Urine smell in bathroom

[mq31]

Hi-

We have a front bathroom that stinks like urine. I scrub it everyday, but to no avail, the smell comes back. I thought maybe one of our two little boys wasn't aiming correctly, but that's not the case.

About 3 months ago our HOA sent out a septic company to come pump out the tank (routine stuff, every 5 years..) the smell didn't start until after they had pumped. It took maybe 3 weeks and everyday it gets stronger.

I have read on other sites that I should check the vent to make sure it's clean (no leaves, etc.) in it, but if that's not the case, what else may be wrong? I have heard others with similar problems replace the wax ring? Can one do this themselves, or is a professional job? Thanks!!!

[plumber1]

Let me tell you that this happened to me more than once.
The calls were just like yours and I said do you have little boys ?
I knew what the cause was, but the customer new better.
The answer was " my little boy doesn't do that anymore " so while I was there I reset the toilet with a new wax ring.
I made two more calls there again. After I left the last time she called the shop to say that she found her son using the toilet and saw him whizzing and not all of it went into the toilet.
I found that some young mom's attitude was " my little boy doesn't do that "
But how many times that happened and the mother didn't have the courtesy to call and say that she discovered what really happened, who knows....
Don't know why they would check the septic at all. You would have other things going on.
Nix on the vent too...........
BUT it coulden't hurt to re-set the toilet, thats not hard to do and while you have the toilet loose, get some hot water and a lot of suds and go to town......

[Terry]

I've had that with older customers too.
No lights on downstairs to save on the energy bill, and flat out missing.

After the toilet is pulled a few times, you start to figure out what is really happening.

Too bad too, they are normally my favorite customers, like dear old friends.

OK, note to self, start sitting down more as I get older too.

[SteveW]

Just to chime in here, I completely agree with Terry and plumber1. I would bet dollars to donuts that they're right on target (and at least one male person in your house isn't ).

Another part of the puzzle could be this. Is there caulking between the front of the toilet and the floor? If not, a mis-aimed stream could (and for some reason, usually does) find its way under the toilet -- then no amount of scubbing the outside of the fixture will make that darned smell go away...

[bennybaby]

I had urine smells too. It wasn't in the bathroom, but everywhere in the house....we had a male cat, a little spray under the dining room table, one on the couch, some in the closet. PEEEEEE-yewwwww!. The solution, a product called "Natures Miracle", it is a pet odor eliminator sold in most pet stores. I wonder if spraying that around your toilet might help...just a crazy idea, I'm not sure if human urine is similar to dogs and cats urine, but it might be.

[jimbo]

Some kind of sewer smell can have many causes and be hard to find.

But a urine smell is always man-made, no pun intended. EVERY plumber can tell you the tales about older men, young boys, and just plain studs. I won't take up space here relating my versions, because others have already made the point.

[Cass]

I had urine smells too. It wasn't in the bathroom, but everywhere in the house....we had a male cat, a little spray under the dining room table, one on the couch, some in the closet. PEEEEEE-yewwwww!. The solution, a product called "Natures Miracle", it is a pet odor eliminator sold in most pet stores. I wonder if spraying that around your toilet might help...just a crazy idea, I'm not sure if human urine is similar to dogs and cats urine, but it might be.

Yes, it should work. They do make other enzime based urine odor elimanators that can be bought at places that sell products used by commercial cleaning companys. You should be able to find a company in the yellow pages. My wife is a violin teacher and started working in a building built in 1890. The mens room had the 4' floor to chest height urinals that had been there since the 20s or 30s. ceramic floor and urinals. 70 years of urine splashed on the floor gave off a smell that only a bowery bum could appreciate. I picked up a bottle of the enzime killer ($7.00)and made 1 application at 3 times the recomended rate/strength. The smell was gone. I gave the bottle to the janator and have never smelled it since.