Funny smell in master bath of new house

teach2007

15 years ago

I posted this on the plumbing forum but thought I could get a faster response here...We have lived in our new home for 8 months and have had no major problems. However, there is a funny smell in the master bath that comes and goes. After cleaning the toilet, shower, and tub, the smell still permeates. It is a strange sweet/funky smell.. hard to describe... very unusual. Could it be the septic tank backing up? I would think that would be an unbelievably RANK smell, though. Maybe the drains aren't venting properly? Any thoughts or suggestions? Our plumbers were not the brightest bunch so I hope there wasn't some major mistake made.

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Comments (3)

meldy_nva
15 years ago
Yep, septic tank backups smell.. worse than funky.

Can you do something that causes the smell? Or maybe I'm asking: does it appear at a particular time of day? After a shower or bath? When the room temp is warmer than usual or cooler than usual? Is the smell only in that one room? If so, is it stronger near the ceiling or floor or by a cabinet or which wall --- and you'll have to take breaks while sniffing 'cuz our noses get vague in about 30 seconds. If you can narrow down the location, does the room on the other side of the wall have the same smell in the same area, even if less. Does it seem stronger or weaker after the a/c or heat runs?

Sweet-funky... like over-ripe fruit? Is there a chemical after-taste? Does it make your eyes water or your nose runny?

Okay -- way off the wall guesses without any supporting knowledge: Something dropped into the vent (shouldn't if the vent is properly capped). Play-dough stuffed somewhere like under a shelf [it usually smells when hot]. A finish on the grout or tile which off-gasses when hot or warm-&-wet [will also smell if the room is closed up overnight]. Off-gassing from wallpaper paste [ditto]. A new carpet - my last one did indeed have a peculiar sweetish smell when first laid down; if so, wash and put Â¾ cup vinegar in the rinse. Rotting fruit [banana? papaya?] left inside the wall, or in/near an air duct. Look underneath all drawers and shelves... for gum or ? Could somebody be using a hairspray, deodorant, powder, shampoo, or soap which has a similar smell [sniff packages and wrappers]? Fabric softener on the towels? New plastic anything?
otmsheffield
15 years ago
Meldy nva covered just about all possibilities. The "sweet" part of your description baffles me. If it was just "funky" I'd suggest the possibility of a puncture in a vent pipe. We've had that happen several times. The electrician would put a screw right through the vent pipe when installing a light fixture, and the source of the odor was hard to track (at least until we'd been through that a couple of times.) We've also found all sorts of debris inside HVAC supply vents - ugh! Hope you solve the mystery soon.
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Is this totally new construction or a renovation? Trying to figure out if some parts of it are locked in place or already there. IMO, the linen closet is the wrong shape - narrow and deep instead of the usual shallow but wide. The things in back are going to constantly be blocked by the things in front. Unless you fold your towels and sheets so they're nearly 3 feet long. The "do I need a tub" thing has been debated here and elsewhere ad nauseum. It's never settled, because some people insist on a tub, some are fine without one as long as there's a tub in another bathroom, and some never take baths and don't want a tub at all. The last group is large enough that I don't think you won't be able to sell your house. That said, I like to at least leave some space that could potentially be allocated to a tub if renovated, so that buyers that want a tub can add one (the cost of renovation is tiny compared to cost of a house). I wouldn't personally want a bathroom without a two-person shower and a two-person tub, but that's just me. Well, me and somebody else. But there are enough that don't mind not having a tub that I wouldn't fret about it. I do like doors on a shower though even in warm climates - it keeps the steam in and avoids drafts, which I find comfortable. Certain types of textured doors look clean for a long time without being washed. I'd consider a decent-sized folding seat that you can pull down for sitting or as a leg rest when needed; the rest of the time you get extra space. I'd also prefer a linear/trench drain at the end rather than a center drain, because drains always feel uncomfortable under my feet. The no-step to get in the shower thing is great - be sure the entire bathroom floor is ever so slightly sloped towards the shower. Mopping the floor clean will become a snap, and you'll be immune from flooding should something spring a leak. The triangular medicine cabinets seem odd or impractical to me, but they may work.
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This is really hard. At least you have some choices. I personally do not mind NOT having a toilet room. (I have one now, but not in the last house). If you can fit one in, it may appeal to a few more people. ( When we sold, we had 3 people wanting our home and it had no toilet room). Our tub sat under two corner windows with a wonderful view. So if you would rather a big shower than a tub, make sure you get the shower you want. I like Mongot's 2nd option, but would leave out the linen cab next to it. Hang your towels and add a small bench there. Supposedly, the door on the toilet room should swing out, but the one on house that we own now does not. If you leave it closed all the time, it does not matter. If you like it open, it will block your window. Also I noticed that on some of your drawings, you have lost 6 inches of your 9 foot 6 inch length. That space would make your shower much larger. Of your drawings, option B appeals most to me. Option A closes up your space and C wastes too much space. If your shower can be enlarged to 42 in or 48 in by about 5 feet, that would be really nice. I added a couple of other ideas. I personally like two vanities better than one. The cost should be similar if the total size is the same. Option A1 cuts back on vanity size, but you get a linen and toilet room. A2 has 2 vanities. I still like stand alone vanities for the style. Option 3 gives you more vanity space on one wall, but I don't know if an angled door is the best option. I'd probably do drawers on the end of the long vanity by the window. More light.
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If possible, check and see if all drains have traps. Septic smells should not be able to get passed the traps. I would think the smell would come from a certain area. Try a couple of non scented candles, they will burn the scent from the air. Then try again to locate it.
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lsst
15 years ago
Could it be a bad wax seal with the toilets?
We have tile and the plumber did not use a raised flange. We had a funny smell in our bathrooms and it turned out that the wax rings were not thick enough to seal the gap between the toilet and flange.

Funny smell in master bath of new house

Comments (3)

meldy_nva

otmsheffield

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