Smell in downstairs toilet in Charlesland Wood

Niamh35

I've had a problem with an awful smell from my downstairs loo, which even ended up coming through the wall into my living room at one stage.

I live in Charlesland Wood and have had Ballymore over to look at it numerous times, and have spent a small forturne trying to get to the bottom of it.

Does anyone else have the same problem? I'd like to hear from as many people as possible, so I can go back to them and say that it's not an isolated problem, which is what they're trying to tell me it is. I already know of 4 friends that have the same smell.

Thanks!

audreyp

We actually have the same problem too! We had a leak in it and that was fixed last year but there is a strange smell again. I thought it was caused by the leak and the rotting timber around it.

The plumber we got in to fix the leak said several people in Charlesland Wood had similar problems with their downstairs bathroom.

postmanpat69

I had the same problem, were in C. Wood too. I had noticed some condensation building at the base of the pillar that hold up the wash hand basin in the downstairs bathroom. I took away the tiles and saw the rubber seal around the base of the waste pipe was incorrectly fitted. The waste pipe from the sink looks like it joins the waste pipe from the toilet at that point. So basically small pipe going into big pipe with a rubber seal bridging the gap between the two. (As you can see no idea of the techincal terms lol) When I fixed the seal and added some extra sealant to be doubly sure…hey presto no more bad smell. Hope this helps!

Niamh35

Hi

Thanks for the feedback! My Dad was a plumber before he retired, and sealed it up but we still have the same problem.

I called in to all the houses on my row and they all have the same smell, either in the downstairs loo or the kitchen, so it's a problem in the whole estate as far as I can see.

ChWood

Hi, same problem at our house... in fact the plumbing is ridiculously bad throughout the house.
We also have leaks from the attic through the ceiling in the kitchen and from hotpress into living room. seems to be a common problem in charlesland.... :mad:

Mullie

ChWood wrote: »

Hi, same problem at our house... in fact the plumbing is ridiculously bad throughout the house.
We also have leaks from the attic through the ceiling in the kitchen and from hotpress into living room. seems to be a common problem in charlesland.... :mad:

The hotpress leak may be related to your bath. They weren't fitted correctly so maybe check that out as a cause. Its where our living room leak was coming from.
Also, I've noticed in our place that one of the big white vent pipes in the attic periodically fills up with water. Maybe yours has too and is overflowing somewhere in the attic!?

Welsh Wizard

Check the traps behind the sink and toilet have sealed right, both have a black rubber seal in side them..
I found that one of the pipes connecting to the trap was not sitting in straight...;)

Charlie-Bravo

@Niamh35, have a sniff around the underside of the wash hand basin...is the smell stronger here? I'll go off on one here....:o

I found the seal around the white waste pipe for the WHB connecting to a 4inch pipe just under the concrete floor wasn't fitted correctly...and because the seal was actually below the concrete screed at floor level, I initially couldn't see it. So no matter what I was doing I wasn't fixing the problem at first.

In the 2 bed houses, the below ground WHB pipe and the WC pipe leading to the back garden are separate...the WHB below ground pipe joins with the sink waste in the kitchen. I had a build up of grease in the pipe which exacerbated the smell problem...the pipe is accessible in the back garden by lifting the decking timber already cut out...if you can get your hands on rods you can clear the pipe of any grease build-up...but still this won't remedy the breached seal at the WHB!

bogeak

hi there
i live in Charlesland Court and we have the same problem. the smell is awful downstairs.

Niamh35

Hi

There is a definite problem in this estate.

@astrofluff, yes it's right where the sink is. My Dad has taken up the floor, I had cameras put down the pipes to see if there was a blockage or a break in the pipe, we've put silicon around them, checked the traps. I'ts exhausting now, we've tried everything! Granted it's not as bad as it was, but it's still there. I cleared the pipe from the kitchen out to the back garden too.

The plumber in my neighbours house found a squashed up coke can in the pipe in her kitchen and the pipe was broken too.

recedite

I don't know what the pipe layout is there, but this problem is often down to a design flaw; no or incorrectly positioned "dry stack" ie the pipe which goes upwards to a dead end with a grid cap on it. Supposed to let off air/methane pressure when toilet is flushed to stop the water seal being syphoned out of the U- bends/traps.

wicklowdub

Thought it was just me. our downstairs toilet was leaking had to replace everything behind the wood cabinet. Still get a smell from time to time so might check the seal around the wash hand basin and seal it up. We are planning on replacing the whole lot though so hopefully its not under concrete where the problem is!

In the Woods

We live in Charlesland Wood and have that smell. Drives my wife crazy. Usually it comes from the downstairs toilet and occassionally from the kitchen.

Our downstairs toilet was also leaking behind the wood panel. Got the leak fixed but don't think that was the smell.

If you're going back to Ballymore, we'll put our name to any letters to them.

ciaran67

I only find it when there's been heavy rain. Then we get it in the downstairs toilet.

Charlie-Bravo

ciaran67 wrote: »

I only find it when there's been heavy rain. Then we get it in the downstairs toilet.

Thats not good...surface water and foul water should be seperated in Charlesland...

ciaran67

astrofluff wrote: »

Thats not good...surface water and foul water should be seperated in Charlesland...

Surely Gordon Brown should of been in that pic.

Niamh35

Well I've written another email asking them to have a look at these posts, so hopefully I'll hear something back from Ballymore.

I'll be starting a petition if I don't get any joy, so you might be seeing me at your door asking you to sign!!

dt60

Niamh I have had the same issues in the downstairs toilet in charlesland wood since the day I moved in, ballymore have fobbed me off since day one, they are a disgrace, last week I could not take it anymore and got a local fella called christy in to have a look and I can not belive it but it is completely fixed, no more smell, if you still have this problem its worth trying him ph 0862610143
I also found the extraction fans in downstairs toilet fed straight into the hotpress upstairs and the one in upstairs toilet went nowhere but into the attic, completely against all building regulations.

2011

Local plumber Noel Walsh (087) 274 1343 had to fix a leak from the waste pipe on the upstairs toilet. This is in my sisters 3 bed town house (Charlesland).

He did a great job, I would recommend him. However he remarked that he has seen the same problem repeated in many homes throughout Charlesland.