Sewers
Sewer Gas Smell Knowledge Base
Why do I have sewer gas smell in my kitchen? Every time I wash dishes my kitchen wreaks of sewer gas. We recently a plumber clean out our pipes and that still didn't help. None of the pipes seem to be backed up, but the smell continues to pollute the house when we wash dishes in the kitchen sink. I do not have a garbage disposal
Sewer Gas Smell Coming From Washing Machine Drain Pipe? I bought a high efficiency washer in the house I recently purchased, which was built in 1998. 3 months after I bought the washer, strong sewer gas smell coming from washing machine drain pipe. Things to note: I have city sewer, I don't have a basement, washer is on first floor so I don't have a floor drain, I use the washer once a week, and I don't know for sure if I have a trap on the drain pipe because it is behind the wall. After each wash, I pour water down the drain pipe. That has helped the sewer gas smell but it is still there. It is worse at night and the day after I use the washing machine, the smell comes back. The smell is now steadily worsening and getting stronger. I had a plumber over to my house and all he did was pull the drain hose further out of the drain pipe. Otherwise, he was clueless as to how to fix the sewer gas smell. Can anyone knowledgeable on this subject help me?
why can i smell sewer gas when my laundry machine drains on the second floor? in my basement utility room i smell sewer gas (methane) only when cloths washer drains.. all traps have water in them and there are no open pipes anywhere.. its a mistery
Sewer Gas Smell coming from roughed in plumbing? We own a house where the previous owners started the plumbing for their wet bar. We had a plumber come and cap off the pipe that was supposed to be used for the bar sink. We noticed a strange smell coming from the area of the exposed pipe. We went a cut up our basement rug and subfloor to find that there were four other pipes. Currently, one of the holes in that area has a backflow valve (with a ping pong ball to stop the water from coming up the pipe) The other pipe is open and just to the right of the one hole. We dumped water down into the pipe and the hole and it appears to have stopped the smell, but the water has not run down at all. Is this normal?
Sewer gas smell when running attic fan? When we run our attic fan (also called whole house fan) we get this ghastly smell coming up from our finished basement. It 'seems' to be coming from the bathroom where we removed a shower. We put a small raised platform over the old shower drain-I thought this might be the problem, removed a board, poured bleach down the drain, but it didn't work. the smell is so bad in the basement that you literally get sick to your stomach and it isn't the best upstairs either. Does anyone have any ideas on what this might be caused by? It did not do this when we first moved in and didn't do it right after we removed the shower. my dh seems to think that the p-trap is dry? others i've asked think say they don't think that sounds right? Thanks so much in advance!
What should I do if I smell sewer gas in the bathroom? The ladies bathroom at my church has four stalls and one or more of them (not sure which one) is leaking some noxious smell. First is it dangerous and second how can I fix it. The church is on city sewer.
Why does my bathroom smell like sewer gas? Our home (of 5years) is on septic and we've never had any trouble with back ups or had to have it pumped. In the last year, the master bath (remodeled 4 years ago) has begun to smell like sewer gas. It occurs most often after the shower is used, but doesn't necessarily come from the shower. The husband recently replaced the wax seal on the toilet, These episodes seem to occur in random spurts.
Why do I smell sewer gas when I turn on the faucet? I smell it every other time I turn on the faucet. The leak or whatever it is is really annoying b/c it smells terrible.
What does sewer gas smell like? There is a fishy odor coming from bathroom off and on. Sometimes it is much stronger than others. Could this be sewer gas? Also, I do have city sewage, not a septic system.
why do i sometimes smell sewer gas in my home? i have checked vents on roof they seem clear the smell comes from the airconditioner closet where there is a drain connected to thetwo sinks and awasher drain the smell comesand goes got anyideas also itseems to travel in the return air vent
My house is on septic and I smell sewer gas in the back bath. What is causing it? How do I prevent it? This only happens every once in a while. Usualy happens when there has been a lot of water used that day.
Sewer Gas Smell in First Floor Bathroom & Basement----but not constant? I've been trying to figure out where a sewer gas odor in my new house (new to me, but is 5 years old) is coming from. In the basement, I've had a plumber cap a few pipes that were not capped, but no change. He came back and checked the seals that lead out to our septic system & said they were tight, but regardless put a 'putty type' thing on them before he resealed them. Still no change. Please note, the smell isn't constant. Also, I have no drains in my basement, so no drain traps there. Now, last night, I noticed a sewer smell in the first floor bathroom. Got down on my hands and knees & located it at the base of the toilet. Does this mean I should have my husband pull the toilet & put in a new wax ring? BTW, the smell is gone today. Is this normal for the smell to come & go----don't want to pull a toilet if I don't have too. Also, if this is my problem, do you think it's the reason for the sometimes smell in the basement? Thanks for any advice!!!
What does sewer gas smell like? I have a smell located in the basment. Smells like a bug spray..? I've checked for bug spray cans or any areas where something may have spilled. I can't locate it. I've only narrowed it to an area in the basment but there is no evidence as to what it is.
We've got a sewer gas smell in the bathroom sink and consistently a few dead flies in the kitchen... related? We've tried taking apart and cleaning the pipe in the bathroom sink, to no avail. It still reeks. The flies are small enough that they might be midges and may be breeding in the drains. They could also be breeding outside - they seem to be gathering under the plastic around our windows and dying in the sun, but I don't know if they're going outside or coming in. Could these two observances be related to a common problem, ie something in the overall pipes in my house? We did find a dead mouse when we cleaned the air ducts after moving in. But the smell is fortunately only in one bathroom and only in one drain pipe, and there's no clogging issue. If there's a rat, he's small and stuck down there good.
Sewer gas smell and no trap.? I have a water outlet for a washer in my new house but the idiots who installed it didn't put a trap in there to prevent sewer gas. (wasn't able to discover it until a year after i bought the house and got a washer). Is there any way, other than ripping out the walls to redo the pipes, to put some sort of trap ? Thanks!
Why did sewer gas smell disappear after using central air? We have had a sewer gas smell in basement that circulates throughout entire house through the air returns. This has been going on for at least three years This year it was unbearable. Every time we did laundry the entire house stunk. I have had 2 plumbers come and they could not figure it out. We have made holes in walls looking for holes in vent pipes. Flushed vent pipes. Done pepermint test etc. Then the heat wave came and we turned on the central air. NO SEWER GAS SMELL! We are doing loads and loads of laundry and no smell anywhere in the house. We keep the air on because this prevents the smell. Does anyone understand what is going on here? I do not want to spend any more money for confused plumbers.
Strong sewer gas smell...? I have noticed a very strong sewer gas smell coming from a bedroom/hallway of my house. The smell gets worse in the evening, or sometimes when the wind is blowing. I have already checked the outside vent and that is clear. I have poured water and bleach down the vents and everything seems to be fine. A plumber came by a few days ago and checked for any leaks and everything was ok. I have also contacted the city and they have flushed the lines. But the smell keeps coming back into the house. I am at my wits end....any helpful suggestions?? Thank you for your time. PJ Just to clarify, I don't have a basement and I have checked all the vents - which are all intact. I am still stumped...
Could this be the cause of my sewer gas problem? This pipe is sticking out of the ground next to my house and as you can see, has a crack in it. I believe it is the cleanout, where you can access the sewer pipe to clear blockages. I've been having a problem lately with a sewer gas smell in my house, below the staircase (and I would have to open up the dry wall to be able to get under the staircase). It's been a problem for awhile and the sewer smell seems to worsen in the colder months of the year. You can smell it ocassionally in the warmer weather but not nearly as much. So my question is, could the crack in this pipe be the reason why I'm smelling sewer gas in my house? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t26/neays/Pipe2.jpg http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t26/neays/Pipe1.jpg No septic tank. I'm on city sewer and there is no basement in my house either.
I have a sewer gas smell in my bathroom sink.I was told by my builder there is nothing that can be done. True? Our house was built 7 months ago. Since we moved in there has been a foul Odor in our bathroom sink. Now it has turned into a gas smell. I had the builder/contractor come over and check it out. He said there is nothing that can be done. The smell is horrible not to mention now we have the sewer gas coming out? Is there anything to help this problem? I feel that he is shoving us to the side until our one year warranty is up. Thanks! Thank you all for your answers. This is not the first thing I am having a problem with them fixing. I think I may have to hire a lawyer before its all over with. I will take all your suggestions and use them. I may hire a plumber and tell them to pay the bill. Thanks again. -Tanya
sewer gas smell in basement? Hello, We recently moved into our house a month ago. I'm smelling sewer gas in my basement. I've had a plumber out & he capped three pipes in our basement on Friday that did not have any caps. Additionally, there are no drains in our basement, so it's not coming from there. We do have a septic system, but had it pumped & inspected (all results came back fine) before purchasing the house. I'm at a loss for what to do. Any ideas?? I should also add that this smell started about 3 weeks ago when we moved in. Sometimes it's completely absent, and other times it's overwhelming (like today). So, I'm thinking it's not a dead animal since it has been present for awhile.
Sewer gas smell in my basement and house? I have a very strong sewer smell in my basement and house. We just moved into a house built in 1875. The drains in the basement lead to a septic tank. When we first moved in, the drains continually backed up. Last week, we had a plumber dig up a line and replace a bad stretch of PVC. He also added a trap (it didn't have one before). So we still have one drain without a trap. Since the plumber fixed the line, we haven't had any more backups, but the smell is absolutely horrible! Before the 'fix', we never noticed any smell except for when it backed up. Now, it's a constant strong odor. Any ideas? Sugguestions? Thanks in advance. Great advice! I poured water into all drains in the basement, and capped any drain without a trap, and the smell is nearly gone. I still need to check the vent, but so far so good. I really appreciate your answers. Thanks.
Why do new SOS pads smell like sewer gas? SOS pads smell like sewer gas. Why is this?
Why would I smell sewer gas in my main floor bathroom? I changed the toilet 3-4 years ago with new wax seal.? I did have a cesspool backup last summer. The smell started about 2-3 months ago. I don't get the smell all the time. But it is often enough that is getting annoying. I got the cesspool pumped out after the backup. Could the wax seal be compromised so soon? I use the toilet and the sink in that bathroom daily. Any suggestion?
Sewer gas? I am not sure what it is but my bathroom smells like sewer gas, is this smell bad for us (and our children). What can we do to fix this horrible smell.
is it dangerous to live in a city that smells like sewer gas? I have lived in Toronto, Canada for most of my life, and I have gotten to the point where the sewer gas smells (particularly, near the humber treatment centre along the gardiner expressway) or the smells coming from the abattoir (around queen and shaw) are so bad that I have to ask the question: is it toxic to live in a city that smells so bad? Is there a problem with the city's infrastructure such that it can't properly manage its sewage and that I, as a city dweller, don't know about it? No one seems to publicly complain about it, yet the smells seem to be getting worse. Other cities seem to be able to cope with the situation far better than Toronto. I'm asking my question here because I'm not sure if it's just me; I may just be a little too sensitive.
I am getting a smell of "sewer gas" coming up through my kitchen sink drain. What could be causing this? I live in the country and my water comes from a well. It is only the kitchen sink where I have this problem. I do have a dishwasher, too.
why do i smell sewer gas? my house is pretty old lately we have been smelling sewer gas in the house our drains are used regulary although there are no traps no breaks in any pipes and no standing water outside and all drains including the toilet work fine (no back up) i notice the smell strongest in the basement no visable leaks there is one vent that comes out of the side of my house and one vent coming out of the ground from the tank. i flushed the vent coming from the tank and was unable to get my snake in the vent in the side of the house one thing i noticed was that we did not have a problem until the weather changed as we live in new york and its cold here could it be as simple as weather change or is there something else wrong i dont really know the size of the tank as we just moved here 2 yrs ago or is it that the tank is getting full as i said there are no sighns of back up can anyone give me any advice
2 part question: I think I smell sewer gas in my bathroom. Is that possible? I had a toilet installed several months ago and a couple of times I've thought I smelled sewer gas. The toilet has never set properly on the floor. The contractor said that was my fault because I bought the wrong kind of wax seal. I have stabilized the base by using wedges but there is still a gap between the floor and the base. Can the smell be leaking from underneath somehow? Part 2: Would a typical handy homeowner be able to install (or reinstall) a toilet? If so, are there any tricks to doing it? Thanks for the detailed instructions, D--. I think I can do this. How will I know if the existing flange is sticking up too high? And if it is...is it time to call a plumber? When I go get the new wax ring how do I know which kind to get. I thought they were all about the same. I will try to find the plastic funnel-type you referred to.
When I do a load of laundry or take a bath which is in the A.M. I smell sewer gas? But I just had septic ? replaced this summer, whole new leech field, new tank, new pipes stone on top etc. I live in a trailer and we looked underneath there was nothing leaking there all was dry and clean. Now what could it be??
Why does sewer gas come out of my sink's drain only when the air conditioner is running? Every time my air conditioner runs, I can hear and smell sewer gas coming out of my bathroom sink's drain. If I close the bathroom door, the room really builds up a stink. When my AC is off, there's no problem. There's water in the P-trap, so that isn't the issue. What causes the AC to push sewer gas up through the sink's drain?
sewer gas smell in first flooor bathroom? Also, this toilet and sink were put in . Found that no vent stack was on pipe. Put a spring loaded valve on it in the wall.Smell still there.
I have a strange odor from the upstairs shower. It does not smell like sewer gas, but more like chemicals.? The house has original plumbing and stack from the 1930s. The smell is like perm solution that you would smell at a hair salon. The smell seems to come and go. It is the most used bathroom, so it is not a case of water evaporating from the trap. The bathroom is adjacent to a seldomly used guest bath, but the guest bath smells fine. The rest of the plubing in the house also smells fine. The bathroom with the odor is on the second story. Any clues?
I have sewer gas coming from sink drain? I smell sewer gas in the sink drain.It looks as though the sink waste pipe has not been vented it just drains.could this be the reason.The trap has water in it and is leveled correctly.Its an older house so it has a ceramic sewer with no sewer trap and drains into a septic tank.Any suggestions?
My house smells like dead animal at certain times. None found. Could it be sewer gas? Could a plumber help? I don't know who to call. Could it be a vent clogged? I didn't know sewer gas smelled like dead animal. Very frustrating. Any help would be appreciated.
TERRIBLE rotten egg smell.. gas company came by, said it isn't a gas leak, but a sewer leak.? How can I find out where this smell is coming from? It's all over the house. It smells like sulfur, so I immediately called the gas company, who's radar showed 0 all over the house and at the gas mains. He said it's a sewer backup. Any help? City water, ~2 year old water heater
Can installing a sewer vent in the line outside the home relieve gas smell? We live in Central America where most homes are built with concrete, brick or cinder block, and mortar. It is not a custom to install vent lines in homes and most homes have a sewer smell in them due this fact. We tie into the city's sewage system, as with most homes here. We don't have the plans detailing the drainage system within the home and the builder is no where to be found. We would have to break tile, rip a line in the brick wall inside the upstairs bathrooms to install a vent line directly near the two toilets and tubs upstairs since that is where most of the drains are located. We have a half bath downstairs and the kitchen sink with an outer maids quarters (full bath) located near by. I would hate to destroy the tile work looking for the lines to tap in a vent line and even then, it would be nearly impossible to determine which trap is downstream from the others. Would installing a vent on the sewege pipe going to the city system, or anything else, help at all?
Can an electrostatic furnace filter cause a smell similar to sewer gas in my laundry room? I have had a very foul smell in my laundry room (also where my furnace is) that resembles sewer gas. I have had six plumbers leave scratching their heads. I have had all of my toilets professionally replaced, drains snaked, and a even had a smoke bomb test done today, so I know that there is no crack in a visible pipe or a blockage in any vent pipes. The next step is to have my basement floor ripped apart to proceed with a very expensive camera test. This is getting awful pricey. I was asked if I use "electrostatic furnace filters" today and I do. Could that be the cause? Anyone? I am at my wits end. It is no longer comfortable in my own home. I can't run the furnace and it is getting colder. I would be so grateful for any light that could be shed on this very frustrating and puzzling matter. I tried disconnecting what I thought was only to the electrostatic filter, but shut the entire furnace off. The 6th plumber said that the only way to get a camera down the drain was to go through the basement floor because we have something called a "back water preventer" and a P trap and the camera will not maneuver through such angles. I am at a loss. I know what natural gas smells like versus sewer. Without sounding crude-- it smells like.... crap mixed in with a dirty drain.. a diaper genie... just.. foul. It is the hardest smell to explain and it originates in the basement. Thank you for your suggestions.
can sewer gas fumes harm your health - our plumber can't even figure out where the smell is coming from.? When we run the wash and the heat comes on we can really smell it. Can anyone help?
Why am I getting sewer smell when the washing machine discharges water? I have a rural septic tank with a nodak drain field (the fluid is pumped from the tank into the drain field). Every time we wash clothes and the 'Maytag' washer empties, at the end of the empty cycle we get sewer gas smell in the laundry room. My drain is 2" pvc with a 2" trap directly below the stand pipe. The location of the vent is the trouble. The vent is 12 feet from my washing machine stand pipe and is at the end of a run that has a sink and a toilet on the same drain run. I cannot put a new vent in for the washing machine unless I open up my wall and ceiling (I have an old farm house). I did install an Air Admittance Valve dircetly in front of the trap for the washer and piped it up to the top of the washer (as per the instructions). I also sealed my stand pipe and washer discharge hose with spray foam to try and seal the stand pipe. None of the above stopped the smell. I think I may have reduced the smell but I cannot say for sure, all Iknow is that after two loads of wash, the odor is very strong in the laundry room. Any HELP would be welcomed.
Sewer gas problem? Help!? Sewer gas smell coming from where the washing machine hose drains out. The whole house smells, help!! What's wrong? What do I do?
Plumbers: Why might my bathroom smell like sewer gas? At least, I think that's the odor. Even first thing in the morning, when I know the aroma hasn't caused by me yet. Everything drains and flushes fine. No sign of leaks. In the basement directly below, all the plumbing is exposed. No sign of leaks there; no smell there either. And no backup from the basement floor drain. I live in northern Illinois, so freezing and thawing is a possibility, but the basement is always in the 50s or 60s and I've had no trouble all winter. The odor is only 3-4 days old. Where should I be investigating?
The basement in our large building smells like sewer gas. The drains also back up. Help? We have a large basement that smells like sewage or rotten eggs in the morning. I am afraid that it is a health hazard. All the plumbers the landlord talks to have no idea how to fix it. Should we talk to an engineer?
Can sewer gas be coming from a urinal? The men's room at our business has had a puzzling sewer gas smell problem for some time now. It comes and goes, and we can't seem to find the pattern in why. When we first noticed a smell, I determined that it was the wax ring on the bottom of the toilet. I suspected it was this because I noticed that the toilet itself was loose, and could be wiggled about 1/8" or so. I changed out the wax ring, and we went a week or two with no smell. Then, suddenly, the smell came back. At any given time, the smell in our men's room may range from completely non-existent to almost unbearable. I'm fairly confident the problem isn't the trap on the sink, the toilet, or the floor drain. All 3 stay in pretty constant use, so they wouldn't have the chance to evaporate or dry out, and no water leaks have been detected. Is it possible for a urinal to leak sewer gas? I've noticed that the water in the urinal drains out to just BARELY above where it needs to be to block sewer gasses. I've tried adjusting the amount of water that the urinal uses per flush, but no matter how much water is used when flushing, it still drains out to the exact same point. We seem to think the smell is typically worse first thing in the morning, but we can't say that for 100% certain. Our building stays empty from about 11 pm to 8 am, so none of those drains are used for that time. Is it possible for enough water to be evaporating out of that urinal to break the seal and allow gasses to escape in just that short amount of time, or is that a wild goose chase? One more example for you: the smell was very VERY bad this morning. The first person here said they poured bleach down the floor drain, the urinal, and the sink, and an hour or two later, the smell was gone. Does that tell you anything? We're a small business, and we're do-it-yourself types. Calling a plumber would be about like losing a week's worth of profits, and I've learned over time that calling a professional doesn't always mean the problem will get fixed anyway. Any advice? Is there any way to "fake" a smoke test, like plumbers use?
Sewer Gas and repairs in an apartment.? So I had a sewer gas smell coming from my sink. I ran the dishwasher and the smell was gone. However, my bathroom now has the same smell but about a 1000x more potent. I called the managers and they said to put in a work order and they will do it in the morning, you know, the usual manager run around. The smell was so intense I needed to close the bathroom door and keep it closed. Thankfully the smell is confined to that room and cannot be smelled outside of it. Even though I cant smell it outside the bathroom, is this safe? I know there is methane in it which can be explosive. Is there any danger waiting until morning? I tried calling the managers again and no answer. I considered hiring a private plumber and giving the managers the bill, but I am afraid of getting caught with a huge bill and them weaseling there way out of it. Has anyone in an apartment ever done that and was it a hassle to recoup your money? might add that the bathroom is quite small, prolly like 5 ft by 5 ft. I have an overhead exhaust fan running with the door closed but the stench is still overpowering when i open the door. Not sure which drain it is coming from or if its the toilet. Should I stuff the drains for the time being?
Where is the sewer gas coming from? I work at a cafe and we have had problems with a sewer gas smell for about a year now. We have learned if we have the trap pumped the smell goes away temporarily (about three wks this time). The smell comes from the basement but it's so concentrated that we can't figure out where it comes from exactly. My boss had the floor drian completely redone, thinking it was that, but it wasn't. She has re-piped a LOT of things and also another gas vent. It comes into the bathroom (we figure because of a vent in there but it also seems to smell in the sink in there as well) and also seems to concentrate around the dishwasher upstairs. It 'burped' once and even the outside of the building was engulfed in the stentch. We lost business because it has gotten so bad at times. I always get sick from it when it gets bad. It usually doesn't start until the toilet is flushed or dishwasher runs. I noticed that my migraines also coincide with the start of the smell. I am pregnant and worry that this prolonged exposure over time could be bad for me and/ or the baby. I just want the smell to stop. I have left work twice but it should have been many many more times than that...
Sewer Gas and a Drain question? Hi I have a sewer gas odor in my laundry room. I discoevred the source the other day I was laying a new floor when I happened to be over the drain in the room, which I originally thought was just a trough in the floor. However when someone upstairs took a shower the sewer gas smell began to rise from the drain in the floor. Here is my question, is there a trap in there that maybe dry? Is it ok to pour water into it? I know that sounds odd but I am so unsure about what to do to this. Thanks BBB I guess I should add I cannot see into the drain, it is a largeish hole in the floor, tht narrows at about 4 to 6 inches in. Will it have a trap? I( think it's called a bell drain) it was obviuosly a part of the original construction (1978 built).
This rank smell what is it? I'm at the front desk at work and for the past few months there has been a come and go of this rank smell.. one guy thinks it could be sewer gasses, other people think it's something dead in the pipes or ventalation! it's only found on the one end of our building! i discribe the smell as wet dirty dog times 10 and with some other stinch from it! not sulfer like most web sites say Sewer gases smell like! Any ideas! yes people have been notivide we have rooto rooter coming out tomorrow and everything elese has been check! i don't smell it anymore but my eyes burn!
Can sewer gas leak into bathroom pipes? Any plumbers out there who can help explain these bad smells? I have noticed for quite some time that occasionally, my bathroom has a strong vial smell, almost like raw sewage. No, this is not typical "bathroom odors", it is unbearably strong. I figured out it is coming from the toilet. This happens even when the toilet has not been used for several hours. I have a city sewer system, not a septic tank. What could be causing this? Can gases leak up from the sewer system? Any ideas? It seems to be getting worse and worse. Please help!! Thanks guys! It definately seems to be coming from the toilet area. One question however, if it was a problem with the wax ring (I replaced it about 6 months ago due to a leak) wouldn't there be water leaking as well? Re "Skippy's" answer. NO! Roaches?? Can they come up through the sewer pipes? OMG If that's the case, I'm all over replacing that wax ring again!
What would make a house smell like there's a natural gas leak when there isn't even gas supplied to the house? I made sure that there are no propane BBQ grill tanks inside the house. All of my Butane canisters for my torch are in the garage, and the garage doesn't smell. I double checked all of our drains to see if it was sewer gas including the one in the floor in the basement. I even poured bleach water in all of them in case there was bacteria. I've also know what it smells like when there is a dead animal in the wall or attic, and it's not that..... Any suggestions?
What stops sewer gas form entering the home? We have been having sewer gas come into the house . We do not have a basement but we have a building where a floor drain is connected to the house drains. I am not sure where itis coming from but I do smell it coming from the air/heating vents. Any suggestions why we are having this problem and how can it be fixed?
How do you find source of septic tank (sewer) gas and how do you get rid of it? We have been having problems with smelling sewer gas in a seldom used bathroom. We just got back home (having been gone for about a week) and the smell is out side AND inside the house. We live in the country and are on a septic system (house built in 1978). Is this dangerous (until we can get this fixed)? My 8 month pregnant daughter is due to come Saturday and stay the week-end. Is this a danger to her or her baby (or other chldren)? I've never had a septic system and am concerned. Thank you.
How do you clean vent pipes for sewer gases which is causing a foul smell from the toilet and sinks?
Sewer gas repaired but still smells some.? I have two rooms side by side. Bathroom and a storage room. Both of them were fullll of sewer gas. I had a plumber dig up the floor and replace a cracked Tee. The smell is 90% better. I can still smell it though. Can sewer gas leave a residual smell that will eventually go away or is there another problem? Let me add that the initial leak was there for many months. The plumber said the ground was wet. Could this be the problem?
How can I fix a sewer smell in my basement? I just bought a house in July 2008 and it was built in 1974 - I have a septic tank. Occasionally the basement smells like sewer gas, but not all the time. I noticed that the basement smells like sewer gas at different times, sometimes for no reason, and smelled when the downstairs shower is used and when it rains (sometimes). The two drains in the basement floor also do not drain - the water does not come to the top, but I can see it sitting in it. I tried to put Drano in them and then flushed it out, that's how I noticed that. Another thing I've noticed is that the toilets function just fine, but when I was cleaning and dumped water from a bucket into it, the toilet did not go down as it is supposed to. Do you think Drano and toilet Drano will do the job if I put it in all the drains and the toilets? And keep doing Rid-X treatments? Or does this sound like something serious I should call Roto Rooter or another professional to do the job? Please tell me I can do this myself - I do not have the money right now as I just bought the house. Thank you for your help.
How Do I Find A Sewer Leak? I have a combination of cast iron and PVC sanitary sewer pipe in my home. Somewhere in the basement piping there is a leak such that the sewer gas is escaping and creating sewer smells. What are the tricks to finding this kind of leak?
What can I do to eliminate the smell? How can I eliminate the smell of sewer gas in my basement? The smell is coming out of the floor drain?
What are the laws/rules regarding Sewer Gas? I work for a school district, my office is in the basement area as I am the Technology person. My office also has the servers and networking equipment in there. Over the last few weeks there has been a chronic smell of Sewer gas coming from either/both the floor drain in my office OR the bathroom fixtures in the bathroom right outside my door. It is so bad I find it unbearable and working/concentrating in that office is almost impossible. However, my boss's just laugh it off and walk away when confronted about it. Is there any law regarding this kind of sewer gas in an office/work environment? I have also been told that these gases can be very flammable, so isn't it another caution or problem that these gases are near electronic equipment? If you have sources, please cite them this way if needed I can show my superiors. Thanks! Mike
How do I locate a sewer gas leak? I've already re-sealed the commode, and had a plumber do a smoke test. Neither did any good. The smell is only in one bathroom whihc has a common vent for dual sinks, commode, and bath.
How Do I Find A Sewer Leak? I have a combination of cast iron and PVC sanitary sewer pipe in my home. Somewhere in the basement piping there is a leak such that the sewer gas is escaping and creating sewer smells. What are the tricks to finding this kind of leak? I have no basement drain in the floor. I suspect the sewer gas is leaking out of one of many joints.
sewer smells i asked this? question once but not sure i explained it well and i tried all the simple stuff like cleaning the drains. I only get sewer gas smells when i drain the tub, not when i run water or flush the toilet. the tub 1/2 full and drain my whole 1st story and the basement smells like sewer. I can't see any leaks anywhere my septic was cleaned 3 months ago and i had a new wax for the toilet put in. If the vent was plugged wouldn't the toilet not flush right and what else could it be?
my AC unit is pulling some bad smelling gas from the condensation drain? i cant figure out how to make it stop drafting sewer gas from the drain which i beleive is connected to the sewer (dont know why they did it that way ) anyway when it kicks on it pulls air from there not just the intake like its supposed to and even when its not running sometime a bad smell will rise out of that pipe , if i disconnect it there is no where for all the condensation to go is there a product that prevents gas backflow into ac units?
Sewer gas coming into our lobby.? The motel I work for was built in 1965. Every winter when it starts getting cold we get this horrible sewer smell in the lobby. How can I find the problem? How harmful is this to my health? What are the side effects? I need to prove to the owners to fix this awful problem.
Faint smell of gas at the corner of the house comes and goes? New home next to wetlands. No gas appliance, checked propane tank, lawnmower nothing. No sewer pipes under the property (raised home). Live on long road from street. Any ideas?
???? about a possible gas leak in my basement? On sunday night i smelled what i thought was gas in my basment bathroom so i called the gas people. They came out and found a small leak in the laundry room where the water heater/furience is. Which they siad the fixed. I might ad that my laundry room and basment bathroom are right next to each other. So last night i smell the same strong gas smell in my bathroom so i called the gas man agian and they checked everything and all he found was a small leak in the dryer hose which he fixed, but he said the leak was so small it would not have been able to smell it. Then today i have smell the same thing 2 diff. times... and i have checked the rest of the house and its only in my bathroom. I dont know what else to do. Somebody told me it might be sewer gas but i have no clue they smell the same to me. I really dont want to blow up so if anyone has any advice that would be great.
Help with fixing smell in house. It is either just the smell of the attic or the slightest plumbing leak? So, my basement and sometimes my two bathrooms which are back to back smell. It is not horrible, like sewer gas when you're replacing a wax seal, but it is noticeable. The main waste stack is located between the two bathrooms. From the basement, I can look up to the first floor and I do not see any visible leaks and again, whatever it is doesn't smell like sewer gas. From the attic, in between the walls, I can see down to the floor of the first floor and again, I do not see any leaks or notice a sewer gas smell. The attic smells the same as the basement and bathrooms. It may just be the smell of the attic getting down in between the walls and traveling down to the basement. The main waste stack has about 1/2 gap in between the pipe and the floor. Also, in the attack, aside from insulation, there is no covering on this space in between the walls. So, should I seal up the area near the waste stack with silicone or insulation? Also, should I put a plywood cover over this gap between the walls to keep the attic smell out? Or finally, should I investigate the soil pipe (main waste stack) thoroughly. It is cast iron with joints sealed with lead and all appears to be in good shape. The house is about 60 years old.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
