Toilet Smells on the Epic

[toledo]

My cabin toilet and vairous public toilets around the ship had a strong urine smell. Has anyone else noticed this? I don't think it's a cleaning issue, as the areas appeared clean.

[Rounder]

My cabin toilet and vairous public toilets around the ship had a strong urine smell. Has anyone else noticed this? I don't think it's a cleaning issue, as the areas appeared clean.

 

Had, that issue on the Sun,and the Dawn. Seem's with the movement,of the ship, the pee trap,somehow,will empty. What we did was run the shower, for a few minutes, the smell ,will disappear. ;)

[roger001]

Happened to us on the Spirit once after some heavy seas. I had previously heard that the sewer trap does indeed sometimes empty allowing odors to back flow. Pouring water into it should solve the problem. I didn't know that at the time, so I just thought it was a problem with the ships plumbing.

[jdvmd]

Both of the above are very useful hints and they do work.

[toledo]

So is this a problem with the toilet design? I know this will sound weird, but when we wouldn't flush the cabin toilet (left it at a higher level), the smell wasn't noticeable. The seas were rougher than normal.

[roger001]

So is this a problem with the toilet design? I know this will sound weird, but when we wouldn't flush the cabin toilet (left it at a higher level), the smell wasn't noticeable. The seas were rougher than normal.

 

I don't know about the design, but we had a motorhome with the same problem. The trap would sometime empty of water and then odor from the holding tank would occur.....until water was flushed through and into the trap again.

[sdmike]

I don't know about the design, but we had a motorhome with the same problem. The trap would sometime empty of water and then odor from the holding tank would occur.....until water was flushed through and into the trap again.

 

ugh. motorhomes are the worst. It gets even worse if you open the windows for some reason...something about airflow exacerbating the issue.

 

Been there, stunk that :cool:

[evandbob]

This issue can even occur in a home. If you do not use a particular shower or sink for some time, say in a guest room, the water in the "U" shaped trap can evaporate. That would allow sewer smells to emanate into that area.

[Rounder]

So is this a problem with the toilet design? I know this will sound weird, but when we wouldn't flush the cabin toilet (left it at a higher level), the smell wasn't noticeable. The seas were rougher than normal.

 

It, isn't a problem, with the toilet design, rather with the pluming underneath,the floor. They use a standard, radious, 90 degree elbow,for the pee trap, which used in a setting where there is no movement, work fine, and can evaporate, as stated.

 

Again, in the case of a motorhome, and on the ship, where there is quite a bit of movement, the pee trap, will, and does drain, leaving the main drain, from, the holding tank, wide open to atmosphere, hence the odor. Mike you are,correct, about open window's, work's like a vaccum.

 

They would have to install, a long radious,90 degree elbow, which would ,be deeper, holding, more water, in it., with less chance of draining.

 

To fix, now, would be costly, for every room. Ouch.

Hope this help's, some what.

Vic

[suometar]

Thank you for that explanation! We had the same problem in our bathroom on the Jewel. the odor was quite noticeable when we first entered the cabin, but seemed to disipate during the week. I assumed that a) we just got used to the smell; or b) that the cabin steward was doing a better job of cleaning the bathroom as the week wore on.

[toledo]

I've never noticed it on other ships. :confused:

[Rounder]

I've never noticed it on other ships. :confused:

 

Maybe true, they might have had, a better designed plumbing system.

[jame_g]

I've noticed this on all of our recent cruises. Gem, Jewel, and Freedom of the Seas.

[SissasMomE]

My cabin toilet and vairous public toilets around the ship had a strong urine smell. Has anyone else noticed this? I don't think it's a cleaning issue, as the areas appeared clean.

 

The only place I smelled sewage was on Deck 8.

[eiffeltower07]

My cabin toilet and vairous public toilets around the ship had a strong urine smell. Has anyone else noticed this? I don't think it's a cleaning issue, as the areas appeared clean.

 

Yes! We noticed this towards the end of our cruise last week, and I thought I was going crazy.

[luddite]

Sewer gas odors come about as a result of empty traps. We've had it in a stateroom in the past. Easily solved with a potful of water poured into the traps in the floor.

 

Sewer gas odors are very distinct from raw sewage odors and the smell of urine. Smelling urine ( well, ammonia) means something isn't real clean.

[Eriksgarden]

Noticed this on Freedom of the Seas last week. The seas weren't rough, but a little rocky.

[Don Haynes]

I bring a car air freshener and hang it in the bathroom somewhere. I am fond of many scents, especially the new car smell.

[rajones007]

... Easily solved with a potful of water poured into the traps in the floor.

That is exactly what more people need to realize.

 

It's the floor drain that dries out the quickest. It doesn't get water run through it frequently and it's open to the air of the cabin. And with the AC pumping out relatively dry air most of the day and night, the floor drain dries out quickly.

 

Upon boarding BOTH the Star and the Epic, I noticed a slight sewer smell in both bathrooms of the 2 bedroom family suites. A few glasses of water in each floor drain = problem solved.

[toledo]

Why wouldn't the cabin stewards take care of this problem? If it only requires a glass of water every week or so, it would be easy to solve. Most passengers wouldn't know enough to solve this problem.

[sdmike]

Why wouldn't the cabin stewards take care of this problem? If it only requires a glass of water every week or so, it would be easy to solve. Most passengers wouldn't know enough to solve this problem.

 

If people are using the toilet/shower/sink frequently this shouldn't be an issue. With rooms full every week I'm surprised it happens other than the mentioned rough seas.

[Mistizoom]

I noticed the urine stench in my Dawn mini-suite in March. I had read about the possibility here on CC before. I don't recall seeing any floor drains though? One thing that I think may have been an issue is that the toilet bowl brush is stored right next to the toilet. At one point we had the same odor at home but it disappeared when I threw it out and bought a new brush. Wonder how often they sanitize or replace the brushes?

[ghstface2412]

My cabin toilet and vairous public toilets around the ship had a strong urine smell. Has anyone else noticed this? I don't think it's a cleaning issue, as the areas appeared clean.

 

I thought it was just me, had the same problem but I stilled loved that ship. Oh and meeting you of course!