Help with Sewer gas in Laundry Room?!

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greg lewis

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ok, so please read this whole thread before telling me to leave my washer door open or some other quick fix that doesn't work please.
I installed a front load high efficiency washer, attached it to the existing plumbing that a plumber installed and it worked fine on my old traditional top load washer. Now, whenever i do laundry I get sewer gas in the laundry room, not musty, or mildew or any other smell, sewer gas. I have a laundry tub with a trap under it, the sink and the washer drian both attach to this trap. It makes no differnec if the drain is directly into the plumbing, or in the sink, which has to go down the drain past the trap...sewer gas! I had a young plumber come out and confirm, "Yep, that is sewer Gas", but wasn't able to do anything, thanks fo rth $140.00 bill to ask me to try the drain directly into the sink, and maybe try less soap. Neither worked, still ongoing, and yes I have always left my washer door open, all the time, and the inside has no smells or issues. why is this not a simple here it is fix? I see forums all over the internet, but no definative fixes, just a bunch of try this temporary disguise fix? Please help, my wife wants to sell my home unless i can get it fixed?!
feeling a little helpless??
 

Reach4

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1. Would you say that the sewer gas smell only occurs right after or during when you do laundry, or do you still get the smell hours later or days later?

2. Please post a photo of the trap, drain, bottom of standpipe, and vent pipe from under your laundry sink.

3. I suspect that if you gently pour a pint of water into the drain after doing a load of laundry, the smell might go away. It might not...

What this is leading up to is a suspicion that the venting for the trap is insufficient or improper. But I am not sure. When I do a load of wash, yes there are big bursts of water. But the spin ends up with dribbles. So I might think that would work as #3 above would work.
 

greg lewis

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1. Would you say that the sewer gas smell only occurs right after or during when you do laundry, or do you still get the smell hours later or days later?

2. Please post a photo of the trap, drain, bottom of standpipe, and vent pipe from under your laundry sink.

3. I suspect that if you gently pour a pint of water into the drain after doing a load of laundry, the smell might go away. It might not...

What this is leading up to is a suspicion that the venting for the trap is insufficient or improper. But I am not sure. When I do a load of wash, yes there are big bursts of water. But the spin ends up with dribbles. So I might think that would work as #3 above would work.

ok, no picture right now, but will try and give you a mental image...Trap under sink directly under sink drain, south of both the sink and the other washer drain 1.5 inch inlet...after or south of trap, it enters wall directly into what I think is a vent pipe that goes to the roof. the drain in the wall goes to the basement where it enters the 3 inch main drain.

also yes, smell is only there after or rather during laundry, and yes, sometimes I go in and hold my breath and run water into the sink, to in theroy, fill the trap and stop the smell....
 

greg lewis

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ok, no picture right now, but will try and give you a mental image...Trap under sink directly under sink drain, south of both the sink and the other washer drain 1.5 inch inlet...after or south of trap, it enters wall directly into what I think is a vent pipe that goes to the roof. the drain in the wall goes to the basement where it enters the 3 inch main drain.

also yes, smell is only there after or rather during laundry, and yes, sometimes I go in and hold my breath and run water into the sink, to in theroy, fill the trap and stop the smell....
no ongoing smell, never there even after an hour or 2, and no smell when machine is idle for days
 

hj

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quote; the other washer drain 1.5 inch inlet...after or south of trap, it enters wall directly into

That is ambiguous. IS there also a trap on the washer drain BEFORE it enters the wall?
 

Jadnashua

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Do you drain the WM into the utility sink, or how is it attached to the drainage system? Normally, you'd have a standpipe with its own trap and a proper vent connection for the WM, and a separate trap and vent for the sink. If you aren't just draining into the sink, EACH trap must be vented, or the WM will likely suck the trap of the sink dry because it MUST have its own vent. Now, those two vents CAN be tied together, if done properly, without having to run two separate lines up to the roof, but if not done properly, you'll see what you are seeing (or smelling).
 

greg lewis

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ok, here a couple of pictures, i currently have the washer drain out of the dedicated drain and just going into sink directly, no difference. 2nd photo is from underneath, you can see where the washer drain enters from the right side.
SOmething I noticed today too, when doing laundry and the smell was there, i stuck my head in the sink and it didn't seem to smell that bad at all, once I got above the height of the washer drain it stunk, and the drain itself stunk?
thanks
 

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Terry

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I would elimate the standpipe and cap it off. I would run the washer into the laundry sink,
And then I would make sure that the sink has a vent for that p-trap. If there is no vent, then it's being siphoned.
 
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