Sewerage smells in BKK apartment.

[AlexRRR]

Can someone enlighten me please, I'm renting a reasonably modern apartment short time in Ari around the third day an door of crap was detected, there is a floor waste besides the toilet, I've covered it with a towel but to no avail, TGF says she can smell some near a window in the bedroom that we don't open.

No stains or marks in ensuite ceiling or walls so that could eliminate apartment above.

I'm sure they would use an S trap and surly the waste next to the toilet is for water spill due to washing backside....I'm a builder so I know a few things but I'm not a plumber, something has to be open or blocked to get this smell, any one have any experience with this sort of problem?

[Crossy]

I wouldn't be so sure about the presence of traps

Put an upturned saucer over any floor drains and put the plug in the sink and see if there is any improvement.

Moving to DIY.

[Litlos]

S trap is an option on drains, or may have dried out. Try a couple of buckets of water down the floor drain usually fixes this. I used to mix up some "Bionic" power with water and drop down all the drains in the apartment in BKK, at about 6 month intervals which also helped.

The other option is get the GF to talk to the building manager who possible has people working in the facility who know exactly how to fix most things.

Cheers

[AlexRRR]

S trap is an option on drains, or may have dried out. Try a couple of buckets of water down the floor drain usually fixes this. I used to mix up some "Bionic" power with water and drop down all the drains in the apartment in BKK, at about 6 month intervals which also helped.

The other option is get the GF to talk to the building manager who possible has people working in the facility who know exactly how to fix most things.

Cheers

I'm only here a couple of weeks so not to bothered but I've heard of this issue before, lived here for a year once before with no plumbing issues but I do plan to relocate within 18 months, better to be knowledgable if I strike this again.

Ps S trap is on every drain in AU.

[AlexRRR]

Ahhh just looked, didn't think it possible dumb asses don't have an s trap on basin, flushed floor waste with toilet hose for a few min and put plug in basin, smell has gone....will see when I get back later today before unplugging basin.....really this is BS, there asking over 5 million for apartments in this building....

[DirtyDan]

The traps on the drains often dry out so you have to water them every week. A good maid knows to do this.

I was also going to suggest having a look under the sinks. I had the same smell issue when we first moved in ands learned about watering the traps, but I also discovered that the PVC drain pipes for the sink were not actually attached to one another. Simply a smaller drain sitting in the larger wall pipe. A little silicone to "fix" that wonder of local engineering and the smell stopped at least. Hope the line never backs up!

[kannot]

They have these stupid in situ traps which hold an eggcupfull of water, many DONT have s bends also stick a mirror round the back of the toilet down pipe, many times have seen them with gaps round where they should seal

[bankruatsteve]

Ahhh just looked, didn't think it possible dumb asses don't have an s trap on basin, flushed floor waste with toilet hose for a few min and put plug in basin, smell has gone....will see when I get back later today before unplugging basin.....really this is BS, there asking over 5 million for apartments in this building....

It's usually pretty easy to install a trap under basin (assuming sink basin). The home supply places all have. If you aren't a DIY guy, then just give it to the condo staff and tell them to install.

[AlexRRR]

Checked odours this evening, way better had the basin plug in all day, I will say it's the basin since there is no S trap.

[Crossy]

Checked odours this evening, way better had the basin plug in all day, I will say it's the basin since there is no S trap.

Should be an easy fix then

[peterb17]

Key word is ' reasonably ' of course.

From past experience- the smell will be coming from the waste pipe- underneath the lavatory.

Needs to be refitted and sealed. Should not be expensive .

[lopburi3]

Basins normally have a "T" trap as below - as long as vertical pipe is long enough to be below horizontal drain and water fills the reservoir there will be no smell (but you should clean the trap occasionally).

[lopburi3]

Floor drains are normally inverted cup type and for bath easily dry out if not in shower area - make sure there is water in the outer ring area and that top in on securely and level.

[AlexRRR]

Basins normally have a "T" trap as below - as long as vertical pipe is long enough to be below horizontal drain and water fills the reservoir there will be no smell (but you should clean the trap occasionally).

It's this type and if the princess leaves the basin unplugged we get a smell...I'm not concerned I only rented this condo for 2 weeks I just was curios as eventually I will buy a condo here so a little formation may be helpful in the future.

[lopburi3]

It is likely the folks who installed cut the pipe shorter or located the drain too low in the wall so not getting below the horizontal pipe. They are actually very easy to disassemble and check - the first thing would be to unscrew the reservoir and clean that out - that should also show if pipe extends into it. Keep it in mind for later if you buy as likely they will use this type of trap.

[Artisi]

As lopburi has said, ensure that the vertical pipe has sufficient length to reach nearly to the bottom of the reservoir, if not it doesn't work as a seal to exclude odour coming back from the sewage system - you can buy the vertical section separately in various lengths to suit the installation (if over long you will need to reduce the length to suit)

[anonymouse2]

On 9/11/2015 at 5:56 PM, lopburi3 said:

Floor drains are normally inverted cup type and for bath easily dry out if not in shower area - make sure there is water in the outer ring area and that top in on securely and level.

 

Bump. This was exactly my problem in our brand new expensive highrise condo. My wife and I just moved to BKK from the States and were unfamiliar with this type of drain. The sewer gas was awful until I found this post. Thank you!

 

Just to put a little color on the comment above, you have to fill the outside of the "donut" around the drain hole with water, and then put the cap back on. The center of the cap is like a little umbrella and the edges dip below the water line in the "donut" to keep the gasses at bay. The drain in your shower works the same way but because you use it all the time, it stays full by itself - but your floor drain doesn't - you'll have to refill the "donut" about every week.

[mogandave]

I can’t imagine a floor drain drying with a Thai using the bathroom.

How do they get so much water everywhere?

[chickenslegs]

On 9/11/2015 at 5:56 PM, lopburi3 said:

Floor drains are normally inverted cup type and for bath easily dry out if not in shower area - make sure there is water in the outer ring area and that top in on securely and level.

Another tip: If you are leaving the house/apartment for a few days or weeks, a shot of cheap cooking oil in the water will slow down the evaporation of the water in the ring and stop the gassy smells. If leaving the house/apartment unoccupied for months at a time, remove the water and fill the rings/traps with oil.