jctv1944 Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 Anybody have experience and success dealing with sewer gas odor in your apartment, mainly in the bathroom? Is there a good plumber that I can contact to help me? I live close to Kad Suen Kaew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post lopburi3 Posted December 22, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted December 22, 2020 (edited) 14 minutes ago, jctv1944 said: Anybody have experience and success dealing with sewer gas odor in your apartment, mainly in the bathroom? Is there a good plumber that I can contact to help me? I live close to Kad Suen Kaew Make sure the floor drain has water in its trap below bell (will evaporate this time of the year if do not wash floor often) or cover with something if not needed. Edited December 22, 2020 by lopburi3 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Peterw42 Posted December 22, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted December 22, 2020 (edited) Check the floor and shower drains in your bathroom if they are bell traps. Often people are unaware that the traps are designed to hold water, unlike drains in the west that have an S trap under the floor. often the bell has been removed or water has evaporated. Bell traps are all over Thailand, especially in older buildings Edited December 22, 2020 by Peterw42 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jctv1944 Posted December 22, 2020 Author Share Posted December 22, 2020 Thanks. I'll check Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post AhFarangJa Posted December 22, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted December 22, 2020 (edited) I remember someone else asking the same question a few months ago. We had a similar problem, and a good temporary solution is to half fill a soft plastic bag, such as a ziplok bag, with water, then place over the drain. It makes a good seal, and can be moved easily when cleaning. Edited December 22, 2020 by AhFarangJa 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonray Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 1 minute ago, jctv1944 said: Thanks. I'll check If you are going to be away for any length of time...a little mineral oil in the trap(s) will help prevent the water from evaporating as quickly and making a stink for your return. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChakaKhan Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 I have the exact screen bell trap thing...i snapped off the cap to allow draining..but I have a screened window in my bathroom to get fresh air...I just close the door..but I dont really get the stinky smell.......unless its me! ???? Lots of 20 baht shops in santitham to grab one if needed from your location..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jctv1944 Posted December 22, 2020 Author Share Posted December 22, 2020 Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterw42 Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 (edited) OP, you can also buy (hardware, Homepro, watsadu etc) a plastic insert that sits in the pipe with a spring loaded flap that opens and closes as water flows. They work but are prone to not lasting long, spring fails etc. Edited December 22, 2020 by Peterw42 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jctv1944 Posted December 22, 2020 Author Share Posted December 22, 2020 does this valve really work? thanks, I'll check it out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayjay2001 Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 I had the same problem of sewer gas smell. I thought the smell was coming from the floor drain. But it turned out, where the toilet base meets the floor under the toilet, it wasn't properly sealed in the initial construction. The property maintenance guy discovered this by taking a photo with his phone behind the toilet base at floor level -- where there was a gap. He pulled up the toilet, properly sealed it, and no more problem. Not saying this is the problem you have, but it's a possibility. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moontang Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 Got mine from www.banggood.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwill Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 (edited) The local Cotto dealer where I live sells some really nice floor drains that have a spring loaded closure at the bottom. Does very good at keeping odors and critters out. Global sells some too. If you go for a water trap type try to find ones with a longer water basin that holds more water. But you have to make sure your drain pipe has enough clearance (doesn't do a 90 degree turn real close to the top.) Make sure you sink has a trap too. Most of them use the kind that looks like a little canister. Edited December 24, 2020 by rwill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moontang Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 9 minutes ago, rwill said: The local Cotto dealer where I live sells some really nice floor drains that have a spring loaded closure at the bottom. Does very good at keeping odors and critters out. Global sells some too. If you go for a water trap type try to find ones with a longer water basin that holds more water. But you have to make sure your drain pipe has enough clearance (doesn't do a 90 degree turn real close to the top.) Make sure you sink has a trap too. Most of them use the kind that looks like a little canister. That cannister is a trap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkk6060 Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 A very high end beachfront condo in Naklua has this issue. I was going to live there but the entire building and rooms smelled like a sewer. The hallways had drains also, so the smell was every where. Very annoying and disappointing. The agent said " that is the way Thailand builds condos", which is not true as many buildings do not have this issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkk6060 Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 (edited) On 12/22/2020 at 8:50 AM, AhFarangJa said: I remember someone else asking the same question a few months ago. We had a similar problem, and a good temporary solution is to half fill a soft plastic bag, such as a ziplok bag, with water, then place over the drain. It makes a good seal, and can be moved easily when cleaning. Sounds odd. So, you had plastic bags with water laying around the floor of your condo? I would think some type of a removable plastic or metal cover would be practical and aesthetically better. Edited December 24, 2020 by bkk6060 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moontang Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 All it takes is some vacant units with no water in the toilet, and the hallways can start stinking. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Chance Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 Blocking the drain will not work. It might help a little bit but gas PERMEATES through things. The only way to fix the problem is to have the pipe vented to fresh air. It is a building error. The other thing to do if you live in a house with a septic tank is to vent the septic tank with 3-1/2" pipe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lacessit Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 Sewer gas can actually be quite dangerous, depending on how much hydrogen sulphide is present in it. Paralyses the olfactory nerve, and has the same toxicity as hydrogen cyanide. The stuff they used in gas chambers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moontang Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 1 minute ago, Lacessit said: Sewer gas can actually be quite dangerous, depending on how much hydrogen sulphide is present in it. Paralyses the olfactory nerve, and has the same toxicity as hydrogen cyanide. The stuff they used in gas chambers. Most of what we get here is sewer gas from septic tanks, which isn't quite as lethal as inhaling a whole municipal system's gasses, but it is still unhealthy and unnecessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 1 hour ago, Don Chance said: Blocking the drain will not work. It might help a little bit but gas PERMEATES through things. The only way to fix the problem is to have the pipe vented to fresh air. It is a building error. The other thing to do if you live in a house with a septic tank is to vent the septic tank with 3-1/2" pipe. Blocking drains will and does work - septic tanks are vented here but the issue is many drains do not have any trap so smell from pipes enters room. As said the bell trap will prevent those smells if water level remains high enough. Most sink drains will have a bottle trap but many floor drains will have nothing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Theory Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 4 hours ago, bkk6060 said: The hallways had drains also, so the smell was every where. Perhaps vent problem or if there is any at all. Water runs slow too since there is no vent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Theory Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 On 12/22/2020 at 8:30 AM, jctv1944 said: Anybody have experience and success dealing with sewer gas odor in your apartment, mainly in the bathroom? A small bottle of bleach in bathroom/shower drains( not in the toilet) when you are not going to use water till morning (before you go to bed) could reduce the odor. I do that every few months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grin Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 One thing people may not be aware of is that in the West (at least the US) the vent stacks also vent the municipal sewer system in addition to the houses. Also collectively it prevents build up of gas pressure in the sewer system. When our house was built here I not only added vents to the stacks but added an extra trap in each bathroom after all of the floor drains. That way it does not matter if the floor drain traps dry up. I had to visit our building site at least twice a day to prevent surprises. We bought really nice Kohler toilets with the neoprene rings that in my opinion work better than wax rings. One day I showed up and found that all of the neoprene rings had been discarded. Upon asking why I found out that they were planning to set the toilets on 2 inch concrete bases. It's a good thing I found that out beforehand and got the toilets installed with the neoprene rings instead of concrete. Many toilets here are installed on concrete bases and it seems to me like this could easily be a source of leaking sewer gas especially if there is no vent to relieve pressure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Chance Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 6 hours ago, lopburi3 said: Blocking drains will and does work - septic tanks are vented here but the issue is many drains do not have any trap so smell from pipes enters room. As said the bell trap will prevent those smells if water level remains high enough. Most sink drains will have a bottle trap but many floor drains will have nothing. Yes it will prevent smells from the pipes IF IT IS VENTED. If is not vented it will not do anything because the gas will continue to rise to the highest point of the plumbing which is your sink or toilet. It has no where to go, then it will permeate though the magic pipes into your space. If you are lucky the sewage gas will rise up to the unit above yours. Instead call a plumber rip open the walls and floor and install a proper vent that leads to a high point of fresh air. That is how you fix the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elkski Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 Also it was found that sewar pipes were spreading covid to floors above. Google Wuhan drain covid. There was positive samples found in a uninhabited condo above some positive cases. Also I think they did some experiments with tracer elements. I have experienced this smells at a few condos I stayed at in Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicowoodduck Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 I cut down on my beans on toast intake and the smell was gone in a flash....???????????????????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadMuhammad Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 On 12/24/2020 at 7:10 AM, jayjay2001 said: I had the same problem of sewer gas smell. I thought the smell was coming from the floor drain. But it turned out, where the toilet base meets the floor under the toilet, it wasn't properly sealed in the initial construction. The property maintenance guy discovered this by taking a photo with his phone behind the toilet base at floor level -- where there was a gap. He pulled up the toilet, properly sealed it, and no more problem. Not saying this is the problem you have, but it's a possibility. mate thanks for commenting. I’ve just tracked down the smell in my 3 bathrooms to being the toilet. Was hesitant to go pulling them out but this has just confirmed my suspensions. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 16 minutes ago, MadMuhammad said: mate thanks for commenting. I’ve just tracked down the smell in my 3 bathrooms to being the toilet. Was hesitant to go pulling them out but this has just confirmed my suspensions. Thanks again! Local can pull replace quite easily most times and not take very long. They use attachment to floor with cement here rather than bolts and pipe seal so will need to set for a day after replace. But they might be able to just fill leaking area like a tooth filling and not have to remove. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante99 Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 4 minutes ago, lopburi3 said: They use attachment to floor with cement here rather than bolts Mine are attached with bolts not cement. But yes many used cement in the more distant past. 5 minutes ago, lopburi3 said: But they might be able to just fill leaking area like a tooth filling and not have to remove. Not much reason to do this when 6 minutes ago, lopburi3 said: Local can pull replace quite easily most times and not take very long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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