This really should be posted under frustration, but we don't have that category. So, in case this ever happens to you, avoid the misdirection.
Five years ago we had our main bathroom completely rebuilt. Some months later the drain was a little sluggish so I took the plunger to it and brought up some black stuff. A little later there was a bad smell when we had a shower, and it got worse, sometimes horrible. It only occurred during the shower, and usually just when we rinsed off the washcloth, or rinsed off the shampoo.
I got a metal brush attachment for the cordless drill and scoured the drain. No change. We had a plumber aggressively snake the lines, and empty the septic tank. No change. I tried everything you could think of in the drain: Clorox, Lysol, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, several enzymes. No change. I tried plugging the drain with an old sock with a wire attached, then soaking the drain for hours with the above chemicals. No change. This went on for four (4) years. I was amazed that anything could survive that cleaning.
Last week I turned off the water as soon as the smell started, got on my hands and knees, and sniffed all around the shower pan. Aha! The smell was coming from the base of the door frame. Apparently not sealed properly, water got in, bad stuff started growing, and the occasional splash of soapy water brought out the smell. I took the frame apart, and that was the end of the smell. It had nothing to do with the drain. If you want to solve the puzzle you have to look in the right place.
The episode reminded me of The Great Slydini, a master of misdirection. He would say, "You know why you no see? Because you no look. Look!"
Four years. Geez.
Congratulations
At least you now know the source of the problem.
Thanks for making the rest of us feel better. We now know of someone else who has experienced such frustration over such a long period. Too frequently we assume we are the only ones in the world subjected to such suffering.
Look on the bright side. You probably have the cleanest drain in the world.
> Look on the bright side. You probably have the cleanest drain in the world.
I was thinking the same thing. B-)
You got to be careful sniffing around water damaged walls. Some mold spores can kill you if inhaled.
Fixation on one thing causes much frustration in our world. Had an old Gunners Mate tell me in the early 60's that when something goes wrong, humans tend to think of the worst thing that could happen and spend their efforts looking where nothing is wrong. His point was to avoid that by looking at the simple things first because that is where the fix is usually needed, kind of a thoughtful cause and effect approach which has served me well. Watching the results of your efforts making little or no improvement is a good clue that further thought is needed. Glad you found the problem.
jud
