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Odourbuster sucks toilet odors down the pipes

By Ben Coxworth
January 27, 2011
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The Odourbuster mounts on an existing toilet, and uses a fan to draw odors down into the soil pipe
GBH Group's Odourbuster-equipped Expellor toilet
The Odourbuster, mounted on the back of a toilet
The Odourbuster, as integrated into an Expellor toilet
The Odourbuster mounts on an existing toilet, and uses a fan to draw odors down into the soil pipe
View gallery - 4 images

Nobody likes the smell of a just-used bathroom – and no, we don’t mean a bathroom in which someone has just bathed. That’s one of the reasons bathrooms have ceiling extractor fans, although installing the wiring and ducting for such hardware is a hassle that it would be nice to avoid, if possible. The Odourbuster is an invention that reportedly does away with the need for a fan, by taking those nasty odors and sending them where everything else went – down the toilet.

The Odourbuster has a fan of its own, which is fitted between the water tank and the toilet bowl. It also comes with a remote passive infrared sensor that detects when someone has entered the bathroom, either via motion detection or body heat, depending on the selected mode. In either case, that sensor activates the fan when someone enters the room. Air is then drawn down from the rim of the toilet bowl, out through a pipe in the rear, and into the main soil pipe.

When the toilet is flushed, the fan automatically shuts off.

The device runs off of mains power via a DC transformer, or can use a rechargeable 12-volt battery. While the company claims that the Odourbuster is easy to install, Malaysia’s GBH Group has taken things a step further, by building it into its Expellor toilet.

We have no idea how well either the Odourbuster or the Expellor work, but if you’ve had the pleasure of using one, we’d love to hear from you.

Via Dragon's Den

View gallery - 4 images

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Around The HomeBathroomOdorWasteToiletSewage
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Ben Coxworth
Based out of Edmonton, Canada, Ben Coxworth has been writing for New Atlas since 2009 and is presently Managing Editor for North America. An experienced freelance writer, he previously obtained an English BA from the University of Saskatchewan, then spent over 20 years working in various markets as a television reporter, producer and news videographer. Ben is particularly interested in scientific innovation, human-powered transportation, and the marine environment.
6 comments
Alien
Interesting - but how \'fresh\' is this news. I see the photographs are nearly three years old! Has it really taken this long to get this product from prototype to launch?
Joseph Manske
You still need a fan to do what they were originally meant for; remove moist air created during a shower. This helps prevent mold and mildew (and lets you see in the mirror). However, this would be appropriate in a \"half bath\" or public restroom.
bobhugh207
There was a time--long time ago--when toilets were made with small 2\" vents moulded right into the top of the bowl just under to top rim opening out the rear. This vent was then plumbed to the central plumbing vent for the building--which all plumbing systems must have in order to prevent air blocks in the system. This meant there was a constant draft pulling air, thus odor from what is going into the bowl, out of the bowl, thus also the bathroom, at the top of the bowl. No fan needed. You can still find these antique bowls at architectural antique sources, often with the vents plugged. When I bought one of these in the early nineties for my renovation my plumber refused to install it as designed because code prevented it. I could find no plumber who would do it. The oldest plumbers said that it was the best technology, but that the \"plumbing industrial complex\" had prevented it by creating code bans because profits were greater from requiring fans. Clearly, now, heating and cooling efficiency would argue against it. Thus, this gadget
Paul Anthony
How do they keep the scent from migrating in reverse, after all it is a pipeway to the mains and the having water between your room and the mains is what keeps odor down.
warren52nz
Interesting. I\'ve recently been thinking just such a device and now someone\'s beat me to it. Oh well, as Judge Judy says, \"Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda\"
CeridianMN
@Paul Anthony - Likely the same way dryer vents work. There should be shutters on one side of the fan that are pushed open by the air movement. When the fan stops, the shutters then close. Even more control over this could be provided by having the shutters spring-loaded to ensure they shut when necessary. At least, that\'s how I would address this part of the problem.
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