Joez419
New Member
We have this bad smell from our sump pit, usually during or after it rains. We’ve had several plumbers in to check for the cause with a few different opinions. Some have suggested to replace the entire cast iron pipe under our basement slab and others recommending just replacing a section but no one can guarantee this will fix the problem.
We have an overhead sewer system with the 1st floor going into the sewer line through traps. The basement bathroom has a sink & toilet piped into the ejector pit along with the laundry sink and floor drain. The washing machine dumps water into the laundry sink. The ejector pit is located centrally within the house and the sump pit is at the far back corner with the drain tiles on the outside of the foundation. There is a drain to the tiles located at the base of the cement stairs leading to the basement door. The overhead sewer line runs along the wall and towards the front, turns downward & goes under the basement slab before running down the center of the basement out to the back of the property, which is where our sewer lines are.
We had this line inspected by camera several times and no one can determine the cause of the smell. We have had a 4 foot section of pipe replaced near the back wall where the old cleanout was located. The smell went away for two years before returning this year. The plumber dug back into the slab to check his connections but found no problems.
Recently we have been experimenting with soap suds in the ejector pit and upstairs sink. Sometimes they appear in the sump pit, but not all the time. We have had the ejector pit replaced but the problem still exists.
If it rains, the smelly water runs into the pit. If it hasn’t rained in a few days we also sometimes see water running into the pit. I have sealed the sump pit with clear lexan to minimize the smell and ran the pipe out 40 feet to the backyard.
Piping sketch
We have an overhead sewer system with the 1st floor going into the sewer line through traps. The basement bathroom has a sink & toilet piped into the ejector pit along with the laundry sink and floor drain. The washing machine dumps water into the laundry sink. The ejector pit is located centrally within the house and the sump pit is at the far back corner with the drain tiles on the outside of the foundation. There is a drain to the tiles located at the base of the cement stairs leading to the basement door. The overhead sewer line runs along the wall and towards the front, turns downward & goes under the basement slab before running down the center of the basement out to the back of the property, which is where our sewer lines are.
We had this line inspected by camera several times and no one can determine the cause of the smell. We have had a 4 foot section of pipe replaced near the back wall where the old cleanout was located. The smell went away for two years before returning this year. The plumber dug back into the slab to check his connections but found no problems.
Recently we have been experimenting with soap suds in the ejector pit and upstairs sink. Sometimes they appear in the sump pit, but not all the time. We have had the ejector pit replaced but the problem still exists.
If it rains, the smelly water runs into the pit. If it hasn’t rained in a few days we also sometimes see water running into the pit. I have sealed the sump pit with clear lexan to minimize the smell and ran the pipe out 40 feet to the backyard.
Piping sketch
