Stinky Toilet Smell - How to Fix It?

Unacceptable on 26/02/2023 - 17:46
Last edited 26/02/2023 - 19:01 by 1 other user

Our toilet suite started to smell. I think it is sewage odour. It mainly smells in the morning when the bathroom window was closed overnight, if window remains open, smells not that much.

We bought this toilet suite from Costco and installed in 2019 and it has been no issue.

We've managed it well, cleaned, no leak, no clogging, nothing that I can think of. The other toilet suite in other bathroom has no issue (over 10 years).

Before I call a plumber what do you think the problem is?

I've tried with diluted bleach in the toilet tank, used an endoscope camera to see inside of the suite to check if there is leak on the floor, no luck.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • leelemon on 26/02/2023 - 18:02
    +1

    Have you tried using an enzyme cleaner? takes a minute to work - also might need to flush out any disinfectant (or anything you that kills bacteria)
    You can get it at bunnings for pretty cheap. People use it to clean septic tanks and pet odours.

    • Unacceptable on 26/02/2023 - 19:37

      Did you mean using enzyme cleaner on the suite or inside of the toilet tank?

    • HeWhoKnows on 27/02/2023 - 18:46
      -1

      Just clean the entire toilet inside and out regularly

  • MS Paint on 26/02/2023 - 18:06
    +22

    Eat less curries

    • SF3 on 26/02/2023 - 18:49
      +21

      Unacceptable option.

    • timthetoolman on 26/02/2023 - 20:26
      +13

      Curries, as in, there is more than just butter chicken?

      • Bafranz on 26/02/2023 - 20:51
        +76

        This comment gets my tikka approval

        • jv on 26/02/2023 - 22:14
          +49

          They all end up vindaloo…

          • Bafranz on 26/02/2023 - 22:16
            +37

            @jv: That's korma for you.. what goes around comes around

      • Sinnerator on 27/02/2023 - 07:37
        +1

        I accidently tried and really liked Meth(i) Chicken

    • Yummy on 26/02/2023 - 20:52
      -1

      Or dont munch em.

  • Godric on 26/02/2023 - 18:10
    +6

    Use the garden

  • AustriaBargain on 26/02/2023 - 18:12
    +12

    Is your toilet in bathroom with floor drain/shower drain? Sometimes when houses are built they lay the drain pipes incorrectly causing the bad smell.

    • Ghost47 on 26/02/2023 - 18:46
      +3

      Hmm their post says:

      It mainly smells in the morning when the bathroom window was closed overnight, if window remains open, smells not that much.

      So I'm guessing the toilet is located in the bathroom.

      Good point though, it could be the shower drain actually giving off a bad smell. Spraying it with some vinegar should work, sometimes a biofilm can develop in shower drains.

      • Unacceptable on 26/02/2023 - 19:36

        Actually it is in a seperate toilet not bathroom BUT there's a floor drain next to the toilet suit. I will try to pure down some vinegar in it.

        • gummibear on 26/02/2023 - 20:50
          +11

          Try blocking it also to confirm if the smell is from the drain.

        • Qazxswec on 27/02/2023 - 11:53
          +8

          it will be the floor drains, it is always the culprit, just pour about 5-10L of water down it

          • SuperScope on 27/02/2023 - 16:27
            +2

            @Qazxswec: Second what Qazxdwec said.
            Ive had this happen before in a place we were staying at. Pour some water into the floor drain to stop the smell coming back up.

          • lonewolf on 28/02/2023 - 12:19

            @Qazxswec: yup, I was scrolling down to make sure someone else mentioned this. From my experience and others, its always the floor drains, especially if not used as often. I have seen in a lot of peoples bathrooms, they tape it over (if hardly used) or they put a rug or something over it .

        • Elmer Fudd on 28/02/2023 - 08:55
          +1

          I have used this product in the past and it has helped with a drain that had a smell

          https://grateseal.com.au/

          • Jackson on 28/02/2023 - 14:15

            @Elmer Fudd: This is a grate idea, but the price seems high for what it is

        • MrFrugalSpend on 28/02/2023 - 20:41

          "in a seperate toilet not bathroom BUT there's a floor drain next to the toilet suit[e]"

          What? Is this some crazy NSW rule, because it's unusual for a standalone toilet room to need a floor waste drain (at least in Queensland), unless you also have a basin with no built-in overflow drain in there? (i.e. like a 'powder room').
          Are you sure it's not an I/O or end of line clean-out that should be capped? (Usually located to one side of the toilet back near the wall where most people put toilet brushes/bins in line with where the toilet connects to the sewer pipe - More common in large commercial toilet areas). If so, that'd probably stink and be your problem.

    • May4th on 28/02/2023 - 07:28

      this. one of our bathrooms had a dodgy plumber who didn't put an S bend in the drain

  • amzinguserman on 26/02/2023 - 18:15
    +6

    flush it after using it ?

    • MrFrugalSpend on 28/02/2023 - 21:33

      Lol - funny if this was as simple as "To save water I don't flush the toilet overnight… but it smells in the morning, what should I do?"

  • George Washington on 26/02/2023 - 18:20
    +12

    Got a bad seal between toilet and rubber gasket. Alot of vibrations over time often unseat the toilet to the flange.

    https://www.home-dzine.co.za/diy/diy-fix-toilet.htm

    A plumber will do a smoke test to see where the gas is comming out from.

    My suggestion get some vasline. smear it between the rubber the toilet bowl. Tomorrow morning if it still smells you got leak somewhere else. if it doesnt smell you will need to call a plumber in to change the rubber seal you can also use this link below. Never used that link but have heard success stories

    https://www.bunnings.com.au/fluidmaster-universal-wax-pan-se…

    • Unacceptable on 26/02/2023 - 19:40

      Flange is inside of the toilet suite and I can't access to it unless I break the seal on floor and pull out the entire unit.

      • Nugs on 26/02/2023 - 21:30
        +1

        Stupid design
        .

        • MrPants on 28/02/2023 - 16:25
          +3

          Stupid design

          Don't you mean crappy design?

        • MrFrugalSpend on 28/02/2023 - 21:26

          Actually probably means its unlikely to be the problem if there is a close to air-tight seal with silicone around the base also

      • George Washington on 26/02/2023 - 21:47
        +7

        Okay

        Here is another test you can do

        put a plug in the basin and fill with water 5cm high and let it sit overnight might need to put a bit of vasline around the plug as they dont seal well together.

        next take an ice cream bucket or something to cover the shower drain.

        Also get another bucket to cover the floor drain

        Overnight again if the smell exist toilet vibrated out of position no smell. remove one of the two and check

    • Nugs on 26/02/2023 - 21:33
      +4

      @George Washington
      "A plumber will do a smoke test to see where the gas is comming out from."
      Is that where the phrase blowing smoke up my/your arse came from?
      .

  • kyle on 26/02/2023 - 18:26
    +9

    Is there a drain in the bathroom? Maybe the U shaped pipe is dry? Try pouring in some water.

    • Unacceptable on 26/02/2023 - 19:44

      Water is still there in the toilet and I can see it (when I pee…)

      • kyle on 26/02/2023 - 19:47
        +4

        Not the water in the toilet. I'm talking about the drain pipe on the bathroom floor if there is one

        • Unacceptable on 26/02/2023 - 20:06
          +1

          Yes, just checked and it was empty. I just filled with water with some vinegar in it.
          Let's see tomorrow morning.

          • George Washington on 26/02/2023 - 21:50
            +3

            @Unacceptable: This is often another cause as well make sure the drain in the bathroom floor is filled with water the U pipe is dry every few weeks i pour a bucket of water down. Idealy it shouldnt dry as the shower water should run to the floor drain then out to the main sewer.

            • xylarr on 27/02/2023 - 17:08

              @George Washington: Yeah sometimes, for some reason, they don't direct water via that drain. It means they can dry out. I had this issue with the laundry closet in a unit I lived in. Had to top it up every so often.

          • KBZ on 26/02/2023 - 21:55
            +1

            @Unacceptable: Is it holding water? If it is, sounds like it was cause the drain was empty, could you smell anything directly over the drain before you poured water down that drain?
            I had the same issue then just had to top it up with water and bit of vinegar and stopped smelling.

          • gromit on 27/02/2023 - 11:31

            @Unacceptable: vinegar and baking soda, great combo for killing off the odours coming up from the pipes. We had similiar problem a year or 2 ago, one batch of baking soda and some double strength white vinegar. The bubbling foam kills off anything and scours it quite well.

  • SF3 on 26/02/2023 - 18:48

    Stinky Toilet Smell

    Totally unacceptable.

    Check if the water level in the toilet is lower in the morning than the night before, if so, it could be the airflow is blocked (vacuum) in the plumbing somewhere, causing some of the water to drain out.

    • Unacceptable on 26/02/2023 - 19:42

      Good point. Will check tomorrow.

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 26/02/2023 - 19:56

    Had the same problem in a bathroom.
    Removing the toilet seat and have a look around the mounting of the seat and the contact area of the pan.
    Sometimes a small amount of fluid can build up in this area, despite cleaning, causing the smell.
    Wipe down with bleach and remount the seat on the pan.

  • bax on 26/02/2023 - 20:14

    Ok what George W said above is correct..Chances are it will be the seal is broken/ cracked and letting the smell exit into your room. The cost of seal is about $ 14- 17.00 and is relatively easy to change. Use some Vaseline to make it fit better. Otherwise it will be a bit tight to stretch in place.
    Also it is be very easy and cheap if you get a plumber, and can’t do it your self.

    Make sure you also check the other likely drains/ outlets before you start.You could do a close up nose smell down close to the joint area, first thing in morning to confirm.
    Bunnings sells these parts cheaply..

    Good luck

    Good luck

    • l005e on 26/02/2023 - 21:00

      Vaso is ok but the plumbing lube at bunnings is much better. Good advice above.

    • ozwog05 on 27/02/2023 - 14:05
      +1

      The cost of seal is about $ 14- 17.00 and is relatively easy to change.

      Marge, get my gun.

  • Aap Ke Papa on 26/02/2023 - 20:55
    +1

    There is a crack in the pipe that connects the toilet at the connection. You need to replace that connector. Get the plumber in and he should fix it easily.

    • cupcake on 27/02/2023 - 10:46
      +1

      Agree. I replaced my whole toilet and the smell went away.

  • GangGang on 26/02/2023 - 21:23
    +4

    Try adding water into the floor drain next to the toilet. This solved are issue.

    • FrankTT on 26/02/2023 - 21:46

      Same thing with my house, smells bad on hot days. To fix I pour water in the drain outside the toilet window and fixes the problem

  • USER DC on 26/02/2023 - 21:51

    you got a neighbor like this too

    do ya ??

    • Poor Ass on 27/02/2023 - 15:08

      hahaha classic

  • Unacceptable on 27/02/2023 - 08:30
    +13

    Update: problem fixed!!
    The culprit was the dry U shape drain pipe on the bathroom floor. @kyle thank you!!

    • The Hawk on 27/02/2023 - 08:59
      +2

      Was going to suggest just this, had it in a couple of houses (and businesses). You can get something like this (not a recommendation, just first link I hit):
      https://grateseal.com.au/

      They are designed to not let smells up even when water levels are low. It's more expensive than just putting a bucket of water down there every month… but useful in a business when you have levels of the building that aren't used all the time so tend to dry out and smell…

      Glad you sorted it!

    • Bunnyburger on 27/02/2023 - 11:49

      Was there lots of gunk inside?

      • Unacceptable on 27/02/2023 - 12:39

        Just dry empty as the drain was hardly used. I actually placed a small toilet bin on it always so I hardly noticed even the drain existed.

    • zealmax on 27/02/2023 - 14:45

      Happened to me too. It took a while to find the culprit. The water dried up and was letting the smell in. Just need to top up with water when it dries up.

  • Chewy2221 on 27/02/2023 - 10:51
    +1

    We had a problem with sewer gas. We found some of the water in the "trap" of the floor waste had evaporated in hot weather. Pouring some water into the floor waste solved the Problem. Good luck

  • jonkvh on 27/02/2023 - 10:56
    +2

    Check that the breather pipe on the roof isn't clogged up.

  • saltypete on 27/02/2023 - 11:28
    +1

    Remove the seat and give it a really good wash. Clean the pedestal. This will kill the bacteria that build up in thos crevices.
    Often the result of a bad aim from time to time…..

  • Randolph Duke on 27/02/2023 - 11:35
    +3

    You can tell who reads a thread before posting.

  • bobwokeup on 27/02/2023 - 12:21

    Not sure if this is the answer but we had a similar problem and a plumber told us to poor boiling hot water down the drain. We hardly use hot water in the sinks so that could have also contributed to it.

  • [Deactivated] on 27/02/2023 - 14:12

    Do you have a drain hole in the floor? The place I rent STINKS because they did something wrong when building the property… the drain doesn't slope down enough or something like that. And when the next door neighbours flush their toilet I can hear gurgling coming from that drain and the stink increases. There's a shower drain and a floor drain in front of the sink. If I keep a bathmat over the floor drain there's no stink. And if someone kicks the mat off the drain the stink is back. So I cover it over again and turn the ceiling fan on for a couple of minutes to clear it. I've been thinking about sticking contact (the adhesive book covering stuff) over the drain.

    • BanannaMan on 27/02/2023 - 15:25

      I was about to say this too - usually its the SUMP getting dry etc from no use. Thats what happened in our guest bedroom

  • Kiro on 27/02/2023 - 17:15

    Sure it's toilet? What about floor waste, that's something that doesn't get notice until it starts to vent or hair in the shower drain.

  • Hangryuman on 27/02/2023 - 17:29

    [ignore - OP found it was a dry floor waste bend letting the stinky out - my comment left for a similar future question]

    what is that white thing in the middle of the 3rd pic - https://www.costco.com.au/Home-Improvement/Bathroom/Stylus-D… - not a cistern refill valve ?

    could it be like a saniflo or one of those toilets that use a chopper for a small pipe where you add a toilet to an upstairs room but don't want a huge sewer pipe running through the room below - https://www.saniflo.com.au/71-macerator ?

    I'd suspect a bad connection in that coverall base - is it a flexi-rubber connector - that may be leaking, cracked, corroded, badly installed ?

    if you have a sensitive nose in the house, get them to sniff around the base of the toilet to see if they can point to that.

    I once had an old rubber connector from the back of my old cistern that was cracked - went to Bunnings, got a new one for a few dollars, fitted it myself - job done and ready for number two.

  • tessel on 27/02/2023 - 18:53

    Seal around pipe is not on properly or is busted. You must need to replace/fix seal. We had exact same problem. Come morning toilet had a bad odour. Rubber seal was buggered.

  • quikchip on 27/02/2023 - 23:06
    -1

    If you don't use the floor drain often, put some duct tape over it and seal it up.

  • MrThing on 27/02/2023 - 23:55
    +1

    flush it after you use it

  • AustriaBargain on 28/02/2023 - 00:52

    Edible flowers.

  • AuQld on 28/02/2023 - 08:17

    Need to replace the seal around the toilet, it's probably 10+ years old. Just get a new toilet installed. I had a similar problem, it's helped to keep outside drain clear of wheelie bins and grass so the system can breathe. But it won't fully go away until the seal is replaced, which means taking the toilet out and putting it back in.

  • girafficlight on 28/02/2023 - 11:08

    have you cleaned under the toilet seat? removing this and bleaching removes a very stinky toilet smell, if it hasn't been cleaned it's nasty.

  • johnfuller on 28/02/2023 - 12:37

    its usually the ring around the toilet S trap, if you don't mind getting your hands dirty, removing silicone and then disconnecting the water supply, and might get poo on hands, go for it, otherwise dont do it because the smell can be strong

  • 1Kenobi on 28/02/2023 - 16:02

    Mould under the toilet rim?

  • Handymancan on 28/02/2023 - 17:35

    For any kind of blocked drains or smelly toilets, this thing works wonders.
    Downside only 2 uses per bottle.
    https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/90065/easy…

  • TEER3X on 28/02/2023 - 20:45

    Wtf is a toilet suite?

    Have I been saying it wrong my whole life?

    • PVA on 28/02/2023 - 21:36

      What do you say?

      • TEER3X on 02/03/2023 - 19:10

        Toilet?

        • PVA on 03/03/2023 - 13:50

          Id say toilet too unless i am buying one or getting one fixed.

  • PVA on 28/02/2023 - 21:35

    Pour some water and drain cleaner in the floor drain, not the toilet. I bet that’s it.

  • syd-ozbargainer on 28/02/2023 - 23:39

    Open the floor drain and pour a couple buckets of water in it, check if smell goes away. If it works do this once every 2 months or so.

  • Scholesy65 on 01/03/2023 - 10:14

    I had a similar issue, turned out a mouse had carked it in the floor drain. Easy fix in the end…

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