Sewers

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?

Public Comments

1. Clean your drains.
2. It may be coming from an open floor drain or some other drain that needs to be flushed to refill the sewer gas trap beneath it. You mention wash..check the washing machine also..it may just have a loop in the drain hose for a trap.. The odor is coming back into your house from the sewer system..shouldn't be hard to find.
3. Are you sure it's coming from the sewer?It sounds like when you run the heat it's got a gas leak in the heating.Especially propane,cause that smells like a sewer to,TRUST ME,and no it's not good for you to breath any toxins in.
4. doesn't make sense ... i can't tie the furnace (what type?) & the wash to the smell of sewer gas ... yes! sewer gas can be harmful to your health
5. Sewer gas is a combination of everything that goes down the drains. It can contain Methane gas which is explosive. Your washing machine drain may not be tied into the vent line. This can suck the water out of the trap on the drain and allow the gas to enter the home. The reason for traps on drain systems is to form a water seal to prevent sewer gas from coming it.
6. ask your plumber to try a smoke test. That should locate the problem.