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turingcucumber t1_ixlo6ti wrote

Are the waste pipes vented properly?

Depending on the layout, seems like the pipes could be venting up through the drains in that bathroom and causing a smell - if for example the normal vent pipe is blocked or improperly installed.

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otr_otr_otr OP t1_ixlouwo wrote

Yes, fair question.

  1. In that case, wouldn't the 5 floors below not also complain about the same? Or is that something that I would feel heavier on the top floor because the gases move upwards?

  2. No way to check this myself I suppose? How would one go about this - a professional to check from the roof?

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clemclem3 t1_ixlq0xh wrote

I think this comment is on the right track. Methane is lighter than air. A break or fault in the vent stack in the floor below would tend to rise.

I remember staying in a hotel in Oaxaca Mexico. Nice place but the floor drains lacked traps. I think they put a trap under the toilet but however they tied in the floor drains it bypassed that trap. The shower area always stank just a little bit. So you could be looking at a design flaw.

Or, there can be a penetration in the vent stack-- Crack, loose joint, nail hole.

I know of two methods to assess. One is a smoke test. Basically they open a clean out down low and pump smoke in it. Wherever the smoke comes out needs to be repaired

The other is by using a boroscope inspection camera. You can drop it down from the roof or anywhere there's a clean out and just inspect all the joints.

So I would ask around for plumbers that are familiar with these techniques. My first choice would probably be the smoke test.

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turingcucumber t1_ixlpr5r wrote

I am no expert here at all, so hopefully someone with more experience will chime in. However my guess would be:

1 - Depending on the venting system in place, but yeah you could be the worst affected as you suggest. 2 - I would think that checking the roof / the top of the vent pipe for environmental blockages, caused by animals or plants, would be a good idea

Again, I'm guessing here.

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