Why does our master bath toilet smell?

Question

The toilet in our master bath gives off this sewer smell only when we take a shower. If the shower isn't being used then it doesn't smell at all. What could be causing this? Help!! I'd like to get some ideas before spending costly money on a plumber if I can fix it myself.

Answer 1

did you flush?

Answer 2

That is really strange.  Sinks, tubs, showers, toilets all have traps to ensure gasses can't work their way out.  That's why your toilet has water in it, so that the odors can't come out.  Taking a shower shouldn't change the water level in your toilet.  The water is already there. You might want to call a plumber on this one.

Answer 3

Turn on the shower and watch the water in the toilet bowl. If it moves, you have a vent problem. The main ventpipe that goes up through the roof may be clogged. Possible that the shower never had a vent installed on it also if it was added after the house was built.

Answer 4

what people are saying is correct,  the trap in the toilet hold water and that keeps the sewer gasses from comming up.   It is possible that you have a Vent Blockage however.  when you run your shower does the water level go down in the toilet, or worse yet,  does it totally drain or gurgle?  it could also be the vanity drain,  those are much smaller and easier to suck dry with a venting problem.  

when you send water down a drain it creates a vaccum, your vent stack (pipe that goes up through your roof) is designed to provide the air needed to relieve this vaccum.  sometimes birds will make nests on the tops of the vents, or squirrels will crawl in and sometimes get stuck.  

so run the shower and listen for gurgling from the toilet or the vanity.

if you get it, then check out your vent stack for a blockage

Answer 5

The smell can't come thru the trap in the commode so maybe the smell is coming from around the wax ring under the commode.