so i had a look up there. I've found a pipe terminating in the loft pretty much above the area of our bedroom where the smell is first smelt so i'm assuming this is the soil pipe. It's pretty had to get to as i don't have loft boards down in that section but i managed to grab a few pics (hope i've attached them correctly!), does that look like a soil pipe?

If so, should there be anything on top of it?



When i was in the loft and my wife ran the tab in the en suite i could hear the water running in the pipe no problem so it's definitely connected to the en suite in some way.

one way to check is to poke a long thin screwdriver or knitting needle up into the attic discreetly next to the boxing round the soilpipe ( fill the hole with a tiny bit of polyfilla etc. after) Then you will see the thing sticking up next to the pipe that IS the one you're after. Probably best to put an air admit. valve on there- you're not going to cause any big problems - just solve the smell - you can get the valves with ribs that just push into the open pipe, no need to glue one on.And address your extract vent outlet too.

 

[kevin123]

Hi all - just posting an update in case anyone else comes across this with a similar issue.

So it is the soil pipe terminating in the loft, i stuck an AAV on it and there's been no smells since. Whether it was the builders cock up, the previous owners took the AAV with them (unlikely) or they just put up with the smell, we'll never know.

Thanks for all your help and it's soooo nice to have a smell free bedroom at night now!