I recently installed (plumber did) a new American Standard Retrospect pedestal sink in my main bath. Every thing is fine, except that there has been a moldy smell in the bathroom ever since we installed it.
There is no sign of any water leaking anywhere, even in the unfinished basement below.
The smell is really only noticeable after you walk in a stir the air.
My wife determined that the smell was coming from the overflow in the front edge of the sink.
I agreed and spayed Dow Scrubbing Bubbles into the overflow holes. The smell stopped for 2 weeks.
The smell returned, sprayed the foam again, smell back in 2 weeks.
I have never experienced such a smell from an overflow.
Is this just a normal thing? Will I have to spray foam cleaner into the overflow holes every 2 weeks for ever? Or, is there something wrong with the design or installation of the sink?
If you haven’t drawn blood today, you haven’t done anything.
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It drains OK otherwise? Any chance the trap is dry, letting sewer gas back up? Lastly, wonder if there's any chance a piece of cardboard packing got left inside somewhere and it's rotting? Long shot I know...
There was a thread a week or so ago about this, a build up of scum in the overflow chamber. There was a link to a flushing attachment that screwed on to the faucet (aerator) and had small tube to flush through the overflow hole. I do not see why some of the enzymatic cleaner would not attack it if poured down the overflow with a small funnel.
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=62237.1
http://ezplunger.com/faq.html
We use this sink daily, so it isn't a dry trap and we never fill the sink to overflowing so there is no reason for there to be scum in there. Besides, the smell started within a week of the sink being installed. There should be no scum in there.
And I have no idea how any packing could hava or would have been in there.If you haven't drawn blood today, you haven't done anything.
The overflow channel empties through a slot in the face of the drain hole. Sometimes manufacturers will protect the drain hole with cardboard inserts during shipping. It's possible a small piece of cardboard got stuck in the slot and a plumber in a hurry might not notice it when installing the drainset.
One way to check would be to overfill the sink and see how well the overflow drains. It should drain fast enough that you can't make the sink itself overflow. If there's a chunk of something stuck down there, it will drain slowly if at all.
Other than that, you're gonna have to pull the drain set and look.
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Dinosaur
A day may come when the courage of men fails,when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship...
But it is not this day.
Edited 9/4/2005 8:51 pm ET by Dinosaur
Did you go to the second link I sent? It is a pretty good explanation. Are you on well or city water? Are you on a septic tank system? Some wells can generate some scum pretty quick. I doubt it it would hurt anything to pour some bleach down the overflow. Some folks do not like to do this if on a septic system but you are not talking about much concentration. I still like the enzyme stuff, In the other thread it was suggested to put baking soda followed by vinegar.
Yes I checked that link, Thanks. We are on city water and city sewer. All new waste and supply to under the basement slab.
I'm starting to lean towards the "piece of cardboard" theory, but my wife just filled the sink and checked the flow. The overflow takes all the water with the faucet on full blast. It could still be packing, but it is hard to tell.
I'm going to contact Am. Standard next.If you haven't drawn blood today, you haven't done anything.
Had the plumber back today to install the sinks in the upstairs vanity(the one with the new top to replace the one I wrecked).
I asked him to check the pedestal sink for a cause of the moldy smell. The solution to the problem is this...
The tail piece has holes in it below the stopper to allow water from the over flow cavity to drain out, but the tail piece is to short for the unusually large cavity in this sink. So, the holes in the side of the tail piece are not at the bottom of the cavity. When water runs down the drain, some enters the overflow cavity through those holes and is trapped by a portion of the tail piece. Then that water and any hair and dirt and scum sits in there and stinks.
He couldn't"t just lengthen the holes because there isn't enough length in the tail piece, so he has to find a new one that is compatible with this sink.
Just thought you all would like to know.There are no electrons! It is all made up. Don't believe it.
Electricity is made by GREENIES.
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Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
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