what is this pipe for - HELP! please

[TryC]

Hi, 

 

Can anyone offer some advice please - I have been told that this pipe that is sitting above the roof line - it's purpose is for expelling the toilet smells for waste - it expels methane from the number 2.

 

Is this true? as we don't currently have one, and always thought it was for the upstairs bathroom toilet in houses.

 

Thanks in advance!

[MikeSharp01]

The operation is somewhat as you say but also prevents vacuum build up in the waste system when you flush. If you don;t have one of these you may have a breather somewhere else on your system, usually out side somewhere and / or a vacuum breaking valve (Called Air admittance Valve - AAV) somewhere in the house. If it is a new build building control won't sign it off without one or the other or both depending on your situation.

[TryC]

1 hour ago, MikeSharp01 said:

The operation is somewhat as you say but also prevents vacuum build up in the waste system when you flush. If you don;t have one of these you may have a breather somewhere else on your system, usually out side somewhere and / or a vacuum breaking valve (Called Air admittance Valve - AAV) somewhere in the house. If it is a new build building control won't sign it off without one or the other or both depending on your situation.

thank you!, we only seem to have this outside - we don't have a toilet upstairs, it is only downstairs. Are we missing the breather altogether?

[saveasteading]

Assuming the toilet waste pipes just disappear into the floor and it all works ok?

What are the 2 pipes in the picture, into the hopper, draining?

[ProDave]

Those small pipes into the hopper will be bath and basin waste pipes.

[TryC]

2 hours ago, ProDave said:

Those small pipes into the hopper will be bath and basin waste pipes.

yes, i think this is what it is too

[saveasteading]

10 hours ago, ProDave said:

small pipes into the hopper

So the hopper may be acting as a breather pipe. No windows near? so no problem.

[TryC]

8 hours ago, saveasteading said:

So the hopper may be acting as a breather pipe. No windows near? so no problem.

I'm not sure if it acts as a breather pipe. the window is on the other side of that wall.

 

I mentioned to a builder there was a slight smell in the toilet downstairs - not of number 2 or that, I just thought it was just damp/mould smells, as the person who fitted the toilet, did a bodge job and I always felt, he cut corners, by putting up plasterboard over the old walls (then tiled it), which did have mould/damp, (and not taking it back to brick) and maybe the mould/damp had grown through and is what is causing the smell. But the builder said it is likely methane gas (from toilet deposits). Is this true?

[saveasteading]

3 hours ago, TryC said:

as the person who fitted the toilet, did a bodge job

Then he has probably bodged the whole thing. I had assumed this was a long-fitted toilet.

 

The smell of blocked drains is distinctive and sort of sickening. Doesn't smell of poo but of swamps and festering stuff. My tongue is tingling with displeasure as I write this, so that may be  a clue from the depths of my instincts.

[TryC]

8 hours ago, saveasteading said:

Then he has probably bodged the whole thing. I had assumed this was a long-fitted toilet.

 

The smell of blocked drains is distinctive and sort of sickening. Doesn't smell of poo but of swamps and festering stuff. My tongue is tingling with displeasure as I write this, so that may be  a clue from the depths of my instincts.

i'm not sure, i cannot describe the smell exactly, it doesn't knock me sick, it just is unpleasant, but I am the only one that can smell it! i have been smelling it for years, but I do have a hyper sensitive nose (sometimes a blessing and a curse!). I always thought it was mould/damp smells. But it has gotten to the stage where it irks me. I use the toilet block and the smell is masked with that. But I've just run out and now I can smell that smell again.

 

WOuld you think I only need the toilet fixing or the entire thing - strip back to brick.

 

attached is a photo of the plastic pipe cemented into the floor...sigh - i think the source of the smell is this?

[TryC]

8 hours ago, saveasteading said:

Then he has probably bodged the whole thing. I had assumed this was a long-fitted toilet.

 

The smell of blocked drains is distinctive and sort of sickening. Doesn't smell of poo but of swamps and festering stuff. My tongue is tingling with displeasure as I write this, so that may be  a clue from the depths of my instincts.

oh, what is a long-fitted toilet please? (if you mean has it been fitted a long time? it was fitted about 15 years ago)

[Nickfromwales]

On 24/10/2021 at 11:14, TryC said:

thank you!, we only seem to have this outside - we don't have a toilet upstairs, it is only downstairs. Are we missing the breather altogether?

Can you show where this pipe terminates down low please?

[saveasteading]

2 hours ago, TryC said:

what is a long-fitted toilet please? (

Sorry. sounds like an obscure specification. I meant that it wasn't new (and not  anew problem) , perhaps very old.

[TryC]

10 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

Can you show where this pipe terminates down low please?

sure. thank u!

[Nickfromwales]

Any way of knowing if that’s a combined sewerage + storm water connection you have? 
Prob no SVP ( soil vent pipe ) but as you’ve no 1st floor WC then doubtful it will make any difference. Are you the end of line, or do you have houses both sides of you? If the letter, can you see SVP’s on their houses? 

[Mr Punter]

There is a big water trap on a WC so you won't normally get any smells from it.  More likely from the sink, where flushing the WC could be pulling the trap.  Run a small amount of water in the sink and see if the smell disappears.

[TryC]

6 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

Any way of knowing if that’s a combined sewerage + storm water connection you have? 
Prob no SVP ( soil vent pipe ) but as you’ve no 1st floor WC then doubtful it will make any difference. Are you the end of line, or do you have houses both sides of you? If the letter, can you see SVP’s on their houses? 

 do you mean, do the houses next door have this - is this an SVP? if so, yes, both houses do, but they have their toilet upstairs, having got rid of the ones downstairs.

[TryC]

5 hours ago, Mr Punter said:

There is a big water trap on a WC so you won't normally get any smells from it.  More likely from the sink, where flushing the WC could be pulling the trap.  Run a small amount of water in the sink and see if the smell disappears.

we run water every day - as there is always a smell of water treatment each day, so running the water on  daily basis already - smell is still there

[Nickfromwales]

2 hours ago, TryC said:

having got rid of the ones downstairs.

This isn't an issue surrounding up / down stairs loo's  this is whether or not your house is fulfilling its individual obligations to vent the communal sewerage system ( street network ) to vent the built up methane aka 'sewer gasses' to atmosphere. Your house is not doing this, but, with a neighbour either side doing so, I would almost instantly discount you having / suffering from any issues related to the excessive build up of said gasses.

The smell you are suffering is, IMO, being caused by damp in the room. The only way sewer gasses would be able to get into the room spaces would be if the traps on the WC / bath / basin etc were being sucked dry by vacuum when the WC was flushed. As the WC is downstairs, I am confident that this can be ruled out.

Edited October 26, 2021 by Nickfromwales

[TryC]

On 26/10/2021 at 22:17, Nickfromwales said:

This isn't an issue surrounding up / down stairs loo's  this is whether or not your house is fulfilling its individual obligations to vent the communal sewerage system ( street network ) to vent the built up methane aka 'sewer gasses' to atmosphere. Your house is not doing this, but, with a neighbour either side doing so, I would almost instantly discount you having / suffering from any issues related to the excessive build up of said gasses.

The smell you are suffering is, IMO, being caused by damp in the room. The only way sewer gasses would be able to get into the room spaces would be if the traps on the WC / bath / basin etc were being sucked dry by vacuum when the WC was flushed. As the WC is downstairs, I am confident that this can be ruled out.

thanks for your advice. this seems very confusing and I do not understand it fully. We have another bathroom guy coming next week to have a look, where I will tell him my concerns, but I don't want to be in a position where he will just say I need this and that, or whatever, just whatever results with a higher invoice for me.

 

I noted that that vent in the toilet that was there before, has been plasterboarded and tiled over. It was a long time ago and memory doesn't serve everyone well, but I distinctly remember there being one and looking at the photo you can see one outside near the pipes! vindication! 

[joe90]

On 26/10/2021 at 22:17, Nickfromwales said:

The smell you are suffering is, IMO, being caused by damp in the room.

+1. I tend to agree, if it was poo smell others would smell it too, yes you are unfortunate to have a hypersensitive nose but like Nick I think plasterboard over damp walls and tiled is not the best. More ventilation and a little heat might help.

[Nickfromwales]

2 hours ago, TryC said:

We have another bathroom guy coming next week to have a look, where I will tell him my concerns, but I don't want to be in a position where he will just say I need this and that, or whatever, just whatever results with a higher invoice for me.

Simples. Get him to write a details scope of works and post it here before starting work. 
If they can’t be bothered, move onto the next fitter.