Awful smell...urgent help needed! Kitchen plumbing issue

Cianos

There was an awful smell (like poo ) coming from the kitchen so I found it was coming form under the sink. I could see there was water leakage somewhere, and one pipe seemed to be the source, I moved the pipe a bit and a load of brown liquid came out, and it smelt really bad.

I've attached a picture...the pipe in question is the white one to the left. Is this actually sewage? It smells really like it, but surely the plumbing wouldn't be fitted in such a way as to allow waste to come back up to the sink?

About 5 days ago I took the washing machine (which is just to the left of the sink) out to paint the kitchen floor. So maybe I disturbed something by doing that, but I can't see where this white pipe should go, so I've no idea how to fix this. Any help would be really greatly appreciated.

HPT

There's a good chance that white pipe needs to be connected to the overflow on the side of the sink basin or under the draining board.

It would be no harm to plug that thing with the tape on it too if it's not already sealed.

fintonie

I agree with HPT,

I have to ask what color did you paint your floor.

Alun

The loose white flexible pipe looks like the overflow, and should go up around the back of the sink and be attached to the overflow. The way it is at the moment, some of the waste water going down the plughole would come out of the pipe and drip on the floor. You'll have to get on your hands and knees and try and find out where it's come loose.

You could also take the U-bend off (have a bucket handy) and clean out some of the slimey gunk that accumulates in there. Beware it can be pretty nasty

EDIT: and yes, try and plug that spare thing on the waste pipe properly too.

HPT

Very often those spare wastes will have a cap on the inside anyway. You can find out by unscrewing it. Chances are it doesn't though, hence the tape.

Cianos

It was the overflow pipe as it turns out! I didn't know trapped water could smell so violently offensive! Just glad it wasn't what it smelt and looked like :pac:

Thanks for the help everyone.

fintonie wrote: »

I have to ask what color did you paint your floor.

A brownish red colour. Looks well. It's not actually my place, it's a friends, so I'm glad I got this all sorted before he gets back!

Joey the lips

We the greatest respect. I dont think it was the overflow pipe. That overflow is not designed with a u bend water trap cause its not needed so even if the overflow was smelling it would be smelling your sink when connected.

What i suspect is that the applience is not correctly and there is water leaking down in the back of the press and this is starting to smell.

although not being there I could be wrong.

Hell Toupee

+1 Joey the lips on the overflow
If this was my house I'd pull out the waste system from the sink to the wall and redo the lot.Waste pipe and connectors cost little or nothing.
I reckon the washing machine is the cause of the problem. It looks like the pressure when the W/Machine is emptying is forcing the waste out through the taped up inlet.
I'd add a vertical pipe at least 450 mm long seperate from the sink and push the W/M waste into it, no reason it couldn't be teed into the existing waste outlet at exit level.
Plumbing aside the socket on the wall to the left looks very dodgy, especially with water about.

nick 56

Mr lips seems to know a lot so i am reluctant to disagree with his advice, I would agree with him about causes but differ about the solution. Plumbing is about the supply of clean water and the safe removal of waste. If either is done in an improper manor you get ill. Now I am a very old and long retired plumber but to me that looks like a bodge of the worst kind.
Just rip out the lot and re do it properly, it would not be hard (like lego), get the right bits an put them together. Get push fit and away you go especially if the sink is on the ground floor. If you think it may difficult go mad and employ a plumber.