Drain flies in the bathroom

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malcolminthemiddle
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Drain flies in the bathroom

Post by malcolminthemiddle »

We have drain flies in one of our bathrooms in a new house.

Despite extensive investigation (masking all possible inlets etc) we cannot be sure where the nest is and how the flies get into the bathroom after hatching.

Once inside the bathroom, the flies are attracted to light where they congregate on a window cill and die.

Anyone had similar experiences and found a cure? Thanks in advance.
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johnjar
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Re: Drain flies in the bathroom

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I have not seen drain flies , however if you go to "Ant Powder" topic there is some powder or liquid that if you sprinkle into drain will sort that drain fly issue.
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404cameljockey
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Re: Drain flies in the bathroom

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I get them regularly in one of my bathrooms. They feed on waste clinging to the soil pipes, and will enter through your toilet waste pipe if you don't have a proper airtight seal between the porcelain downpipe and the plastic pipe in the floor (do you get bad odours in the bathroom from time to time, maybe a poorly fitted toiled). Or possibly through your floor drains if you don't have a water u-bend in them. The flies are easier to kill than the larvae which will need some stronger preparation, maybe trial and error in Thailand.

Google 'killing drain flies' for a lot of information. I haven't found the best thing to kill the larvae, so they keep coming back. Could you post back here after a month or so if you get rid of them please? :)
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johnjar
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Re: Drain flies in the bathroom

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malcolminthemiddle wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2017 6:28 pm We have drain flies in one of our bathrooms in a new house.

Despite extensive investigation (masking all possible inlets etc) we cannot be sure where the nest is and how the flies get into the bathroom after hatching.

Once inside the bathroom, the flies are attracted to light where they congregate on a window cill and die.

Anyone had similar experiences and found a cure? Thanks in advance.
When we first moved into our house had many problems with bad smells and leaking toilet seals as I,me a bit of a handyman, and did not know a plumber I tackled the jobs myself.Removing and refitting toilets is not for the squeamish.

The down pipe is nominal size of 100mm,the bottom of the porceline toilet is a spud with a protruding small lip, which fits perfectly into inside diameter of plastic down pipe when I chipped away sealing putty removed two hold down screws and pulled out complete toilet it was full of sh1t with over powering stink I cleaned up and disinfected all around the area, and found "NO" seal was put between porceline lip and floor which bottom of toilet sits.

There are wax/plastic donuts you can buy that seal the porcelain and 100mm downpipe which actually gives liquid seal, so whoever fitted our toilets did not use these donuts, this seal is important as it also stops tiles and concrete from rotting, the perimeter of toilet just use a grouting compound and screw down bolts both sides. Then the toilet u-bend holding water prevents smells from drains.

However if your toilets are not fitting properly make sure whoever re-installs them , make sure donut seals are used [ very important] around porcelain lip on underside of before bolting it down and grouting Hope this helps :D
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Re: Drain flies in the bathroom

Post by 404cameljockey »

Brave man, johnjar, I'm a handyman but not a sh1tdigger (some would disagree). Yes the problem occurs when the fitter doesn't use a proper seal. I have to get my builder to re-fit my toilet (he put it in) when the snagging work is eventually done on my place. I think this most likely it the problem that malcominthemiddle has too. Frequent sewage smells occurring in the bathroom would be a big indicator.
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Re: Drain flies in the bathroom

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404cameljockey .. I repaired the toilets about 10 years ago when house was relatively new so there was no rot in concrete base having occurred and have had no problem since then, however depending how long you have had the leaking seal it could have damaged the concrete base, and ingress of sewage water could have got under the concrete foundation which will need rotten concrete digging out around that area ..Hope you have it fixed ok
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Re: Drain flies in the bathroom

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Thanks. The builder put in 3 new toilets for me this year and there has been no leak of sewage before or after, just an air gap behind one of them now which I can see but not reach. He'll fix it, he'll have to either use silicone sealant (if he has a worker with tiny hands and rubber arms) or take the loo out and re-install, but not my problem.
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Re: Drain flies in the bathroom

Post by Edmin »

[/quote]
When we first moved into our house had many problems with bad smells and leaking toilet seals as I,me a bit of a handyman, and did not know a plumber I tackled the jobs myself.Removing and refitting toilets is not for the squeamish.
[/quote]

Greetings Hua Hinners!

I’m reading this thread and, I’m wondering if there is any some kind of plumbing code or standard in Thailand (where I am going to move sooner or later). How can builder install toilet without wax ring?! I read post in the “Snakes in the house and garden” thread where someone was asking how to prevent snakes coming in his shower through drain! What?! Shower drain is just a hole in the floor? No cover?

Actually, this is my biggest concern. As I’m thinking about buying a house (on my g/f name) somewhere out of town (which is, I believe, less expensive), I don’t really want snakes to come out of toilet when I sit on it and bite my only real treasure. People from “Snakes in the house and garden” seem to be very loyal to snakes and, they would rather keep snakes as pets than preventing them from coming to house.

So…I will appreciate if you tell me if anyone is using sewage back flow valves for toilets, shower floor covers, vent pipe top covers etc. Is it possible to ask builder to install them or, to buy in local stores? Thanks.
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Re: Drain flies in the bathroom

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Edmin wrote: Fri Nov 03, 2017 12:28 amWhat?! Shower drain is just a hole in the floor? No cover?
What?! Cover is just holes in metal? No skinny snakes?!
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Re: Drain flies in the bathroom

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Edmin..If you live out of town a bit you will get visitors of all kinds, my place is like a menagerie sometimes, a few weeks ago just out of bed taking morning coffee and walking out to porch coffee table didn't notice until I sat down 4 feet snake sat on table looking at me, shooed it away, continued coffee.Its just part of living here.

Don't know about building codes only know what I know from experience and its handy to be a bit of a handyman.

Yes you can buy all the sewage check valves for toilets, screw down shower floor covers, vent pipe top covers etc in most of local building supplies, and I,me sure a local builder will install all what you require..however I would monitor the whole build from start to finish if I was to build again. Hope this helps :)
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Re: Drain flies in the bathroom

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johnjar wrote: Fri Nov 03, 2017 7:31 pm Edmin..If you live out of town a bit you will get visitors of all kinds, my place is like a menagerie sometimes, a few weeks ago just out of bed taking morning coffee and walking out to porch coffee table didn't notice until I sat down 4 feet snake sat on table looking at me, shooed it away, continued coffee.Its just part of living here.

Don't know about building codes only know what I know from experience and its handy to be a bit of a handyman.

Yes you can buy all the sewage check valves for toilets, screw down shower floor covers, vent pipe top covers etc in most of local building supplies, and I,me sure a local builder will install all what you require..however I would monitor the whole build from start to finish if I was to build again. Hope this helps :)
Yep. The key is do not leave them on their own to do the job. Otherwise the work you will get will be what they would consider satisfactory in their own home, which is far below first world standards. Try to use a good company, with a farang (foreign) owner. You may pay a bit more, and STILL oversee everything. And allow at least 2-3 times as long for a job to be done as they say. This is Thailand, prepare for disappointment when you're talking professional standards. I have a horror story myself which I may finally tell in detail if my British builder doesn't get their finger out this month. I'm sick to the back teeth of it all.
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Re: Drain flies in the bathroom

Post by Edmin »

Thank you guys, very informative. I hope I could train myself to be same brave as you are and easily shoo away snakes to enjoy my morning porch coffee:)

I may see some of you next year in Hua Hin. Cheers!
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Re: Drain flies in the bathroom

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Edmin wrote: Fri Nov 03, 2017 9:20 pm Thank you guys, very informative. I hope I could train myself to be same brave as you are and easily shoo away snakes to enjoy my morning porch coffee:)

I may see some of you next year in Hua Hin. Cheers!
Edmin, join the Snakes of Hua Hin Facebook page and start to educate yourself. :)
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Re: Drain flies in the bathroom

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Yes you can buy all the sewage check valves for toilets
Well, good luck with that one!
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
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