Her Bathroom Smelled Every Time She Flushed the Toilet. The Problem Was Hidden Under It
A bad smell kept returning in a first-floor condo bathroom even after the most obvious source seemed fixed. The shower drain had produced a strong sewer odor, but cleaning it only solved part of the problem.
What remained followed a much more specific pattern. About 15 to 30 seconds after the toilet bowl emptied, the smell returned, then took five to 10 minutes to fade. Reddit user u/kaytay3000 had already checked the toilet water, vanity, and ceiling vents while trying to trace it. The bathroom had been gutted and remodeled in 2022, while the 1960s condo still had its cast iron pipes.
Cleaning the Shower Drain Solved Only Part of the Problem
The homeowner tried bleach, baking soda and vinegar, a bottle brush, and then a commercial drain cleaner on the shower drain. After the last treatment, she reported that the lingering drain smell was gone.
The bathroom still had an odor, though, and now its timing stood out. “It only happens when the toilet flushes,” she wrote.
Water in the toilet bowl and tank had no smell. She had even checked under the vanity and around ceiling vents for a dead animal because of the odor she was trying to trace.
The Smell Waited Until After the Toilet Flushed
The odor did not appear the instant the toilet was used. According to the homeowner, it showed up about 15 to 30 seconds after the bowl emptied, then took five to 10 minutes to dissipate.
That pattern pushed the discussion toward parts connected to the toilet and its drain. Commenters raised plumbing vents and traps, but several also pointed to the seal beneath the toilet.
One commenter who identified himself as a plumber with 30 years of experience told her to try the wax ring again. He noted that a toilet sitting on an uneven floor could move enough to affect the seal.
There was one reason the wax ring seemed less suspect: it had already been replaced about six months earlier.
She Went Back to the Wax Ring Anyway
As the discussion continued, the homeowner began to suspect the toilet seal despite its recent replacement.
“I’m thinking the wax ring is the issue,” she wrote. “I’ll reset the toilet tomorrow.”
Another commenter suggested putting painter’s tape around the base of the toilet as a test. Instead of waiting to see if the tape blocked the smell, the homeowner removed the toilet.
Replacing the Seal Made a Difference
Her next update came after the toilet was off the floor.
“I just went ahead and pulled it, replaced the wax ring, and it seems better,” she wrote.
She did not confirm that the wax ring was the source of every odor or report back after a long test period. What changed was the pattern of the problem: cleaning the shower drain removed one smell, while the odor tied to flushing improved after she replaced the seal beneath the toilet.
The part she returned to in the end was also one that had been replaced just six months before.