Do we have anyone here who is a plumber or has had plumbing problems?

[BEG]

We moved into our house about a month ago.  The master bathroom shower STINKS like sewer gas when we take a shower.  I know it is coming from the drain as no other faucet in any of the other bathrooms (or the bathtub or sinks in the master bathroom) stink.  I have poured bleach and draino down the drain several times.  It will go away for a day but it comes back.  It doesn't smell when not in use.  

I have googled the problem and have found a couple possibilities.  The trap may be incorrectly installed or not there all together, the plumbing vent pipe that is on the roof may be clogged with leaves or something or the fact that we don't use all the bathrooms could cause the traps in those drains to go dry and that somehow causes the sewer gas to come up through our master bathroom shower.  Is there anyone here who has had a similar problem or knows anything about it?  I really am not looking forward to hiring a plumber.

I asked the previous owner about it and she claims she never smelled a sewer smell in her shower.  I don't believe her for a second.  The first time I took a shower in that bathroom I smelled it.  There is no way she couldn't smell it.  

[IassaFTots]

I am not an expert, but I have run into that problem before.  Do you run your fan when you are in there?  Sometimes the fan in the ceiling will draw up the sewer gas.  And, I also had a clogged trap in the roof. 

[rich_t]

Is it a ground floor shower and if so, do you have a basement?

[BEG]

Is it a ground floor shower and if so, do you have a basement?

It is upstairs and no we don't have a basement. 

[rich_t]

It's going to be pretty hard to check the trap then,  checking the vent might be easier as a DIY job, but you might end up having to hire a plumber.

[BEG]

I am not an expert, but I have run into that problem before.  Do you run your fan when you are in there?  Sometimes the fan in the ceiling will draw up the sewer gas.  And, I also had a clogged trap in the roof. 

This bathroom was an add on to the original house.  The original house was built in 1949, the add on was 2001.  There is no fan but there is a working window.  There is a fan in the toilet area (it has a door).  This bathroom is the stupidest recently remodeled bathroom I have ever seen.  Some of the stupid stuff is it has a refrigerator in the bathroom, it's a small under the counter fridge.  I keep bottled water and my fish oil supplements in it.  It is made to look like the cabinets but it is still stupid.  There is no door to the bathroom so when my husband gets up at 5:00 in the morning to get ready for work and switches on the light it hits me directly in the eyes.  Also when he takes a shower I can totally see him from where I'm laying.  Which means he can see me if I'm taking a shower.  Sometimes you just want your privacy.   It has a HUGE tile counter.  I'm talking HUGLY huge.  The sinks look like they were made for little people because the counter is so huge.  There is one light fixture between both sinks, not one over each sink (and there is a lot of counter space between both sinks).  There is only three lights on the light fixture, it makes it so dark in that bathroom (although there is another wall light fixture on another wall and a light in the ceiling...it is still dark).  Who ever installed the tile should not quit their day job...unless they are a tile installer....then they should quit their day job.  The tile work is so crappy.

 We are going to redo it if we are here long enough to make it worth it.   We have a few things ahead of it though.  New carpet in the bedrooms (supposed to get that installed on saturday), repaint the outside, take out a huge ugly monstrosity of a fireplace in the den, remodel one of the bathroom downstairs, refinish the wood floors as well as the travertine floor in the kitchen.  So much to do...not enough money to do it at the same time.  

[BEG]

It's going to be pretty hard to check the trap then,  checking the vent might be easier as a DIY job, but you might end up having to hire a plumber.

Bastard house, I already hate it. 

[rich_t]

From the pics you posted earlier is has a lot of good points though.  Beautiful wood work.

[BEG]

From the pics you posted earlier is has a lot of good points though.  Beautiful wood work.

Yeah I think it has a lot of good points too but for what we paid for this house it should need NO WORK at all.  I hate california.

[rich_t]

Hopefully you won't be stuck in CA for very long.  I hated living there too.

[IassaFTots]

This bathroom was an add on to the original house.  The original house was built in 1949, the add on was 2001.  There is no fan but there is a working window.  There is a fan in the toilet area (it has a door).  This bathroom is the stupidest recently remodeled bathroom I have ever seen.  Some of the stupid stuff is it has a refrigerator in the bathroom, it's a small under the counter fridge.  I keep bottled water and my fish oil supplements in it.  It is made to look like the cabinets but it is still stupid.  There is no door to the bathroom so when my husband gets up at 5:00 in the morning to get ready for work and switches on the light it hits me directly in the eyes.  Also when he takes a shower I can totally see him from where I'm laying.  Which means he can see me if I'm taking a shower.  Sometimes you just want your privacy.   It has a HUGE tile counter.  I'm talking HUGLY huge.  The sinks look like they were made for little people because the counter is so huge.  There is one light fixture between both sinks, not one over each sink (and there is a lot of counter space between both sinks).  There is only three lights on the light fixture, it makes it so dark in that bathroom (although there is another wall light fixture on another wall and a light in the ceiling...it is still dark).  Who ever installed the tile should not quit their day job...unless they are a tile installer....then they should quit their day job.  The tile work is so crappy.

 We are going to redo it if we are here long enough to make it worth it.   We have a few things ahead of it though.  New carpet in the bedrooms (supposed to get that installed on saturday), repaint the outside, take out a huge ugly monstrosity of a fireplace in the den, remodel one of the bathroom downstairs, refinish the wood floors as well as the travertine floor in the kitchen.  So much to do...not enough money to do it at the same time.  

I recently bought my first house, built in 61.  Seems the person who redid my bathroom took a vacation to CA to do yours.  I feel your pain. 

[thundley4]

There is no door to the bathroom so when my husband gets up at 5:00 in the morning to get ready for work and switches on the light it hits me directly in the eyes.  Also when he takes a shower I can totally see him from where I'm laying.  Which means he can see me if I'm taking a shower.

Put a curtain across the doorway.

Sometimes you just want your privacy.

Why? 

[BEG]

Put a curtain across the doorway.

Why? 

I don't want to put a curtain across the doorway, I wand a door.  A curtain would probably look really goofy as the opening to the bathroom is rather large.  It's too large for a single door and not wide enough for double doors. 

As to the reasons I don't want to be seen when I take a shower, my kids come in my room in the morning and watch TV while I'm showering.  I don't like them (or even my husband) to look at me when I'm taking a shower.  Don't ask why again...I just don't.    

[rich_t]

I don't want to put a curtain across the doorway, I wand a door.  A curtain would probably look really goofy as the opening to the bathroom is rather large.  It's too large for a single door and not wide enough for double doors. 

As to the reasons I don't want to be seen when I take a shower, my kids come in my room in the morning and watch TV while I'm showering.  I don't like them (or even my husband) to look at me when I'm taking a shower.  Don't ask why again...I just don't.    

Just redo the door frame and put in a standard door.  A few 2x4s and some dry wall ought to do the trick.  You can also maybe order a customer sized door to fit the existing opening.  How wide and tall is the current opening?

[BEG]

Just redo the door frame and put in a standard door.  A few 2x4s and some dry wall ought to do the trick.  You can also maybe order a customer sized door to fit the existing opening.  How wide and tall is the current opening?

You realize you are asking me to get out a tape measure don't you?

[rich_t]

You realize you are asking me to get out a tape measure don't you?

heh heh... yup.

 

[BEG]

Just redo the door frame and put in a standard door.  A few 2x4s and some dry wall ought to do the trick.  You can also maybe order a customer sized door to fit the existing opening.  How wide and tall is the current opening?

Another comment about putting in a door.  The woodwork in this house is natural black walnut (except for the kitchen and study which is cherry).  He had the doors custom made and told me that the doors in the house cost him $30k.  I wonder how much a custom door cost.  

*Edited to correct type of wood

[BEG]

heh heh... yup.

 

Ok, I measured it.  Approximately 8 ft tall and 4 ft 2 in wide.

[Lord Undies]

tack a bedsheet across the opening and go in and out through the flappy part.  problem solved.  

[BEG]

tack a bedsheet across the opening and go in and out through the flappy part.  problem solved.  

I don't "do" ghetto. 

[Lord Undies]

I don't "do" ghetto. 

:bows head:  Forgive me for being practical, Your Majesty.  I suppose I learned nothing from that pea under your mattress incident. 

 

[thundley4]

:bows head:  Forgive me for being practical, Your Majesty.  I suppose I learned nothing from that pea under your mattress incident. 

 

[Wayne]

  I was a plumber for over 50 years.
 a couple of questions
 Was the shower not used for a period of time before you moved in
 Did you take the shower head off or check it .. Sniff test
 and that isnt sewer gas probably.

  If it's an up stairs shower ANY drain prob would show up in the down stairs ceiling.

 

[debk]

You had a home inspection, right?

The home inspector should have checked to make sure the plumbing vents were clear and working properly.

Take the shower head off and soak it in a pan of vinegar...could be plugged up.

If your shower is draining properly and just stinks....it probably isn't plugged up.

When we had problems with our septic tank (4th or 5th guy out here was the one that figured out the pump was dead  )...when we showered in our bathroom, it backed up into the tub in our bath, the powder room toilet, the dishwasher and on of the kitchen sinks. Not in the laundry room which is also on the main floor or any of the 3 bathrooms upstairs.

We didn't have a smell though.

When we were in the worst of our drought the last couple of years....sometimes the water coming out of the faucets would smell really awful....is the water table where you are, really low?

[Wayne]

  Its not a vent prob..  I doubt they are on septic..