House built 1928, we’ve been here 10 years (tomorrow, in fact).
Highest point in Lake County, IL. Dry basement, with about 5 floor drains. When water does seep in during those long spring thaws with a lot of rain, the water heads right down the drains. Never been a problem.
Lately I’ve been smelling something funky in the basement. At first, thought a mouse died somewhere, but a thorough cleaning found nothing.
I’ve poured water/bleach down this drain several times in the past month or 2. The smell goes away for a while. In previous years, I’ve never had a problem. Might put some water down the drain once or twice a year, no smell. No smell from any other drain, so I don’t think the trap water is evaporating that quickly.
I was working near it today and I’m CONVINCED it’s coming from the one floor drain. I ran a snake (a little cheapo spring) down there, seeing if a mouse died in there. It was dry when I pulled it back up. Saw some bits of stuff, fished them out, and it looks like old rusty CI.
Is it possible that the CI in the trap has rusted through and won’t hold water? I did flush it today with hose from the water heater, and I checked the manhole cover out front, (<10′ away) and saw water coming into the sewer from this drain, so I know it’s draining well. But I don’t know if anything is seeping, if the pipe has indeed failed.
Like I said, no problem with any other floor drain, and I know one of them was inaccessible under a cabinet for a couple of years, and no smell there (I have since drilled through the cabinet so I can pour water/bleach down there if needed.)
I also poured some cooking oil in the traps to slow evaporation.
Now what do I do?
Thanks in advance.
Pete Duffy, Handyman
Replies
There was a quick blurb in a magazine recently, either FHB or Journal of Light Construction, I can't remember which, which showed a new product which might help. It was a drain cover/strainer that had a sleeve built in that opened when water flowed down the drain but rolled up and sealed when there was no flow. They make a new construction and a retrofit version. Sorry, I don't remember the specific issue, but it was only in the last few months.
I have seen it about 3 places in the last 2 months.It should be easy to tell if the water stay standing in the trap after a short time.However, I ran into different problem. Client had continual sewer gas problem and had 2 drains a few feet apart but there was a height difference. Don't know the history of why it was built like that.Anyway the lower one had condenstate discharge from 2 furnaces, watersoftener recharge cycle dump and a hose trickling into it to keep it wet. For over a year I told the HO that the problem was from the OTHER drain. And you could smell that it was from the other drain.But for some reason he did not want to do anything about it such as moving the dripping hose over to the other drain or even better fixes.So after a year I was asked to "fix" it. By this time the hose had been moved.But I checked and there was a bypass plug that was out. It was too rusty to replace so I use a rubber "test plug". Have not been back, but have not heard from the HO either.
Yeah, I saw that drain/rollup up rubber flap too, and think it's an option. It was in FHB last month I think.Pete Duffy, Handyman
You might want to look at the thread about basement plumbing. Should answer your question.
66520.17
Five floor drian, but you did not mention the vent(s) for them.
For series manufactured floor drains, IIRC the vent is suppose to be within 6 feet of the highest drain (that is the one farthest upstream).
Check the vent for full or partial blockage. Downstream movement may be siphoning water out of the traps, or traps.
Maybe Blumbob will show up tonight, and offer some plumber insight.
Dave
Hard to tell about the venting. Like I said, house is 1928.
I don't think it would be a venting problem. It hasn't occurred in 10 years.
I read the basement plumbing thread before I posted, hoping something similar would turn up.
My big concern is that when I pulled the snake out, I saw some bits of old CI, and that made me think maybe it corroded all the way through, and leaked all the trap water out.
I will see what I can find out about the venting down there.
The house plumbing drains into a cistern right outside the house. I can pull off the manhole cover and see what drains into there. There are at least 3 discharges into there. 1 is high up and from the first floor laundry. Two more are lower, just above the city sewer outlet, and right next to each other. One 2nd floor bathroom and one basement floordrain emit from one opening, and the floordrain in question comes out of the other. I haven't looked/traced the rest of the plumbing yet.Pete Duffy, Handyman