Dreadful smell of poo from next door

[nauseated]

The problem started in Oct 2018 and has been going on ever since. It started with what smelled like rancid meat or fat being heated. It was so bad in the back bedroom of the house where I usually sleep I had to open the window and keep it open open all night even though it was cold. Since then the smell is overwhelmingly of poo. It starts anytime during the day or night, but tends to be worse at night. There tends to be no smell when next door are out during the day. Sometimes the smell at night is so bad it wakes me up, and several times I've had to go and sleep in another bedroom. At its worse it smells like you are in a room with a toilet which has just been used but not flushed. The smell is just as bad in the back living room of my house which is immediately below the back bedroom. I don't share any drains with next door and they have a separate manhole to the one for my house. I've lived in the same house for over 30 years and have never had even cooking smells from next door, but I have been told that the back wall of both houses (semi-detached) is a cavity wall, and that the smell from next door may be being vented into the cavity. Next door had a sewer flood about 3 years ago, after their manhole was blocked with tarmac from nearby roadworks. They clearly had drainage problems after this and were continually sluicing out the outside area of the house near where the soil pipe is situated. Then in 2017 a drainage company spent several days at the property carrying out some sort of repairs. I suspect that this didn't remedy the problem and that some other 'solution' has been introduced, but what it is exactly I don't know. It appears to be something that is switched on and off. I'm retired and now spend a lot more time at home so having to contend with the nauseating smell from next door is awful. Next door has been un-occupied between Christmas and New Year and there has been no smell, but it's back today (New Year's Day) with a vengeance. The other complicating factor here is that I am not on good terms with next door and can't ask what is going on. I've been told I can talk to environmental health about the problem and ask them to investigate, but I know that if I do this will only cause more friction with next door. I'd first like to try to establish what drainage 'solution' next door are using, how the smell is getting into my property, and if there are any steps I can take to stop it.

 

[Scott_D]

Are you sure it’s from next door and not your own drains?

 

[SimonG]

Get a drain company out and camera your drains. Take it from there.

 

[Scott_D]

Are your soil & vent pipes internal or external?

 

[SimonG]

Don't you just love a good auto correct

 

[Scott_D]

Don't you just love a good auto correct

I edited it

 

[SimonG]

I edited it

Damn

 

[snowhead]

If something is switching on and off it seems like they might have had a Saniflo macerator, or similar, fitted to overcome the failed drain.
I wonder if that's dumping into an open gulley at the back of the house.

 

[rpm]

If something is switching on and off it seems like they might have had a Saniflo macerator, or similar, fitted to overcome the failed drain.
I wonder if that's dumping into an open gulley at the back of the house.

Wouldn`t be the first time one is hooked up to open drains.

 

[nauseated]

Are you sure it’s from next door and not your own drains?

Are you sure it’s from next door and not your own drains?

I've not got any problems with my loo or other waste water leaving the property and the smell isn't in my toilet or bathroom. I know that's not proof, but I think you know if a really bad odour is coming from your property or from next door. Plus I'm here most of the time, using the loo, shower, washer etc and there's usually no smell, or only a faint smell, unless the people next door are in. I don't share any drains with next door, and every so often there is also a really strong smell of toilet cleaner, smells like lemon zest, which I don't use.

 

[rpm]

Call enviromental health in regardless of upsetting anybody.

 

[nauseated]

Get a drain company out and camera your drains. Take it from there.

I know the problem doesn't lie with me for reasons I've already stated so I know that wouldn't take me any further. We don't share any drains and manholes are also completely separate.

 

[nauseated]

Are your soil & vent pipes internal or external?

The soil pipe is external.

 

[SimonG]

I know the problem doesn't lie with me for reasons I've already stated so I know that wouldn't take me any further. We don't share any drains and manholes are also completely separate.

You don't actually know where the smell is coming from and as you have had diagnosis work done you're just pittling in the wind.

In this situation you get evidence that your drains are fine, if that's the case then you can go to environmental health and your neighbour.

If my neighbour came to me with the same story as you have it would be a case of, sorry I don't have a problem, must be yours. Whereas if they came with the story and evidence that there was no issue on your side then I would want to get to the bottom of it. Not only from the smell side but also the damage that could be going on underground.

Was the bad terms with your neighbour of your making? If so then you better start building bridges because I can only see a joint effort to get it sorted.

 

[nauseated]

If something is switching on and off it seems like they might have had a Saniflo macerator, or similar, fitted to overcome the failed drain.
I wonder if that's dumping into an open gulley at the back of the house.

I wondered if some sort of unit had been installed which can be switched on and off, as that would explain the intermittent nature of the smell, and the fact that there is no smell, or little smell, when no one's in, and the unit is presumably switched off.

Can you explain what a macerator is and why it might be needed?

 

[nauseated]

You don't actually know where the smell is coming from and as you have had diagnosis work done you're just pittling in the wind.

In this situation you get evidence that your drains are fine, if that's the case then you can go to environmental health and your neighbour.

If my neighbour came to me with the same story as you have it would be a case of, sorry I don't have a problem, must be yours. Whereas if they came with the story and evidence that there was no issue on your side then I would want to get to the bottom of it. Not only from the smell side but also the damage that could be going on underground.

Was the bad terms with your neighbour of your making? If so then you better start building bridges because I can only see a joint effort to get it sorted.

 

[rpm]

[QUOTE
Can you explain what a macerator is and why it might be needed?[/QUOTE]
Google not working today?

 

[nauseated]

I've not got any problems with my loo or other waste water leaving the property and the smell isn't in my toilet or bathroom. I know that's not proof, but I think you know if a really bad odour is coming from your property or from next door. Plus I'm here most of the time, using the loo, shower, washer etc and there's usually no smell, or only a faint smell, unless the people next door are in. I don't share any drains with next door, and every so often there is also a really strong smell of toilet cleaner, smells like lemon zest, which I don't use.

You don't actually know where the smell is coming from and as you have had diagnosis work done you're just pittling in the wind.

In this situation you get evidence that your drains are fine, if that's the case then you can go to environmental health and your neighbour.

If my neighbour came to me with the same story as you have it would be a case of, sorry I don't have a problem, must be yours. Whereas if they came with the story and evidence that there was no issue on your side then I would want to get to the bottom of it. Not only from the smell side but also the damage that could be going on underground.

Was the bad terms with your neighbour of your making? If so then you better start building bridges because I can only see a joint effort to get it sorted.

 

[nauseated]

No I wasn't responsible for blocking next door's manhole and for the damage that was done to their drainage system as a result. The company that for re-surfacing the road are alleged to be responsible for that problem.

Why do you assume that difficulties with next door are of my making? You have absolutely no reason and no evidence to make such a statement.

 

[SimonG]

No I wasn't responsible for blocking next door's manhole and for the damage that was done to their drainage system as a result. The company that for re-surfacing the road are alleged to be responsible for that problem.

Why do you assume that difficulties with next door are of my making? You have absolutely no reason and no evidence to make such a statement.

Nobody said you were responsible for blocking the manhole.

It was a question about the status quo between yourself and your neighbours.

Your response answers my question nicely.

Best of luck.

 

[Jones82]

Look to the vent pipes on the external drains, are they close to any opening windows? The smell comes and goes from drains due to atmospheric pressure and changes in the weather. During high pressure the gases can't rise as easily so the smell is stronger

 

[Murdoch]

Surely your first step is to talk to your neighbour .....

That said if it’s as bad as you suggest, I doubt 1 house could generate so much of a stench!

 

[Scott_D]

Post a picture of both houses soil pipes

 

[rpm]

Look to the vent pipes on the external drains, are they close to any opening windows? The smell comes and goes from drains due to atmospheric pressure and changes in the weather. During high pressure the gases can't rise as easily so the smell is stronger

Doubt it is vents, OP smells it when downstairs as well remember, also happens when neighbours are in and stopped when they went away.

 

[nauseated]

Nobody said you were responsible for blocking the manhole.

It was a question about the status quo between yourself and your neighbours.

Your response answers my question nicely.

Best of luck.

For your information, and I wouldn't have included this as it wasn't something I wanted to say, but there are mental health issues involved with the neighbouring property, and one person living there has physically assaulted me in the past, so it wouldn't be prudent to approach them whether I had evidence or not.

The purpose of me coming on this site was to seek help/information, and to establish if there was anything I could do to reduce the impact on me as I know I have to live with the situation.

The information about the macerator was helpful because the smell sometimes resembles the smell of slurry. And in warmer weather when standing in the back garden, the smell is outside and coming from vents in next door's bathroom wall.

If you are going to reply to posts you need to take a step back, not jump to conclusions, and not add to people's difficulties.

 

[SimonG]

For your information, and I wouldn't have included this as it wasn't something I wanted to say, but there are mental health issues involved with the neighbouring property, and one person living there has physically assaulted me in the past, so it wouldn't be prudent to approach them whether I had evidence or not.

The purpose of me coming on this site was to seek help/information, and to establish if there was anything I could do to reduce the impact on me as I know I have to live with the situation.

The information about the macerator was helpful because the smell sometimes resembles the smell of slurry. And in warmer weather when standing in the back garden, the smell is outside and coming from vents in next door's bathroom wall.

If you are going to reply to posts you need to take a step back, not jump to conclusions, and not add to people's difficulties.

Like I said, volumes, and always two sides to a story.

Good luck.

 

[rpm]

For your information, and I wouldn't have included this as it wasn't something I wanted to say, but there are mental health issues involved with the neighbouring property, and one person living there has physically assaulted me in the past, so it wouldn't be prudent to approach them whether I had evidence or not.

The purpose of me coming on this site was to seek help/information, and to establish if there was anything I could do to reduce the impact on me as I know I have to live with the situation.

The information about the macerator was helpful because the smell sometimes resembles the smell of slurry. And in warmer weather when standing in the back garden, the smell is outside and coming from vents in next door's bathroom wall.

If you are going to reply to posts you need to take a step back, not jump to conclusions, and not add to people's difficulties.

Oh here we go with the mental health card and on top of that the fact that the smell is coming from a particular source now, something the OP "forgot" to mention earlier!
Smells like a fishy post to me so goodnight!

 

[Chuck]

Check you house insurance policy. A decent one will cover investigating and fixing this sort of problem. I can think of a couple of possible explanations for your problem but only an on-site investigation is going to establish and fix the root cause.

You should have taken action on this back in October. Don't leave it any longer. If you think the smell is bad now just wait until the warmer weather arrives and the pond of sewage that is accumulating under your house warms up...

 

[Scott_D]

For your information, and I wouldn't have included this as it wasn't something I wanted to say, but there are mental health issues involved with the neighbouring property, and one person living there has physically assaulted me in the past, so it wouldn't be prudent to approach them whether I had evidence or not.

The purpose of me coming on this site was to seek help/information, and to establish if there was anything I could do to reduce the impact on me as I know I have to live with the situation.

The information about the macerator was helpful because the smell sometimes resembles the smell of slurry. And in warmer weather when standing in the back garden, the smell is outside and coming from vents in next door's bathroom wall.

If you are going to reply to posts you need to take a step back, not jump to conclusions, and not add to people's difficulties.

Are your bathrooms downstairs?

 

[rpm]

The purpose of me coming on this site was to seek help/information, and to establish if there was anything I could do to reduce the impact on me as I know I have to live with the situation.

Yeah, sell up and move is one!

 

[king of pipes]

It is obviously a drain problem either blocked or broken if it your neighbours then I would contact your environmental health dept if you are on bad terms accusations will only make things worse , kop

 

[Ric2013]

It is obviously a drain problem either blocked or broken if it your neighbours then I would contact your environmental health dept if you are on bad terms accusations will only make things worse , kop

Then you aren't accusing anyone.

To be fair, it could be a problem with your drains that has become highlighted by action next door. Unless you have independent septic tanks, at some point the independent drains will run together to a public sewer at which point the stench from one could run up the other. So some level of interdependence of services is almost inevitable.

To give an example, my own house runs to a manhole that then runs to the next manhole at which point it becomes shared by the neighbour. When the neighbour converted to an air admittance valve instead of open vent, I started to notice drain smells in my bathroom. Turned out there was a tiny air leak within the soil stack that previously had been subject to less pressure.

Back to your problem, quite possible that the issue is a public sewer issue, or yours, or the neighbour's, or another neighbour's and at which point environmental health may have an answer or suggestions as to how you could pinpoint the problem. Although if the fabric of your building is spot on, then any external defect shouldn't really be affecting you, so I'm confused.