Plumbing problem!!

Number1

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2006
7,881
549
126
There is a sewer smell coming out of the sink and I don't understand why. There are 2 water traps in the line. When I open the water traps there is plenty of water in them.

The counter is 3 years old, the sink and plumbing line up to the first valve is probably 35 years old.

Any ideas on how to resolve this?

Thanks.

Pictures.
 

Iron Woode

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 10, 1999
31,307
12,824
136
Originally posted by: Number1
There is a sewer smell coming out of the sink and I don't understand why. There are 2 water traps in the line. When I open the water traps there is plenty of water in them.

The counter is 3 years old, the sink and plumbing line up to the first valve is probably 35 years old.

Any ideas on how to resolve this?

Thanks.

Pictures.
the problem is your stack. Its not venting correctly.
 

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,124
779
126
Originally posted by: Iron Woode
Originally posted by: Number1
There is a sewer smell coming out of the sink and I don't understand why. There are 2 water traps in the line. When I open the water traps there is plenty of water in them.

The counter is 3 years old, the sink and plumbing line up to the first valve is probably 35 years old.

Any ideas on how to resolve this?

Thanks.

Pictures.
the problem is your stack. Its not venting correctly.

That's what she said.
 

Number1

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2006
7,881
549
126
Originally posted by: Iron Woode
Originally posted by: Number1
There is a sewer smell coming out of the sink and I don't understand why. There are 2 water traps in the line. When I open the water traps there is plenty of water in them.

The counter is 3 years old, the sink and plumbing line up to the first valve is probably 35 years old.

Any ideas on how to resolve this?

Thanks.

Pictures.
the problem is your stack. Its not venting correctly.



Stack?

Not venting properly?

How do I fix it?
 

Jeff7181

Lifer
Aug 21, 2002
18,368
11
81
Originally posted by: Number1
Originally posted by: Iron Woode
Originally posted by: Number1
There is a sewer smell coming out of the sink and I don't understand why. There are 2 water traps in the line. When I open the water traps there is plenty of water in them.

The counter is 3 years old, the sink and plumbing line up to the first valve is probably 35 years old.

Any ideas on how to resolve this?

Thanks.

Pictures.
the problem is your stack. Its not venting correctly.



Stack?

Not venting properly?

How do I fix it?

Switch to boxers.
 

MikeMike

Lifer
Feb 6, 2000
45,885
66
91
Originally posted by: Number1
Originally posted by: Iron Woode
Originally posted by: Number1
There is a sewer smell coming out of the sink and I don't understand why. There are 2 water traps in the line. When I open the water traps there is plenty of water in them.

The counter is 3 years old, the sink and plumbing line up to the first valve is probably 35 years old.

Any ideas on how to resolve this?

Thanks.

Pictures.
the problem is your stack. Its not venting correctly.



Stack?

Not venting properly?

How do I fix it?

look up on top of your house... you see any PVC pipe sticking out of it? or non fan holes, with a pipe coming out of it? thats your stack...
 

boomerang

Lifer
Jun 19, 2000
18,883
641
126
Is that smaller diameter black hose from the dishwasher?

Check the hose from the air gap (chrome thing on the right top of the sink) to the dishwasher. I bet it's full of food particles that are decomposing.

In pictures 5 and 6, there is a black vertical pipe in the left side of the pictures. What is on the top of that pipe? Just above the fitting with the white bar code label. Is that a vent?

Canadian plumbing looks weird to your southern cousin.
 

feralkid

Lifer
Jan 28, 2002
16,876
4,987
136
Is that a Studer Vent in the back?

Check if it leaks. (sniff around the top of it).

Good luck.
 

Iron Woode

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 10, 1999
31,307
12,824
136
Originally posted by: Number1
Originally posted by: Iron Woode
Originally posted by: Number1
There is a sewer smell coming out of the sink and I don't understand why. There are 2 water traps in the line. When I open the water traps there is plenty of water in them.

The counter is 3 years old, the sink and plumbing line up to the first valve is probably 35 years old.

Any ideas on how to resolve this?

Thanks.

Pictures.
the problem is your stack. Its not venting correctly.



Stack?

Not venting properly?

How do I fix it?
I would suggest reading up on it and then go from there:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drain-waste-vent_system
 

Squisher

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
21,204
66
91
Originally posted by: feralkid
Is that a Studer Vent in the back?

Check if it leaks. (sniff around the top of it).

Good luck.

Yeah, that is what I thought. It's probably a bad Studer vent.

BUT, why are there ball valves in two of those drain lines?
 

Number1

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2006
7,881
549
126
Originally posted by: feralkid
Is that a Studer Vent in the back?

Check if it leaks. (sniff around the top of it).

Good luck.

It is a vent and it's not leaking. It's smells when I open it. This thing may very well be my problem if it's not opening properly when other appliances are used in the house. I am going to replace it Monday when the hardware store is open.
 

Number1

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2006
7,881
549
126
Originally posted by: boomerang
Is that smaller diameter black hose from the dishwasher?

Check the hose from the air gap (chrome thing on the right top of the sink) to the dishwasher. I bet it's full of food particles that are decomposing.

In pictures 5 and 6, there is a black vertical pipe in the left side of the pictures. What is on the top of that pipe? Just above the fitting with the white bar code label. Is that a vent?

Canadian plumbing looks weird to your southern cousin.

It's a vent. It might very well be my problem if it does not open when it's supposed to.
 

Number1

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2006
7,881
549
126
Originally posted by: Squisher
Originally posted by: feralkid
Is that a Studer Vent in the back?

Check if it leaks. (sniff around the top of it).

Good luck.

Yeah, that is what I thought. It's probably a bad Studer vent.

BUT, why are there ball valves in two of those drain lines?

You're right. Ill replace it Monday. The ball valve are used to reroute the grey water to the outside to water the plants in the summer. My well goes dry in the summer.
Right now they are configured to send the water to the septic tank.
 

Number1

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2006
7,881
549
126
Thanks for all the help. I read the wiki reference and already have a much better understanding of my plumbing system. From what I can tell I have a vent problem and the water in the traps is being sucked out when other appliances are used in the house.

Ill try a new vent valve under the sink Monday and go from there.

Thanks a lot for all the help again.
 

Freshgeardude

Diamond Member
Jul 31, 2006
4,506
0
76
Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Originally posted by: Number1
Originally posted by: Iron Woode
Originally posted by: Number1
There is a sewer smell coming out of the sink and I don't understand why. There are 2 water traps in the line. When I open the water traps there is plenty of water in them.

The counter is 3 years old, the sink and plumbing line up to the first valve is probably 35 years old.

Any ideas on how to resolve this?

Thanks.

Pictures.
the problem is your stack. Its not venting correctly.



Stack?

Not venting properly?

How do I fix it?

Switch to boxers.

ROFL LMAO /win
 

Farang

Lifer
Jul 7, 2003
10,913
3
0
Originally posted by: Number1
Thanks for all the help. I read the wiki reference and already have a much better understanding of my plumbing system. From what I can tell I have a vent problem and the water in the traps is being sucked out when other appliances are used in the house.

Ill try a new vent valve under the sink Monday and go from there.

Thanks a lot for all the help again.

no problem, happy to be of assistance
 

Iron Woode

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 10, 1999
31,307
12,824
136
Originally posted by: Number1
Thanks for all the help. I read the wiki reference and already have a much better understanding of my plumbing system. From what I can tell I have a vent problem and the water in the traps is being sucked out when other appliances are used in the house.

Ill try a new vent valve under the sink Monday and go from there.

Thanks a lot for all the help again.
no problem man!

since you are Canadian, I shall wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

and make sure to watch Holmes on Homes. That guy knows his shit.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,866
31,364
146
"Who does number 2 work for?! Who does number 2 work for?!!!"

btw, dump some bleach down the drain. that will kill just about anything making that smell.
 

daw123

Platinum Member
Aug 30, 2008
2,593
0
0
Oh, you call your air admittance valve, a studer valve in Canada? I was wondering what the hell that was.

OP, why do you have two shut-off valves on your waste pipes?

As zinfamous mentioned, flush the pipe work with bleech, run the hot/cold water taps on the kitchen sink and open the foul water manhole or inspection chamber outside to check that the foul water is flowing happily from A to B (i.e. that there are no partial blockages from the kitchen sink to the foul water drainage outside).

Edit: I'm guessing that they are to stop sewage backing up the system if there is a blockage further down the line; you can deliberately shut off the pipes. It looks as if they are fully open, but double check. Plus if you check that what you are putting in is coming out the other end (i.e. by looking in the manhole / inspection chamber outside) then they are both open.

Edit 2: If you find that there seems to be a blockage, when you check the manhole / inspection chamber(s) outside, then you will have to rod the drains from that chamber back to house using these drain rods (or you can pay someone to do it for you - its an unpleasant job). You need to rod each straight / slightly curved section of drainage, so you will need to find every rodding point. The whole idea is that every change of direction in the drainage should have a rodding point. That is how drainage systems are designed in the UK. I'm not sure if the same applies in Canada - I'm assuming that it is.