Hi. I was hoping someone could help me. I'm a new homeowner and since I bought my home in December, we have had a sewage smell that has gotten worse. Originally we couldn't figure out where it was coming from but we narrowed it down until we found it is coming from the drain in the ground for the furnace and water heater. I've read that when drains are leaking a sewage smell it means that maybe they are dry and so the gas isn't getting trapped with water, so we poured about a gallon of water down it. The next day it smelled the worst it ever has. It also seems to smell every time we have heavy rain or snow. Since it is not a drain like a bathtub drain with parts that can be replaced, but rather just a hole in the ground, I'm not sure what else to try. Please someone help me!
Sewage smell coming from basement drain
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Jeff H Young
In the Trades
try pouring the water in slowly sometimes it siphones out when dumped fast
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Jeff,
That's how we poured it in originally. We poured it from a pitcher in a small stream. That's when we got the horrible smell the next day. It seems like anytime we run water in the house or water comes in from rain, snow, etc., the smell gets worse.
Jeff H Young
In the Trades
no stoppages , slow draining or backing up?
Bannerman
Well-Known Member
Does the drain have a grill cover over top or is it an open hole? If so, can the cover be removed to view down to ensure water is remaining in the trap?
I've seen where some residents have removed the cap from a clean out thinking it is a drain. A clean out does not incorporate a trap so sewer gas may be emitted continuously.
Assuming it is a proper drain and water does remain in the trap, add about 1/16 cup of household chlorine bleach to the jug of water, and slowly pour that in. Allow the chlorine solution to remain about 20 minutes then flush out the solution with fresh water. The odor may become stronger while adding the bleach solution and while bacteria is being neutralized, but the odor should stop and clear fairly rapidly. You likely will need to add fresh water on a monthly basis.
I've seen where some residents have removed the cap from a clean out thinking it is a drain. A clean out does not incorporate a trap so sewer gas may be emitted continuously.
Assuming it is a proper drain and water does remain in the trap, add about 1/16 cup of household chlorine bleach to the jug of water, and slowly pour that in. Allow the chlorine solution to remain about 20 minutes then flush out the solution with fresh water. The odor may become stronger while adding the bleach solution and while bacteria is being neutralized, but the odor should stop and clear fairly rapidly. You likely will need to add fresh water on a monthly basis.
The drain does not have any sort of cover. It can't really have a cover because of the pipes that run to it and sit above it. I can't really view any water at all when I look down the drain. Should this type of drain have some sort of cover? Seems strange that I would have to flush it out with bleach and water monthly.
If it really is a hole in the floor,
The water heater? That doesn't sound right How about a photo of this hole, with something in the picture for scale?
The furnace? High efficiency furnace drainage can attack metals.
Bannerman
Well-Known Member
Because they get infrequent use, basement floor drains, at least in my province, must be equipped with a trap primer. A trap primer is a small water line (often 1/4" plastic tubing) that is connected to a nearby faucet such as for a laundry sink, to supply a small stream of water into the floor drain trap every time the faucet is utilized. Often, residents do not understand the purpose for the tubing connection and will remove it when replacing the associated faucet as perhaps your home's previous owner may have done.
Water will eventually evaporate out from the trap and because a floor drain is directly connected to the sewer drainage system, it will be susceptable to bacteria growth.
I recommended sanitizing the drain initially since there is currently an odor problem. Without a working trap primer, manually adding plain water on an regular basis such as monthly, will reduce the chances the water in the trap will stagnate or evaporate away. If you find the odor returns, you may then decide to sanitize the drain every 3 or 6 months as needed.
Water will eventually evaporate out from the trap and because a floor drain is directly connected to the sewer drainage system, it will be susceptable to bacteria growth.
I recommended sanitizing the drain initially since there is currently an odor problem. Without a working trap primer, manually adding plain water on an regular basis such as monthly, will reduce the chances the water in the trap will stagnate or evaporate away. If you find the odor returns, you may then decide to sanitize the drain every 3 or 6 months as needed.
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Bannerman
Well-Known Member
Jeff H Young
In the Trades
Bannerman You might be right it might just be a clean out might not have a trap. Trap primers were regulary omitted in residential and most homeowners know to pour water down . His went dry in a day a primer wont fix that.
I took a couple of pictures of the drain. As I said, it's just a hole in the floor.
I could try to pour the water down with the bleach but I can't imagine that will work considering how bad it smelled the last time water was poured down.
I could try to pour the water down with the bleach but I can't imagine that will work considering how bad it smelled the last time water was poured down.
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I have a similar-looking hole that feeds into my sump pit. No trap originally, but I made my own bell trap.
How did you do that? What do I attach the trap to?
Bannerman
Well-Known Member
Since the drain has no cover, if you shine a flashlight down the hole, can you see water sitting in the bottom?
One of the links previously supplied shows a diagram of a side view of a typical floor drain. Although your drain may not incorporate a trap primer, water should always be sitting in the U shaped section at the bottom, filled up to the level of the horizontal drain line exiting on the right side.
From what I can tell, the drain line from the water heater is connected to the Temperature/Pressure Relief valve on the upper side of the water tank. No water will normally exit that valve unless the water temperature or pressure within the tank exceeds the valve's release parameters.
The gas furnace does not appear to be a high-efficiency model. It seems the drain line is likely connected to a central air conditioner condensate drip pan. A/C condensate will typically exude a musty odour from mould growing on dust contained in the air blown over the A/C coils. As it is unlikely the A/C will have been run since last fall, the same water from last fall will have remained in the trap and will have grown mould and bacteria over the winter.
Since the water within the trap had not been replaced until you recently did so, it is especially important to sanitize the drain immediately and to pour in freshwater on a regular ongoing basis.
One of the links previously supplied shows a diagram of a side view of a typical floor drain. Although your drain may not incorporate a trap primer, water should always be sitting in the U shaped section at the bottom, filled up to the level of the horizontal drain line exiting on the right side.
From what I can tell, the drain line from the water heater is connected to the Temperature/Pressure Relief valve on the upper side of the water tank. No water will normally exit that valve unless the water temperature or pressure within the tank exceeds the valve's release parameters.
The gas furnace does not appear to be a high-efficiency model. It seems the drain line is likely connected to a central air conditioner condensate drip pan. A/C condensate will typically exude a musty odour from mould growing on dust contained in the air blown over the A/C coils. As it is unlikely the A/C will have been run since last fall, the same water from last fall will have remained in the trap and will have grown mould and bacteria over the winter.
Since the water within the trap had not been replaced until you recently did so, it is especially important to sanitize the drain immediately and to pour in freshwater on a regular ongoing basis.
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