Sewers
Just how dangerous is sewer gas?
Ok, my husband and I are renting a home and we have 3 little boys under the age of 3. We have a full upstairs bathroom and a tiny bathroom downstairs that just has a toilet. The toilet in the tiny bathroom has been having some problems flushing lately so the landlord came to look at it. He couldn't figure out the problem so he took the whole toilet out of the bathroom. He stuffed a towel part way down the pipe that was left open and said he would be back next week either with a new toilet or the fixed old one. Now, what concerns me is sewer gas. I have heard from some that it can be deadly, and I have also heard that you would have to breathe it in for a very long time for it to even make you sick. With 2 toddlers and an infant in the house, I need to know the truth about sewer gas. This bathroom I am talking about is only about 3 1/2 feet wide and 5 feet long, very small. So if I open that bathroom door, is it going to let out a whole bunch of sewer gas that could possibly make our family sick? I am really worried about this, since the landlord won't be back to do anything til next week. He told us when he left that if we smelled the gas to just put some more towels over the hole. But I'm not convinced that that would stop the gas from leaking out of the pipe. Please help!
Public Comments
- It is toxic and it is dangerous. There can be a methane component, so it can explode. The plumbing code requires that there be a p-trap (the "intestine" part of your toilet) that is kept full of water to block the gas from getting into the house. The area should be well-ventilated, and he needs to get that toilet back on or he needs to install a solid flange that bolts to the existing flange on the floor. With small children, I'd get him to do this right away.
- In a confined space it can be deadly. Having said that I would suggest that you take a rag and a plastic bag and stuff the pipe opening tighter. Not because it will leak enough gas to kill you (it could but is unlikely), but it might leak just enough for you to smell. And it does smell you will know if it is leaking or not. Saran wrap also works well to seal the top of the pipe.
- Methane gas is an explosive substance. In an enclosed space though, the possibility of asphyxiation would result, before an explosive mixture could occur. The rags stuffed in the pipe will be sufficient for the time it takes the landlord to return with the toilet. I have never seen anyone harmed by methane gas, because a toilet was pulled, even when no rag was stuffed into the open pipe. The odor that is emitted, will make you leave the room, before you would even get close to being asphyxiated. Good luck!
