Ever walked into your bathroom and it smells like pee? If you live in a house full of teenagers and young boys, you’ll no doubt be familiar with the dreaded toilet-smell struggle. Your once fresh, clean toilet may have slowly descended into a cave of noxious nightmares. If you’ve ever made a mad dash into the men’s toilets because the ladies are too full, you’ll know how that pungent odour can really pack a punch!
Although parents of boys complain more frequently about the smell in their bathrooms, a thorough daily cleaning (and threats of cutting off WiFi if they don’t apply the same aim they do in online gaming) usually solves that issue. However, not all smells can be blamed on the kids.
Unfortunately, some far more costly and just as annoying bathroom smells can invade your toilet, that no amount of target practice will fix.
When You Can’t Blame Your Kids for Bathroom Smells
Stepping into a pool of water first thing in the morning before the kids are up, is the first sign that you may have a problem that won’t move out when it turns 18.
Seven other causes of a toilet leak that smells unpleasant are:
- Corroded bolts
- Deteriorated wax ring
- Connection piece that is loose or leaking
- Toilet tank condensation
- Hairline fissure
- Loose water supply
- Toilet constantly running
Why You Should Call a Professional as Soon as You Know it’s a Toilet Leak and Not the Kids
Plumbers won’t worry about your bathroom smells so don’t delay calling a plumber out of embarrassment, hoping that the problem will fix itself. Grandad was wrong; duct tape cannot fix everything.
Some toilet leaks can be fixed in as little as half an hour, but if ignored, can cause serious health risks such as allergic reactions to mildew and mould, or pose a slipping hazard. Costly water damage to the house is possible if neglected in the long term too. Some leaks can also contain solid material, not just pee!
Some obvious issues, such as a hissing or running toilet, can cause condensation on the outer bowl and trick you into thinking there is a toilet leak. However, a hairline fissure can cause mystifying seepage that is almost impossible to spot to the untrained eye.
If the water is pooling around the toilet’s base or at the back, the wax ring at the toilet’s base may have deteriorated. This is a big job and, with some toilet bases, may require the removal of the toilet to replace bolts and the wax ring. Ignored, it can cause structural, mould or crumbling grout.
Call the professionals if the smell in your bathroom leaves a lot to be desired. Toilets are our business; we can fix your toilet leaks and recommend the best enzyme-based cleaners if it is a false alarm.
