Question: We live in a raised, three-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalow In Oakbank. Our toilets have always made a loud draining noise — kind of like a suction sound — when we flush.
I am wondering if there is a blockage or something somewhere.
I would appreciate any comments you could offer.
Thank you,
— Debbie Anania
Question: We have a 10-year-old bungalow.
Last month, we had our ensuite and master bathroom countertops and sinks changed. It seems now we have a very occasional sewer odour coming from the ensuite sink when we turn on the water. It might not even happen for a couple of days and when the odour occurs, it goes away in seconds. The sink in the ensuite did not require any changes to the existing plumbing, it lined up perfectly. All my traps are full, I have drained the hot water tank and the vent stack is not frozen. This one makes no sense to me at all.
I enjoy your weekly articles,
— Len & Diane Sul
Answer: Plumbing issues can often be confusing and sometimes difficult to diagnose for many homeowners, but are sometimes no more than a nuisance. Differentiating between a serious issue and a minor one can often save costly investigation by a licensed plumber.
How the plumbing fixtures in our homes transfer water and waste products to the municipal sewer or private system is often a mystery to many homeowners. This may primarily be the situation because the majority of the drains are covered or underground. Also, if things work well, which is often the case, there is little to be concerned with. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, may be well-suited advice about the drains in our homes.
The only time we normally fuss over our waste disposal is when something appears to malfunction. The tough part may be in deciding what is and isn’t a real problem.
In addressing the first question, are the toilets otherwise working properly? Is the waste and paper properly draining from the bowl after a single flush, despite the suction sound? If the answers to these two questions are yes, then you should be able to go on with your daily life without much worries.
Toilets do often make loud noises as they expel their contents, so your description does not appear to be an issue.
However, if you experience poor performance from your commodes, such as requiring multiple flushes, partial water remaining in the bowl after flushing, running on or other common malfunctions, then there is likely a problem. Opening up the tank and inspecting the operation after flushing may also yield an answer to your inquiry. If the operation is poor, calling in a licensed plumber to inspect and fix the toilets, including unbolting and lifting the bowls from the floor, may be required. If all looks good, put the magazine back in the rack and ignore the noisy fixtures — or buy quieter units.
Regarding the second question, it is doubtful there is a serious venting or sewer gas issue if the new sinks and fixtures were replaced without any modification to the drains.
Having said that, I frequently see traps and sink drains improperly configured when renovated. If the pipes are not installed with a classic P-trap, or are otherwise improperly installed, a sewer gas smell may be detected. If the drains were improperly reinstalled with an S-trap, or some other funny angles or slopes, siphoning of the trap may be possible.
This defect could definitely lead to sewer gas intrusion after the sink is drained. If you are not familiar with the above configurations I have just discussed, call a licensed plumber to inspect the drains and rectify any misaligned or improperly installed pipes.
The other possibility is the smell you are describing is not a sewer odour at all, but simply the odour of debris in the drain. Often, hair, soap and other rather nasty material gets sucked down our sink drains and lodged inside the pipes. This material will become wet every time the faucet is turned on and will decay. The odours from this can mimic those inside the drain pipes and sewer, but may only require a cleaning or flushing with a chemical drain opener to eliminate the smell.
This may also be a new occurrence if the new sinks have missing or differently configured overflows than the old sinks. The overflow is designed to prevent a flood if the faucet is left accidentally running, but may also be an area where a lot of gunk builds up.
Whether your concern is proper drainage from funny sounding toilets or smelly sink drains, determining whether there is a serious issue or not will be important before calling in the repair troops.
If the fixtures drain well, don’t back up and have properly configured traps and drain pipes, then regular cleaning and maintenance may be all that is required. If the operation or installation is poor — a call to the local plumber may be in order.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the past president of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors — Manitoba (cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be emailed to the address below. Ari can be reached at 204-291-5358 or check out his website at trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
