How to maintain extra bathroom that not use at all

[Lubener]

you guy are right, I smell gas when I open the bathroom sink. its stink.

The water in the trap has siphoned out from strong winds or it evaporated. After a strong storm, I have found that running some water in the sink fills the trap and the stops the smell.

 

[opus1]

That can also do it. Strong pressure changes can mess with the levels in the traps.

When we first moved in, the sewer company was vacuuming the main line a few hundred yards away. It sucked the water out of the toilets at my house.

I had an issue when I first moved into my house where the sewer line disconnected at one of the joints and the gravel around the line got sucked in and went into the main. The line was repaired and the city's vacuum truck was cleaning that out, and when I walked into my house the smell in the powder room (closest to where the sewer exited the house) was unbearable due to the water being sucked out and gas coming in. I had the brilliant idea to flush the toilet to refill the bowel while they were still vacuuming, and all that did was to splash fresh water all over the place.

 

[Egg_Head]

Interesting concept.
I wonder ... will the veggie oil develop bacteria over time, and then subsequently draw insects like drain flies to it? That would not end well ...

... or use old antifreeze

 

[zzyzzx]

Gut it, remove the plumbing, and make it into a walk in closet.

 

[redhat]

A change of scenery to fax your paperwork is never a bad thing. Think of it as a vacation.

 

[KrisZ]

Bottom line you need to use the toilet and the sink from to time and clean them too. Sitting water will develop a nice calcium ring around the toilet bowl that will be hard to scrub off.

 

[factorytuned2012]

For floor drains, unused shower drains, and other unused p-traps, you can pour mineral/vegatable oil in there and it won't evaporate.

View attachment 269577

We done this in the school district during covid

 

[snarl]

Turn the shutoff valves once a month.

 

[Kestas]

Sitting water will develop a nice calcium ring around the toilet bowl that will be hard to scrub off.

I always used the spent acid from our lab to delime plumbing.