What is that Smell??
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As I originally stated when I started this blog, I really wanted to help people with their plumbing problems and what I couldn’t answer, which is probably 95% of what you would ask, my friends at National Builder Supply would help me find the answers. Well ive had the site up for a couple of weeks and you guys are either not finding me or just don’t have any problems? So Ive decided to address some things on my own and see if they strike a chord with any of you.
I am retired and disabled and spend a great amount of time entertaining myself with my laptop computer reading and responding , everyday, on approximately 30 DIY sites and a few that involve Mercedes Benz autos (my passion other than my children and grandchild). With that in mind I want you to know that the most prevalent question that I see DAILY…. Is “ I have a horrible sewer/septic tank smell that comes from the basement, from the kitchen drain, from the laundry room, etc, etc.” Having experienced this very problem myself and first checking my son’s room to make sure that the smell wasn’t coming from him, I called the friendly local plumber. Now on the forums I’ve read there are several answers to the problem. The most prevalent having to do with a full septic tank, a stopped up line to the sewer line or a clogged vent line. But the easiest to fix and yet least expected is a dry “p” trap.
First let me see a show of hands for those of you that know what a “p” trap is and where to find it?? I don’t see many hands! When indoor plumbing was first invented the wise forefathers thought all you had to do was to just run a pipe from the sink, commode, shower, etc straight to the septic tank, cesspool or whatever. They never even thought of the fact that sewage from the home begins to break down from bacteria (a good thing by the way) and those little bacteria give off methane gas. This gas can do a lot of things more offensive than just smelling bad. It can explode if dad sneaks into the bathroom to smoke, it can suffocate the whole household and both did happen with some frequency. This called for some way to stop the gas from coming back into the house. Thankfully and early genius, whose name escapes me, came up with a simple fix…the “p” trap, simply an elbow in the plumbing line that stays filled with water and keeps the gas from coming back into the house. They also keep Mom’s diamond ring from falling straight down and into the sewer when she drops it in the sink ( a function not originally thought of). If you look under your kitchen or bathroom sink you will see this elbow just below the pipe connection to the drain. There are similar devices built into toilets (more the shape of an “S”), built into walls for plumbing lines like a washing machine drain or other drain lines. If this trap becomes empty then the methane gas backs up into the house and thus the smell and danger.
How does the “p” trap lose its water? Evaporation from a lack of use of a drain, i.e. the spare bathroom that no one ever uses, an over active dehumidifierin the central a/c system(very prevalent in humid states), a washer drain line and you have no washing machine or even something as simple as an old trap that has rusted out in the bottom and so no water can collect, instead you get a small leak and then comes the smell. Where’s that coming from? Somebody use that fancy air freshener I bought for the Bathroom PLEASE!!!.
Now I have seen some other answers for the smell. Even one where the pipes to the septic tank clogged up and backed up against the underground outside wall of the basement and the gas seeped through the concrete block, but that one was rare. My own experience came from buying a vacation home in a rural mountain area with little or no plumbing code and inspections. We soon started smelling a foul odor from the basement and being the plumbing genius I am I thought OK we haven’t installed a washer so the “p” trap for the drain doesn’t have any water in it. Simple fix, pour some water into the drain until we start using a washer. Still had the smell. Now here is where the part about the drain being in the wall and the no code plumbing come into play. To get to the drain line you have to tear out the wall. Was the smell bad enough to make me want to tear out sheetrock and have to replace the whole wall, retape and try to match the paint? Darn right it was . When the wall was torn out and the drain was exposed we found that our mountain no-code, no inspection plumber had just run a straight line from the washer drain pipe out of the house and to the septic tank with no trap. So then we not only had the expense of replacing the wall board, etc we had to figure out how to install a “p” into a wall with little or no room. Too long a story and too much money to even go any further, just know that there can be many issues causing the smell some real simple and others complicated enough to buy a lot of air fresheners and list the house for sale quick.
HOPE THIS HAS INFORMED AND ENTERTAINED YOU. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR STORYS. GIVE ME A COMMENT AND SHARE IT WITH ME AND OUR OTHER SHY READERS. WAIT UNTIL I GIVE YOU THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF PLUMBING PROBLEMS IN THIS SAME HOUSE. YOU WILL FIRMLY BELIEVE IN CODE ENFORCEMENT AND ALWAYS USING LICENSED PROFESSIONALS.
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Great story, as I will be retiring in 10 or more years, to an island in NewZealand . I have been trying to find out about methane from home septic tanks. This
i recently moved in w/ my mother and three children and i have been noticing this strange smell coming from the bathroom, my oldest daughter and my mother have been having headaches for quit sometime now and iv noticed my head has been hurting as well, i think it could possibly be methane gas! what do i need to do to solve this problem, and how serious is it?
Patty, it can be very serious. Methane gas is not only harmful to your health but can be explosive if enough gathers in a small space. Usually if the smell is coming from a toilet your wax ring that seals the base of the toilet to the drain line as been compromised. The best idea would be to call a plumber to have the ring replaced. This should not be an expensive repair. GOOD LUCK
A few months ago I started smelling a foul odor in mybasement and found a partially decomposed mouse but then could stll smell what I think vis methane gas in the basement, first fllor bathroom and kitchen sink. I had a plummer replace the toilet was ring and check the vent pipe (that was clear of obstructions). THe smell is still there. What could be the problem? We had the septic tank pumped approximately 3 years ago
Bernie,is there a possibilty that these areas are adjacent to an outside wall? I have run into some cases where the drain line from the house was leaking up against the basement wall and the smell seeps up. The other thought is, is there a sump pit or floor drain in the basement? These can some times have a trap that is dried out and lets methane in. I hope this helps.
i have a smell in my hallway,that i can smell in the landing going to my basement stairs,haven't had it for two or so year. now it is back and very strong,it seems like it is coming from the wall just in to the living room, right at the outlet. my husband cut the wall out but no smell in the wall just the outlet.but mostly at the land to the basement.
Shirley
do you have a floor drain or sump hole in your basement? If so check the "P" trap in either to make sure there is water in it. Sounds like adried out trap in some drain in the basement
Hi. Interesting reading! I'm trying to figure out why a sewer gas smell would appear at my mom's house, after not smelling it for the 3 previous years she's been there.
She lives on a concrete slab, cluster home about 13 years old. A month or so ago, it started smelling around her washer machine drain and she says sometimes the kitchen sink, but I have not really smelled the sink yet, however the washer/dryer are located in her kitchen, albeit on the opposite side from the sink.
I would think the code just 13 years ago in a metro Atlanta area would require a P or S trap for a washer drain, but I'm not sure. Today, I ran a piece of wire down the drain to see if I could feel a trap. It showed some resistence the first try about a foot down, so I figured it has a trap of some sort, but trying it again a few times to be sure, it seemed to pretty much go straight down near the floor and stop. Could the trap be that far down?
She uses the washer at least once a week, so don't think it has dried out. I do wonder where and how to check for a sewer vent? I assume on the roof, but what does it look like and how many are there on a typical house? Would a person have to run something down any or all vent pipes and how far?
My mom is elderly and had a stroke 6 months ago, which seems to have made her sense of smell even more keen so I really need to help her. I just don't know if I should start cutting on the drywall to look for the trap or not? I hate to calla plumber just yet and not sure I trust them, sad to say.
I did have the county water co. come out today and check to see if her sewer line was clear. They told her to flush, etc, while they saw the water run into the main line and they said it was clear.
She told me that she has seen dampness around her concrete driveway where there is a crack that follows the sewer line to the street. I guess it's possible that the pvc pipe has cracked someplace, causing that, but not sure it would cause an odor inside, if it were the case. I have not seen that dampness myself, but the crack has been there for a long time.
Any ideas of where to start, I'm all ears, as Ross Perot once said! :)
My guess is that it is a vent problem. vents becpme clogged with leaves and debris and some times animal nests. a simple fix before I would think of breaking sheetrock or concrete is to have the vents augered. the vents are a straight non-capped pipe that stick up out of the roof and she probably has one or 2 depending on the size of her condo and how many fixtures. If you are not adept at climbing on roofs and using a long auger call a plumber. A simple clog can be cleared also with a high pressure garden hose. Even if it wernt a vent problem you would use a smoke test to check for a broken pipe so dont even think of breaking into solid surfaces until you know if there is a leak somewhere.
hope this helps
Let me start by answering the simple questions first. All cities with building codes require a “P” trap system so it’s not likely that your Mother’s problem is a lack of “P” traps but the traps may be involved. More on that in a minute. Secondly you would generally think that water seeping up through a concrete driveway would be water under pressure, so that could be a broken yard irrigation line or a break in the main water line coming from the water source. I would certainly suggest that you check your Mom’s water bill and see if it has recently increased. This type of leak would become more visible with the ground super saturated as with the recent heavy rains in your area.
So now my guess is that it is a vent problem. Vents become clogged with leaves and debris and sometimes animal nests. Here’s where the traps come into play. With a clogged trapped, every time you flush a large amount od water down the drain, such as a washer the drain is starving for air and actually can suck the water out of your “P” traps to be able to breathe. To explain the general principle of why you need a vent, think about playing with a straw in a glass of water. If you hold your finger over the top of the straw water in the straw will not flow out. Plumbing drain lines are the same. They are a closed system that must have a source for air to allow the water to drain out of the house. If the vent is clogged small amounts of water like a bathroom sink or maybe even a toilet will gurgle or bubble while trying get enough air but a washer has enough power to just suck it’s way to the air that its needs. A simple fix before I would think of breaking sheetrock or concrete is to have the vents augered. The vents are a straight non-capped pipe that stick up out of the roof and she probably has one or 2 depending on the size of her condo and how many fixtures. If you are not adept at climbing on roofs and using a long auger call a plumber. A simple clog can be cleared also with a high pressure garden hose. Even if it weren’t a vent problem you would use a smoke test to check for a broken pipe so don’t even think of breaking into solid surfaces until you know if there is a leak somewhere.
Thanks for the ideas! I was there tonight, but only had time to look at the roof for vent pipes from the ground. I see one that is a larger diameter, maybe 4" and then one toward the back of the house, higher up that is smaller, maybe 2 1/2" dia. Do you mean that I can try running a water hose down these pipes a ways and turn on the pressure to try and free a blockage? The roof is not that tall or steep (ranch house), so I think I could get up there. Would these definitely both be vents for the sewer? I'd hate to run water down somthing else! Since you explained the principle of whey they work, I understand that, but where do they extend from? The main sewer line? Is that where the water would run into that I might flush down them?
I agree on the outside concrete crack that is wet. I will check her water bills, however she saw this dampness way before the heavy rains.
Last resort, I will have a plumber try to auger these pipes out. I was just trying to save an expensive service call if it's something I can figure out and do!
Thanks again for your help!
Ted all of the plumbing drain lines are connected to the main waste line to the sewer system and to a central vent stack. water drains because of gravity and a slope created when the lines are installed. Vents are vertical drains mostly horizonal. Unless you were to use some tremendous water force anything flushed down the vent will quite naturally just flow out the waste drains. As to which line out of the roof is the vent it could be either but my best guess is the smaller line but look at the location of the pipes and the vent will be more or less over where most of the plumbing is.
As to the water in the drive way if your seeing it even in dry conditions it must be a heavy leak.
good luck up on that roof, be careful
OK, thanks again! The smaller vent is near the rear of the roof, but fairly close to the peak. I hope that's it! The larger one is toward the front of the house and off to one side. I really have no idea which is closer to the plumbing, but I would assume the smaller one, since the main sewer drain is probably more centered under the house.
I'd sure hate to put water down something else! I will also look in the attic to see if I can get any ID that way.
Take care...Ted
Ted
try this web site http://www.hometips.com/articles/sunset_books/comp
as you can see from their chart a 4" vent would be for a lot of fixtures
I'm hoping there is a simple fix for this...my husband and I just bought an old (built in 1930) riverfront house, and there is a horrible sewer odor coming from the sump pit in the basement. A little background on this basement...prior owners had extensive drainage system work done by Perma-Seal, including a battery backup Super-Sump with a sealed-off "Ultra Sump III" sump pit and drain tile all around the border of the basement. However, there is another sump pit down there that the washer and laundry sink drain into, and it is not sealed off. We bought a cover for it, bought some "Bad Air Sponges" and started running a dehumidifier. This has helped the problem somewhat, but the open pit still stinks. My question is, could there be a "P trap" in this sump pit? If so, where would it be and how do I tell if it's dry? There is always water standing in the pit. We tried running the water in the laundry sink, and the pump does turn on and start pumping so that's not the problem.
We were at the house several times prior to buying it, and we never noticed this smell at all. We also had a home inspection done, and no issues were brought up regarding the sump pit.
Should I try dumping bleach or chlorine tablets into the pit?
Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated!!
HEY MELINDA
These pits do not normally have a "P" trap and often it is simply the stagnant water that youre smelling. For a quick test to see if the pit ios the problem pour a quantity(enough to thoroughly cover the water) of vegetable oil into the pit which will float on the water and create a temporary seal. At least of the smell then stops you will know thats your problem. If it is you may have to examine some permanent solution to eliminating the pit or installing a pump to keep it dry. Let me know how the oil does.
Thanks for the tip! I will try it out when I get home, and let you know if it works.
As far as a permanent solution, there is already a pump in this pit, and I've heard it turn on and pump the water. Does it mean the pump is not working properly if there is still stagnant water standing in the pit?
I guess I should also ask before trying the oil...since there is already a pump in the pit, will the vegetable oil harm the pump at all?? Want to make sure before I dump a bunch of oil in there :)
Thanks again!!
there should be no problem. these pumps pump a lot worse things than vegetable oil....lol.
even if the pump is working you are still having water standing in that pit and the sewer gas is seeping back in or the water isnt completely being pumped. you will probably need a good plumber to check it out but lets first see if that is the source of the smell. if the oil works we will know thats where the problem is.
Hehe, thanks, I kinda figured that was the case, but wanted to make absolutely sure first :)
I am going to pick up some vegetable oil on my way home from work, and give it a shot.
Hey, i have some quick questions regarding some of the topics you mentioned above.i first started experiencing some slightly noticeable smells in my bedroom, and the smell seemed to be coming from the air vent, where the air from the a/c and furnace comes from. a few days later, the smell started to spread into different areas of the house. i noticed the smell was only leaving the air vents that where on the same side of the house as the furnace and laundry room/bathroom. We later called the fire department, b/c we thought the smells where toxic. A few simple test by the firemen determined that there were no harmful gases floating around in the air. however, the fireman did notice that a trap was completely dry by the furnace. we filled it with water. do you think this will solve the problem? the oder has a smell similar to stool. is there any other reason this smell would be building up? what are some troubleshooting things we could do before we call professionals in?
Thank you for such an informative site. We have a similar problem. About a week ago our masterbathroom drains were a little clogged, so my husband treated them (sink and separate shower) with drain cleaner. I don't recall if our methane odor began beofore or after this, but we now have a terribly strong methane odor in there. Our plumber came and said he wasn't sure if the pipes were clogged somewhere. Our p traps had water in them, however the tub trap was not accessible (but it is used about twice a month). He also gave us some sort of bio additive to put down the drains to eat the bacteria. We did this for 4 days, but still have the strong odor. Our plumber recommended a cesspool/plumbing service to scope our pipes for leaks with a snake with a tiny camera. They came today, but sent the cesspool guy as opposed to the camera/plumber guy. Today's man opened our vent (we are in a ranch on a slab) which is near our front door, and looks like a large pipe coming out of the ground. Upon flushing a toilet in the house, he told us it was running slow/clogged. He charged us $400 to snake the line and add sulphuric acid. I'm feeling ripped off tonight as we still have the strong methane odor and now the rest of my house smells like sulphur. I don't understand how a clogged vent would only make the methane smell in one bathroom? Another bathroom is closer to the vent as well as our kitchen. Do you have any other suggestions? Any help would be much appreciated. Additional info- house is 19 years old, cesspool has never been serviced to my knowledge, but we do put that "good bacteria" into the lines every few months. Nothing is backing up. Only symptom is the smell in the one bathroom. Thank you in advance.
Okay....so about 6 months ago my husband and I both noticed a smell coming from our bathroom....it was hard to determine exactly where it was coming from....our double sinks are located out of the bathroom and are an extension of our bedroom. We could smell it out there faintly, but more so in the bathroom itself. We have a free standing shower, a tub and the toilet in the "bathroom" portion. I called our home warranty company and they sent the "plumber" I use that term lightly as he really didn't do much. He pulled a flashlight, looked in the drains and prounounced that the sewer gas was coming from a lack of use in the tub and the trap had dried. Make sure we turn on the water in all the fixtures daily for 30 seconds and it should fix it. I stood there looking at him and I asked "is that it?" He said YEP....and left. I felt a little slighted by the fix all answer but figured, hey he's the expert....
So here we are and the problem just continues to get worse....the smell actually comes from the shower now while taking it.....we have had to open the bathroom window close the fixtures off we are not using and tape the overflows shut with duct tape to try to reduce the influx of the gas, since it can be very dangerous.
I believe that the laundry room and our bathroom are vented together and that the use of the laundry room may very well directly impact the drains in some manner but all this began 18 months after we moved in...
The pitch of our house is quite steep....and I think Mr. Fix It Plumber just did not care to dig deeper.... So any suggestions?
We have a front loading washer and dryer in our upstairs bathroom. I have noticed a smell coming from the washing machine by the drain when we have our house fan on. Also, recently I have noticed it when I get out of the shower also. I have tried using beach and cleaning out the washing machine but it still smells. It goes away quickly and does not linger for long but when it smells, it has a old water/sewer smell. Can you help?
I have a strange sweet smell in my powder room. the home (my first) is 5 years old. I have checked the p trap, changed the toilet wax ring and painted the room (except the ceiling - still has to get done) and the smell is still there. it is not a foul odour but it is a strange sweet smell that I think gives me a headache (i could just be getting a headache from trying to figure out what it is). it is only in that room and when i smell around the room it seems to be most concentrated on the walls beside the toilet and the window above the toilet. PLEASE HELP, it's driving me crazy!!
Hi! I have a drainage pipe issue. The drainage is all busted up in my front yard. The drainage pipe is the one that comes from my crawl space. Problem is...don't know how it got busted and by what. There are now three addition homes in my neighborhood with the same issue...all within about week to two week time period. Could it be a wild animal on the loose? I did hear some kind of digging noise while in my house coming from the outside! Any ideas would be most helpful. Thanks for your time!
I have a smell coming from the laundry room that I can't get rid of. What I've done so far is go to the roof and spray down the vent with a garden hose for about 5 minutes, make sure the p-trap is retaining water, and went under the house to check the main pipes. I did notice a small crack in one of the sewer pipes coming down from the washer drain though no odor was coming from the crack at the time I was down there, nor was it wet. There was some residue however that looked like some fluid had escaped out of the crack at some point. Still, I can't figure out if this would actually be the cause of the odor or not.
Hey Faucetman, first thanks for creating this resource and giving your time to this endeavor.
Like so many people here I've got a problem with a methane/sewage odor in my 1/2 bath, but here's the part that's got me stumped: it's NOT coming from the pipes. It's coming out of the wall where the P-trap enters the wall. I pulled back the collar to get a better whiff and -- whew -- that's where it's coming from. Some times are worse than others, but I haven't been able to establish what makes it worse.
The 1/2 bath is on the first floor and we do have a basement. I've checked the pipes below and there's no leakage.
Thoughts/suggestions? Many thanks.
We have been in our house for over 20 years and just this past fall, we started getting a foul odor (not really a sewer odor) in our bathroom everytime we start a fire in our fireplace. It only happens in the bathroom closest to the fireplace and we can not figure out the cause. The drains all have traps that are used regularly and the vent pipes are clear. The smell goes away within a day after the fire goes out, but starts up within minutes after lighting a new fire. What could be causing this smell?
After reading some of the questions you have been asked
I'm thinking I may not be able to maintain my house as I
grow older (and the house grows older). Also I have
limited knowledge, limited mobility and limited funds.
My current concern is that for the last few days I also have a sweet smell permeating my house. It seems to originate in the kitchen area and spreads into the other roomss. The kitchen is not closed off (one wall is 3/4 high and another is open into a small dinette area which opens into the living room area. The smell is like pesticide although sweeter amd not quite as strong. We've had very cold weather and I am unable to open windows or doors to air out the house to see if that helps. And until I read the questions asked of you about sweet smells, I though something maybe decaying in my refrigerator and/or freezer and I am in the process of
trying to not only remove its contents but also thorougly cleaning all the surfaces. This is taking time because I am limited in what I can physicaly do and for
how long. I am slso concerned about being exposed to the odor for any length of time lest is is toxic. I am
searching for someone to help me in this task at a
cost I can afford. Do you have any thoughts of what
might be the source and how to address the problem?
Thank you for offering your expertise to us.
Where do I being?
I am "over" the methane smell that started about two weeks ago.
Two years ago, I was forced to begin remodeling my bathroom - due to a California tacky tract house slab leak. Done: new tub installation-but not yet used, new wall tile, new tile floor. Original toilet was salvaged and never dismantled. New sinks are next on the check list and I was ready to order them this month. I thought I would finally be finished and able to use the master bath. Right now, I am investing in tea light candles to avoid the methane odor! The walls were torn out (2 years ago) because they were soggy. As aforementioned.... the walls are all tiled up beautifully with ceramic tile now. And this odor is a new concern. Any suggestions (from simplest ideas onward) will be sooooOoo appreciated. And, then I would luv to tinker your brain with my Mercedes problem: I have a 2000 Kompressor that has ONE problem... the "check engine" light is ALWAYS on. A mechanic has to goff around and shut it off and then play the game "put some miles on it" before the car goes for CA inspection. I wish you were my neighbor, I'd make you a super nice home made meal while we discussed this all. Many Blessings to you friend.
my septic system must be backed up I have two comodes. but my masterbathroom comode does not smell, its my other comode in the middle of house that smells. I HAVE A BASEMENT HOUSE . COULD SOME ONE HELP ME WITH THIS SMELL
I have a faint smell of gasoline coming from around the toilet. Do you think this is a case of dried p trap?
We had a rotting flesh smell in our apartment bathroom. We couldn't narrow it down. It was mild enough and intermittent so we didn't complain to our landlord. One day while looking closely in the medicine cabinet mirror. The smell was overbearing. My husband caulked all around the mirror and the smell disappeared. Later that year a company came to install insulation in our attic and replace the roof. The roofers happened to mention that there was a DEAD smelly SQUIRREL in the attic. I am assuming that this was the smell and the odor was travelling between the walls. The smell was seeping in through the small holes in the back of the (flush mount) medicine cabinet.
The living room has been smelling of urine for a few days (2 cats in the house) and it was discovered that in the corner was a small puddle of water. Moving aside some furniture that was blocking it really brought out the smell. I don't think it was the cats as they normally wouldn't pee on the floor like that. The fllor smells like urine and fecal matter. The spot sits under the bathrooms on the second floor and I think there might be a leak in the pipes. When I went into the basement and looked at the ceiling it looked like there was some dryed water stains, but I wasn't sure if it was related. I'm thinking I might need to get a plumber and carpenter and rip the wall open to expose the pipes and rip up some of the floor that looks like it's been water damaged. Any other suggestions?
Can the sewage gas smell hurt my 2 year old son. I know i have a bad headache so i know he probably does to but can it do anything to really hurt him?
What happened to faucetman? I am waiting for the above questions to be answered. Hope you're okay.
Four days ago I had a sewer gas smell for only 12 hours and it went away after airing out the house. The smell scared the shit out of me as it also smelled like it could of been a gas leak. I also was dizzy and felt nasea and had to sit outside until the fire dept. came to rule out the gas leak. Then I waited for the City of Toronto water guy who ended up calling me eight hours later at 1:30am. He said we did have a heavy rain fall that could of caused air pressure in one area and due to that a release of sewer gas smell was able to flow into my home. How does this happen? Does the city have a P-trap on their end that can sometimes dry out? And did it only last about 12 hours and others have experienced for days? Could it be that the problem was not at my end and it was at the City's end?
I live in a very old house in the city for 15 years and this was the first time I have ever experienced this. I am now afraid and have covered my basement drain (which is right below my bedroom). Is this okay to do? We never have floods and if we did, I would obviously remove the cover.
Thanks for helping us, you are wonderful person!
hi i've a smell comin from my sink and it goes into my press under neath it,,but i only seem to get it when it rains,,can u help me
Regards
Jenny
I have a very pungent sour odor coming from an exterior basement wall, this portion of wall is under ground. I have had an air quality test done for mold and it was found to be within safe tolerances.When I spend too much time down there I feel sick and stuffed up like I have allergies. Does anybody possibly know what it could be?
I need to replace the waste pipe that drains my kithcen sink.
The original pipe has developed a leak somewhere inside the exterior masonry wall. My plan is to simply cut off the tail piece that runs to the wall from the sink and cap-off and abandon the pipe inside the wall.
I would then place a new vertical piece of 2 inch plastic down through the base of the cabinet, through the floor to the basement below and tie into the existing waste stack in the basement.
I understand that the plumbing code does not allow a "goose neck" to occur. Some horizontal distance is required before I turn the pipe down to run through the floor. What is the minimum horizontal run needed for the new tail-piece in order to meet code?
I also have a sewer smell in the basement everytime I start a fire. This has been going on for years and no one can prvide me with a solution. We have a wood buring fireplace with the trap to clean the ashes in the basement by the furnace. The smell goes away within hours of the fire going out.
My kitchen sink clogged. Had a plumber come to snake it but it didn't work. Have noticed a bad smell in the basement for the last few weeks. They are now jackhammering my basement floor to get the rusted and cracked pipe replaced. They've done quite a bit of the floor and still have not found a portion of the pipe that is not rusted. After consulting with my husband they are going to cap that rusted pipe and then re-run the pipe up through the basement ceiling. Will that work?
I just had a different toilet installed in my bathroom and the basement flooded with what smells like sewage.Could the toilet be installed incorrectly?
Would really appreciate your help.
Thanks,Rochelle
Hi, we do experience rotten egg smell on bathroom area. Very bad smell, comes and goes sometimes within seconds every now and than. I have been reading loads of blogs which they state that it is water, pipes, gas etc. What it can be , any idea?? Thanks
I think the plumber died, folks. He hasn't posted in 2 years.
Could you please help me and my four children have been on an off not been well and headaces we have a lot of mold in the bath room and also my drains are all up and now we have waste coming through my shower my whole house smells really bad do you think use been sick could have anythink to do with this thanks
Hey Guys, notice that some of you are having odors when you start fires in the fireplace. Fire of course needs oxygen to breathe and when a fire is started, it pulls air towards it and then vents it through the chimney using a negative pressure from heat within the chimney. This causes an air draft throughout the house because of the negative pressure difference within the chimney. Due to this air draft, odors from crawlspaces, walls, basements and other areas of stagnant air are allowed to move now. Try checking areas that don't have a regular flow of air for sources of odor. Crawlspaces are usually the best but walls are also good because the openings are where your electrical outlets are which provides access into the wall itself. Hope this helps with fireplaces, thats why the odor goes away when the fire goes out, no more airflow.
Also, in one of the plumbers' reply's he says that methane is "harmful to your health", this is not true. Methane is a non-toxic gas. What he is referring to is Hydrogen-Sulfide. It's a gas that is created during the decomposition of organic materials and is hazardous to your health. The bad thing about sewer gases is that Hydrogen-Sulfide and Methane from the sewer smell the same which makes it difficult to distinguish the two.
Experience: Emergency Responder for Natural Gas Emergencies
I have commented and was looking for some advice thankyou
We have been having this problem for a long time with the horrific smell coming from the master bathroom. It seems to take place when thevwind is blowing or when the temperature drops below 60 degrees. My husband thinks that just shutting the door will make it all better. I fear for my children's health living in this stink. Help, what can we do to resolve the problem ? I live in rural America and don't know of any reputable contractor. Any ideas?
I have been on here a few times and asked for advise is there anyone that can give me some advise as I'm really needing some please
We've lived in this house for 32 years and never had this problem until the past year. Whenever we pour drain cleaner in the bathroom tub or sink because they seem to run slower than ever before, the horrendous smell makes me sick to my stomach and gives me a headache. Evidently something has changes in the plumbing over the years.
Real mystery! I live in a 10 story building. I remodel my bathroom in 2000 and a sporadic pungent smell occurs and stinks up my entire apartment. I recently had to remodel that bathroom. Fortunately I only have sheetrock up. The retained my bathtub and I sort of isolated the smell. Originally I thought the smell is from the building vent but the top and bottom floors say they done have smell. In this remodel, I have the contractor seal off the vent and install exhaust fans. Then, I isolated the smell comes from the bathtub drain. I am thinking that it the remodel in 2000, the plumber might have cut corners and not install a P-trap or the P-trap is cracked or in the wrong place. Today, I am having a plumber stopping by to look at the P-trap. Does anybody know if there are vents in building to ventilate the gases?
Hi, I have a waste pipe running through my house and the smell of rotten eggs sometimes is overwhelming but sometimes none existent. I have not been feeling sick or having head aches so could this be the gases leaking or should I start looking for another cause (dead thing or mold etc). We have pet snakes and lizards but we keep them very clean so I don't think it is that I'm just worried we could blow our house up or get sick from a methane leak. Any help would be much appreciated, thanks
We removed a utility sink in our laundry room. I did not cap off the drain, but instead temporarily sealed it with duck tape. I forgot about it until now. We have been having issues with the toilets occasionally being stopped up and having to be plunged. We had septic tank pumped and drains checked. I just realized that I never went back and permanently capped the utility sink drain. If this is not sealed well and leaking, could this cause the toilets not to flush as well? Thanks
I have a brand new mobile home, and have the smell coming from the kitchen sink cabinet and the master bath cabinet, the two sinks used the most. Since the home is built to state codes i would say its safe to assume I have P pipes in both areas. so what would cause it to come thru the p pipes then?
My house is 35 hrs old and I have a septic tank. When I do laundry there's a horrible sewer like smell. It also does it in other parts of my house. In my hallway which is by the guest bathroom. I have had my septic pumped. I also put a gallon of boiling hot water each month down my basement floor drains. My bathroom and bathroom is used daily. The septic man suggested having my laterals cleaned. Which would run around $800. What's your opinion. Thanks, kim
You are in the best position to help poor
Thanks
we have this trailer that we've had for get away weekeds & now we're here full time since retirement & i need to know what & why there is a smell that at times you can be setting in the living room & it floats down through the hall or you sit down on toilet the odor comes up in your face. the thing is it flushes good & takes everything, but next time it takes it all down but some comes back up in to the bowl. there's always been something i say like dirt or the stuff we put in the tank comes back up into the bowl. why is it coming back up & the smell in that area comes through since the toilet is sealed & no back up anywhere else in the house. i've had a hard time convincing & hope my husband will do something before it cost us big time. Since my husband has no sense of smell i can't get him to at least have someone come out & look at it. he says it's not backing up anywhere & i told him the smell at times makes me sick to smell it & i hate to see company coming due to it. He acts like it's nothing. so can you give me a clue what is causing the smell but not backing up anywhere in the house.
thanks
We moved into a double wide with a septic tank last November and the master bathroom had a slight foul/sewer smell, so I sterilized the bathroom; but the smell was still there. We've been using candles, but now our laundry room (on the other side of the wall) is reaking of that smell. All the sinks have p traps, but behind the washer we can't see if it does. Before we open up the wall, what do you suggest?
I have the "smell"...it's bad. I am looking further now. And, like Kim above, I have a septic tank. Yesterday I had the tank pumped. The smell began...and so did minor headaches (which is highly unusual for me). I may have located the problem where I least expected it...I hope I located it anyway. I checked p traps and everything seemed sound. What I had totally forgotten about was that floor drain located underneath the washing machine downstairs where the smell was coming from. It's a pipe in the floor approx 5-6" diameter with e chrome finished grid-cover. Anyway, that was bone-dry and seemed to be the foul smell source (before that I thought is was the pipe extending "up" that a rubber washer hose drains in to). I used a watering can of about 3-gallons and filled the pipe up...cobwebs and all. Immediately there were air bubbles...I presume collected gas as the water filled the cavity. The bubbles stopped. The water is settled below floor level but visible in the pipe when looking into it. Took the scent test a moment ago...results....no smell. I hope it was that simple. Added comment...that drain has never been used...for 30 years I know of anyway...bone-dry.
Know I. Tall 3 years ago
Hey Pal - thanks for listing the info. (very helpful). Now I think I can solve a mystery for a neighbor. I'll let you know ...