Musty smell in bathroom

[Anonymous]

The en suite bathroom in DS's room has a distinctly moldy smell to it. It's not very strong, but I am sensitive to smells and it's driving me nuts. It's a really small bathroom, and I can't tell where it is coming from. No visible leaks around the toilet or the sink, and the tub is hardly ever used, as we bathe the kids together in the bigger hall bathroom. The ventilation in the bathroom isn't great, and it is also under-utilized. DS is only 10 months old, so obviously not using the toilet. I flush it 2-3x/week, whenever I remember.

Any advice of where to look first, since there are no visible signs of a problem, would be appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Is the shower faucet sealed where it meets the wall?

We had what we thought was a bathroom leak in the shower of our new house. The warranty plumber came out to fix it and showed us that it was not a leak but rather that whoever renovated the bathroom did not seal around the fixtures. When our kids were showering, water was getting in and dripping inside the wall.

Is it possible that is what wrong and you are smelling damage from whoever owned the house prior to you?

If you are not really using that bathroom I would loook at the shower faucet seal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the shower faucet sealed where it meets the wall?

We had what we thought was a bathroom leak in the shower of our new house. The warranty plumber came out to fix it and showed us that it was not a leak but rather that whoever renovated the bathroom did not seal around the fixtures. When our kids were showering, water was getting in and dripping inside the wall.

Is it possible that is what wrong and you are smelling damage from whoever owned the house prior to you?

If you are not really using that bathroom I would loook at the shower faucet seal.

The warranty plumber told us that this is a very common problem in bathrooms, particularly newer bathrooms. He identified the problem before we even took him to see it, just based on my description of the leak.

[Anonymous]

We've got that right now. I think it's coming from the sink drain. I'm going to try some drain cleaner today.

[Anonymous]

How old is your bathroom fan? Replacing it it isn't expensive and made a huge difference in our bathroom.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the suggestions. I checked the seal on the shower fixtures as well as the drain. The fan was replaced last year.

After sniffing around, I think the smell is coming from the toilet, and I think it's strongest in the tank. It looked pretty normal/clean in there though.

Are there any underlying issues to look out for, or can I assume a bleach tablet in the tank will take care of the problem?