When I bought my current house (a ranch with full basement built in ’56), I moved the laundry room from one side of the furnace room to the other. About the same time, I found that the kitchen drain that ran 2/3 the length of the house under the basement slab must have rusted out (galv pipe) and was slowly draining under the slab. I ran a new PVC drain from the kitchen thru the basement, picked up the washer drain on the way and connected it in to the old washer drain just before it went under the slab about 4′ from where the main CI drain goes into the slab. The washer and kitchen drain are vented, but the distance might be on the outside perameter for the washer, so I added a Studer vent behind the washer trap.
Here’s the problem: When the washer is running, there is a faint sewer smell in the finished part of the basement. The connection between the new and the old and the main drain are in my shop and there’s no problem there. The doors and most of the windows to the basement are also in the shop area, so that might have something to do with it.
I can’t place the smell – ie, tell where it’s coming from. I’m at a loss for what to do. Any ideas?
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. – J. Handey
Edited 11/25/2007 5:39 pm ET by seeyou
Replies
I'm certainly no expert but sometimes a floor drain is the culprit.
The trap dries out and wala there's your source.
Good luck !
Forgot that tidbit of info. No floor drains. The entire basement was carpeted when we bought the house. The only time any water enters is when the gutters overflow and a little water will enter under my shop doors. There is also a full bath down there, but it is over on the shop end. The bath's drains run under the slab. I run water in the bathtub every few days to fill the trap. The sink and toilet get used frequently.http://grantlogan.net/
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. - J. Handey
Well, I'm going to assume you eliminated the possibility that Gunner was stashing Asian ladies in your tub, right?Are the tub/sink drain lines tied into the washer? If so, and especially if the tub doesn't have a p-trap (if it's just draining to an ell in the floor), I wonder if you are getting some siphoning when the washer is running. And that's pushing the sewer gas into the basement air.You might try a trap sealer from here http://www.trapguard.com
Not sure that they have something that will fit your tub. I can vouch that their traps do exactly what they claim.
Are the tub/sink drain lines tied into the washer?
No - the bathroom is on a seperate line. The only commonality is they both tie into the main stack at about the same place. And the smell doesn't seem to come from the bathroom - it's not any stronger around the bath than around the washer.http://grantlogan.net/
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. - J. Handey
Hmmm, I can only offer my experience in dealing with the same sort of smelly basement. I've found that it's not usually the most odoriferous in the room the vapors are coming from, rather it becomes more noticeable in a room with more volume. You have a rubber plug you can try on the tub drain to see if that helps?
<<No floor drains. The entire basement was carpeted when we bought the house.>>
Have you looked under that carpet? Maybe you do have a dry trap floor drain.
Have you looked under that carpet? Maybe you do have a dry trap floor drain.
Yeah, we removed all the carpet and replaced some of it. No floor drain.http://grantlogan.net/
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. - J. Handey
Only smells when the washer is running?
Put a latex glove over the studor vent--- make sure it's sealed.
Repeat steps of making the smell occur & see if the smell is still there or gone.
Put a latex glove over the studor vent--- make sure it's sealed.
I'll try that, but I installed the studor about a year ago in attempt to get rid of the smell. Also, the basement bathroom doesn't apear to be vented except thru the main stack (probably 15' to where it connects). I also installed a studor at the bathroom sink at the same time. No change.http://grantlogan.net/
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. - J. Handey
When you moved the washing machine to a new location - did you leave the old washing machine drain?If so, maybe the smell is coming from there. Maybe the trap is dry.
When you moved the washing machine to a new location - did you leave the old washing machine drain?
Nope. That's where I hooked in the new line to the old drain.http://grantlogan.net/
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. - J. Handey
Your link does not help if you are looking for an answer!!!!!
Your link does not help if you are looking for an answer!!!!!
????????????????http://grantlogan.net/
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. - J. Handey
Sorry, but I had the stupid idea that the link pretained to the question.
OK, I see what you're talking about. That's my website.http://grantlogan.net/
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. - J. Handey
Do you have changes to the original plumbing that might be
causing problems.For example, I saw a home where the dishwasher had been added and it
drained via a long hose into the basement drain lines (rather than under the kitchen sink per the norm)Anything like that in your home?Or maybe something someone "jerry rigged" and took out a leaking trap or made some kind of alteration and a trap is missing somehow?Hey I've seen it happen before.
Anything like that in your home?
No - the only two things that are not to code is the distance to the vent for the washer hookup (hence the added studor) and the same problem for the bath and the bath may meet code. I can't see what's been done inside the finished walls. All the other waste line is visible.
But I'm suspecting (or at least hoping) that it's something simple that I'm just overlooking. You guys have given me several things to check that I wouldn't have thought of on my own.http://grantlogan.net/
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. - J. Handey
I lived in a house which had washer and dryer in the basementAt sometime in the past I think they had a
laundry room sink something like this which later was
abandonedhttp://buykitchensinks.com/sibolarosiby.htmlI've even seen some basements which had "mother in law"
apartment type of thing where a kitchen gets added
and then later someone takes it out and that plumbing
gets abandoned.
If the old rusted-through drain under the floor is still connected to the main sewer line, that's the most likely source of odors. Sewer gasses will pass through concrete & carpet. If the plugged or capped off end is still accessible, a locator can be attached to the metal piping to trace the line's underground location. Dig up & cap off where it joins the main line.
Found this on a job recently: make sure the washer hose is only shoved into the drain a few inches. If it reaches the p-trap it can siphon the trap dry.
I like Mikes line of thought. When washers pump out they move a lot of water quickly. It can cause problems in a waste system that otherwise would be fine.
Back up the washer hose like Mike said and maybe you need the waste after the P trap to go up hill for a bit. That way after the washer stopped pumping out the water there would be enough wter up hill to drain back and fill the p trap.
Thanks for the suggestion guys. See the post above.http://grantlogan.net/
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. - J. Handey
Just went and checked. The washer hose goes into the drain about 2". It has a shepard'c crook type end on it and hangs on the drain inlet which is several inches above the washer. The P-trap is at least 3' below the inlet.http://grantlogan.net/
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. - J. Handey
You could check the washer by doing a large load and stopping right after the water is pumped out from the washing cycle. That is when the most water is pumped out along with the rinse cycle. If the washer is the culprit that would clear the p-trap.
Then go up steam and put something down the drain that has a distinct odor. When it passes by the washer p-trap and the p-trap is open/dry, go to the washer and turn on the dryer. If the washer p-trap is dry the dryer should pull some of the smell out of the dry p-trap. If that doesn't do it then you can at least write off the washer p-trap theory.
<<so I added a Studer vent behind the washer trap>>
Studer vent ... upstream or downstream from the washer standpipe? Also, higher than the flood plane of the washer?
Don't know if it makes a difference but mine is downstream. I would have to ask my plumber or maybe Plumbbill knows.
Studer vent ... upstream or downstream from the washer standpipe? Also, higher than the flood plane of the washer?
Downstream and higher than the top of the standpipe - and the studor was an attempt to get rid of the smell. Didn't make any difference.http://grantlogan.net/
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. - J. Handey
You said that the kitchen drain had been leaking under the slab; could it be that you are just smelling that? But then I don't see how the washer running would make the smell worse.
the kitchen drain had been leaking under the slab; could it be that you are just smelling that?
I've thought of that, but that line has been abandonned although it's still hooked into the main somewhere below the slab surface. When we tried to have it snaked, all the roto rooter guy got was mud.
This smell doesn't bother me. In fact, I don't notice it until DW points it out and she's always smelling something ("what's that smell?"). I've got an addition to the house in the planning stages which will move the laundry room upstairs which solves the problem more or less. I'm just tired of hearing "what's that smell".http://grantlogan.net/
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. - J. Handey