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I live in, and own, a 1967 Detroiter 12x60 mobilehome. It has had extensive improvements made to it such as new windows, doors, drywall, furnace,water heater, fixtures,cabinets , extra insulation, etc.
We had a handy man put in a new tub and toilet and new plumbing about 3yrs ago. This has been rented 2 of last 3 yrs and former tennants complained about smelling sewer gas from back of trailer inside. When we came to check there was no smell.
Now my wife and I live here and we smell the fumes and it gets so bad sometimes we have to get out.
Our pipes have all been flushed and cleaned by a professional plumber. Our tub drains real slow. Is it possible the handyman did not install plumbing correctly for correct venting?
Should we put all new vent pipes in?
Or have bathtub and toilet removed and see if done right? We were told if wax ring under toilet slipped sideways sewer gas could leak by, but it seems like it would smell all the time instead of sporatictly. (sp)
Our tub drains real slow. Is it possible the handyman did not install plumbing correctly for correct venting?
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That is the most likely culprit, if it isn't vented not only will things drain slowly but when you flush the toilet it will suck all the water out of the traps in the sinks which will allow the gas to come into the house.
You can't examine the plumbing without ripping stuff out? There should be a vent coining out of the roof somewhere, follow that to see if it's still hooked up.
Another possibility is that it's still hooked up but blocked.
First question, to where does your waste water go? City sewage treatment plant, a nearby wast water treatment facility that drains into a canal? Or a septic tank? Is there a vent pipe behind the trailer or on the roof? If so, check to ensure it isn't being blocked by bird's nest or wasp nest or debris like leaves or pine needles. Is there a sink or floor drain that isn't used regularly? If so, the water in the trap may have dried out allowing gas to come up. Pour water down the drain to re-establish the seal. Do you have central air conditioning? Did he pipe the condensate drain to the sewage drain with a trap? If he did, the trap may have dried out. Pour water into the condensate drain pan. If the pan looks like it's full of water and growth, go to an AC supply store for pan tablets. Clean out the drain pan, unclog the drain line, flush the pan and line, then add a pan tablet to help prevent growth. Does the toilet rock? If so then you may have a broken seal. Use flash lights to look under the trailer for signs of leaks or broken pipes. Only other thing I can think of is to call a plumber again.
That is the most likely culprit, if it isn't vented not only will things drain slowly but when you flush the toilet it will suck all the water out of the traps in the sinks which will allow the gas to come into the house.
You can't examine the plumbing without ripping stuff out? There should be a vent coining out of the roof somewhere, follow that to see if it's still hooked up.
Another possibility is that it's still hooked up but blocked.
That was my guess to, since the problem started after this work was done. The OP mentioned installing a new vent. I am not aware of this being allowable. My understanding is that all your plumbing should tie into the main stack. The plumber probably failed to tie into the vent properly or a problem occurred blocking the tub from the vent stack.
That was my guess to, since the problem started after this work was done. The OP mentioned installing a new vent. I am not aware of this being allowable. My understanding is that all your plumbing should tie into the main stack. The plumber probably failed to tie into the vent properly or a problem occurred blocking the tub from the vent stack.
Perhaps local code requires a different type of vent to be installed when a major plumbing renovation is performed? Perhaps it wasn't tied in to the system?
Mobile homes and manufactured housing are allowed to use one-way air valves for venting purposes beyond the primary stack.
"Our pipes have all been flushed and cleaned by a professional plumber. "
Assuming he did the job correctly, and there is a water seal in the traps, there may be a cracked or broken joint or pipe. The fumes can be nauseating and not good for long term exposure, but they are not generally dangerous or flammable.
The quick way to find the problem would be with a smoke test.
First question, to where does your waste water go? City sewage treatment plant, a nearby wast water treatment facility that drains into a canal? Or a septic tank? Is there a vent pipe behind the trailer or on the roof? If so, check to ensure it isn't being blocked by bird's nest or wasp nest or debris like leaves or pine needles. Is there a sink or floor drain that isn't used regularly? If so, the water in the trap may have dried out allowing gas to come up. Pour water down the drain to re-establish the seal. Do you have central air conditioning? Did he pipe the condensate drain to the sewage drain with a trap? If he did, the trap may have dried out. Pour water into the condensate drain pan. If the pan looks like it's full of water and growth, go to an AC supply store for pan tablets. Clean out the drain pan, unclog the drain line, flush the pan and line, then add a pan tablet to help prevent growth. Does the toilet rock? If so then you may have a broken seal. Use flash lights to look under the trailer for signs of leaks or broken pipes. Only other thing I can think of is to call a plumber again.
Our waste water is city sewer and treatment facility is new and 3 miles south of us. There are 3 vent pipes on roof of trailer. One is not used due to replacing gas furnace with electric. One vent last summer had a wasp nest in it and was cleaned out, but could be more deeper down.
The bathroom sink and kitchen sink are used daily. We rerouted washer drain line to rear bedroom and this stopped drain water from backing up in bathroom sink.We don't have central air, we use window a/c. Don't know about condensate drain to sewage trap.
Toilet does not rock and no leaking under trailer.
This is a picture we found that was taken of the wall where the tub and toilet set. It looks like the drain pipe from the tub doesn't have a trap. Does this look that way to you??
Hard to tell from the pic. There MIGHT be a P trap, but looks like there isn't from that angle.
(Hey, how do you keep all the water from falling out of the tub??? )
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Pic of possible problem for sewage smell
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