My husband and I now have clean, running water.

We even joked that the water from the kitchen tap is too fast. The water from the rain shower head is not as gushing as we expected. The pancake shower head, as we call it, was the contraption that we both had wanted for a long time and every time, we stayed at hotels that had it. The luxury of having water come down on us like an unstoppable waterfall. Not happening but still the water flow is pretty good.

We are satisfied that we undertook the huge task of ‘replacing-our-water-pipes-cum-renovation,’ especially now that it’s behind us. Or at least that’s what we thought. Everything was pretty good except for the smell, yes, smell that I can only describe as headache-inducing.

The smell was apparent to me in the master bathroom after the tiling works. It was a pungent, sourish smell. My husband didn’t smell it. When I pointed it out to the plumber, he said the smell or any smells would go once we start using the bathrooms – washing, flushing, and when water flows through the floor traps.

After we moved in and started using the bathrooms, the smell got worse. It was pervasive but inconsistent. Mobile, moving. Sometimes, it came from the master bathroom, which was where I smelt it first. At other times from the guest bathroom. 

Admittedly, I’ve a super sense of smell. I’ve become like a sniffer dog since I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis in 2017. The slightest smell irritates my lungs, and makes me cough. Fragrance, detergents, paint, carpets, chemicals. I’d know if someone had splashed copious amounts of perfume or transported aromatic foods from the smells in the lifts. Or just walking on a recently cleaned floor from the chemicals used.

The smell then invaded the master bedroom. And, my home office, where it hung heavily and lingered. It was almost like the smell had penetrated the walls. It had gut-retching effects. Thankfully (?), at this point, my husband also smelt it.

We moved in during the Malaysia Day four-day long break, which meant we couldn’t get help or work done at our condo until businesses/offices re-opened. Wong was not a consideration. His workers had left cement and stones in the traps, despite my husband’s repeated requests and reminders to not do precisely that.

So how? The smell was not letting up despite my husband opening windows, and the door to the balcony to create a wind tunnel. Both him and I sniffed the tiles, traps, and walls, trying to figure out the source of the godawful smell. I/he decided that it was coming from behind/under the toilets. Ingeniously, he used bin bags, and masking tape to cover the toilet openings. He even sealed off the master bathroom, which kind of resembled a crime scene.

The smell permeated the lounge area. At this juncture, I wasn’t sure what I was smelling anymore. Whatever it was, it was bad. In fact, I was first concerned about this smell while work was still going on. It bothered me because it was just me who was smelling it. I thought and hoped it would go away when we moved in and used our bathrooms.

It didn’t. I had so many questions. What is this terrible smell? Is it coming from under the tiles? Was the waterproofing not done properly? Did someone leave something under the tiles? Were the toilets not installed properly? Is it the paint that smells? Why is it intermittent, and more pronounced in the afternoon? How and why does the smell keep shifting from room to room? And, why is the brunt of the smell in my home office?

My mind did go a little wild with some nefarious thoughts, thanks to scarry movies on Netflix. They were reigned in only because nothing made sense. Surely, there must be a logical explanation. It had to be due to either the tiling and/or plumbing and/or installation works.

According to the plumber, the toilets were fixed as per standard installation. So why the smell after we had run loads of water in the bathrooms? He had his theories which also didn’t make much sense.

In the interim, I Googled and learnt more than I had ever planned to about S-traps and P-traps, flanges, wax rings, and sealants. I also contacted the salesperson whom we bought our bathroom fixtures and fittings from. She and her technician shared videos and information that helped my husband and I better understand how the waste pipe connector should have been installed. Hmm.

We had but one option. To remove the toilet in the master bathroom. Extend the waste pipe and reinstall, correctly. There is less smell now. The guest bathroom toilet was removed last Friday. It will be reinstalled tomorrow.

My prayer. Please God no more smells and no more contractors😊.