Hello. We recently began smelling a horrid, what we originally thought was a sewer smell, in our basement level near the utilities where the piping comes together before it leaves the house to the septic system. We now think it may be more of a rotten egg smell. We are on well water (treated with softener and we have a UV light) and septic. Our water was just tested, PH levels are within range as well as minerals. Water tank was checked and we don't have an anode rod. We've opened the softener and don't smell anything. We don't smell it in the actual water (so we don't smell anything out of the faucet or in the showers). Septic was just pumped, and the septic company came back out again to double check that everything is draining fine. They didn't see anything abnormal. The smell began a few months ago and we noticed it as soon as we walked in the door after we had been out for a few hours, only to come back realizing a toilet had been running the entire time. Prior to that, it seemed to only happen two or three times, so we didn't know how or why it was coming about, we actually wondered if what we cooked that night left a smell. However after that night of the toilet running, we began to realize it is related to amounts of water. What began as occasional, is now a nightly thing after showers. It doesn't start until after the shower has been on for a good 15 minutes or so, and it doesn't seem to happen in the morning when the first person takes a shower. It's like after water has been used, something gets going. The washer, dishwasher, flushing toilets, running water to wash dishes, etc., hasn't affected it, it's when massive amounts go down. We just had a smoke test, they didn't find anything. We don't have a basement floor drain. The smell is below a bathroom here on the first floor, but the plumbers have closed off all of that piping to see if that has made a difference, and it hasn't really. It's not as bad but it's still there. Does anyone have any idea at all? Their next step is to open walls, which we obviously are trying to avoid. All fixtures that we know of in the house are used, so we have eliminated the question about dried up P traps. We've lived in the house 3 years and haven't smelled anything until recently. We didn't have any major work done on the house. We'll take any suggestions - starting to go crazy! Thank you!!
Horrible smell in lower level after significant water usage
- Thread starter Lucy20
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John Gayewski
In the Trades
To me it sounds like bacteria is thriving in your water heater. Turn the water heater up to 140. Give it a day or two. See if that helps. If it does adjust the temp down a little at a time until you find the sweet spot.
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If it was water from the hot water heater though wouldn't we smell it out of the faucet or at least in the shower when a lot of water is coming out of the shower head and it's all humid in there?
John Gayewski
In the Trades
You have my recommendation. You need to exclude one thing at a time. In your description you say that you do smell it when the shower has been going for 15 min.
Jumping all over the place and trying several things at once won't help you figure out what it is. First try turning the wster heater up. Give it some time. The very hot water needs to get into the piping for extended portions of time to kill the bugs, if that's what's happening. If that's not what is happening then you have excluded it and can tru something else. But one thing at a time.
KansasPlumbingIssue
New Member
We have this exact same problem. Did you find a solution?
LLigetfa
DIYer, not in the trades
The OP has not returned to this site since and so is unlikely to see your question. You should start a new thread and provide more details as this thread will get confusing when folks reply to the OP.
As for the OP, my guess is the well system uses a hydro-pneumatic (air over water) tank and the air removed by the AVC is stinking up the place.
As for the OP, my guess is the well system uses a hydro-pneumatic (air over water) tank and the air removed by the AVC is stinking up the place.
