Stinky washer in brand new house

Users who are viewing this thread

SamSLC

New Member
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Salt Lake City
Our washer has been smelly
For sometime now and wondering if the builder plumbed something wrong? I have run water through the drain... which I never have had to do in our previous house... I have cleaned the washer several times... am I missing something? Could the drain perhaps not be properly vented?
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,795
Reaction score
4,413
Points
113
Location
IL
Leave the lid or door open between uses normally.

If you close the door for an hour, is the smell stronger inside the washer or outside of the washer?

Many washers now have a cleaning cycle. Try that with chlorine bleach if the smell is inside of the washer. If you have a septic tank you need to be more careful with chlorine bleach than you do with sewers.
 

SamSLC

New Member
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Salt Lake City
Leave the lid or door open between uses normally.

If you close the door for an hour, is the smell stronger inside the washer or outside of the washer?

Many washers now have a cleaning cycle. Try that with chlorine bleach if the smell is inside of the washer. If you have a septic tank you need to be more careful with chlorine bleach than you do with sewers.

Thanks... it does smell worse with the lid down. And I have run the clean cycle with bleach but to no avail. There is a floor drain beneath in the washer that smells (that’s the one I’ve poured water through). I will try the cleaning cycle again though.
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,795
Reaction score
4,413
Points
113
Location
IL
You need to add water to floor drains every few weeks, if you are not using that drain regularly. The humidity determines how often you need to do that.
 

Jadnashua

Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Messages
32,771
Reaction score
1,191
Points
113
Location
New England
Depending on the humidity and temperature levels, a floor drain can dry out in maybe a week or so, or could take longer. IOW, you need to keep feeding it some water.

YOu could try putting a sheet of plastic or rubber over the floor drain and see if the smell decreases.
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,795
Reaction score
4,413
Points
113
Location
IL
So is it moisture that’s creating the smell? Or lack of?
If it is the floor drain, lack of.

Dried up trap. There are "trap primers" installed for drains that don't get used regularly. They are more common for commercial buildings. Search for "trap primer" in a search engine.
 

SamSLC

New Member
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Salt Lake City
If it is the floor drain, lack of.

Dried up trap. There are "trap primers" installed for drains that don't get used regularly. They are more common for commercial buildings. Search for "trap primer" in a search engine.

Okay... sorry one other question... so the floor drain doesn’t get used regularly but shouldn’t that be the same drain connection that the drain for the washer uses? Or are they not connected? Because we do use the washer regularly but the floor drain itself is just for emergency if the washer springs a leak or something right?
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,795
Reaction score
4,413
Points
113
Location
IL
so the floor drain doesn’t get used regularly but shouldn’t that be the same drain connection that the drain for the washer uses? Or are they not connected?
They are connected by stinky pipe, and the "water seal" of each trap keeps the stink (sewer gas)on the inside side.

fefb942f-ba03-4340-ab1b-665f7149531b.jpg

That plugged bypass around the trap is for snaking the drain.


https://www.rectorseal.com/sureseal-trap-seal/ has a thing that could help, but it might also reduce the ability of the drain to take water fast.
 

SamSLC

New Member
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Salt Lake City
They are connected by stinky pipe, and the "water seal" of each trap keeps the stink (sewer gas)on the inside side.

fefb942f-ba03-4340-ab1b-665f7149531b.jpg

That plugged bypass around the trap is for snaking the drain.


https://www.rectorseal.com/sureseal-trap-seal/ has a thing that could help, but it might also reduce the ability of the drain to take water fast.
Thanks for the insight and the links. I’ll check it out
 

Jadnashua

Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Messages
32,771
Reaction score
1,191
Points
113
Location
New England
If your floor drain does not have a vent and it is also carrying your washing machine outlet, running the washing machine can siphon the floor drain's trap. Once any trap is not filled with water, it's a direct path to sewer gasses.

But, the WM can develop some nasty smells. You might try running it with no detergent, full hot, with some bleach to see if that helps. Depending on the way it seals things up, sometimes the rubber seals can stay damp for a long time especially if you close the lid after finishing so it can't air dry, and any detergent residue adds organic material along with fibers that support mold growth.

Mildew needs three things:
- the spores themselves (almost impossible to avoid)
- moisture
- food

Break that tripod, and it won't happen. A full hot run might clean out any scum that might be stuck places, and the bleach can help as well.

I leave the door open at least overnight after each WM use to dry things out.

Somebody does make a WM sanitizer product you can add to a (clothes-free) wash cycle that you might try if it isn't a trap issue.

Note also, that the insides of the riser pipe to your WM trap could have some scum on it. A big bottle brush with a long handle might help clean that out. You don't need to go below the trap.

Last I can think of, it's also possible that your WM trap is not vented properly, and something else in the house is siphoning it dry. You can check that with a flashlight if you can look directly down it...you should see some water in the bottom. Same with the floor drain. If either is dry, you need to figure out why, and if you fix that, you'll stop sewer gasses.
 

SamSLC

New Member
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Salt Lake City
Thanks for that response. I really don’t think it’s the WM because we have cleaned it a few times since this started happening. Also this never happened in our previous house, just in the new one (same washer, new house) I am just wondering if the builder’s sub missed something in the way of the trap vent. But I would think that would’ve been caught in the inspection process
 

Jadnashua

Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Messages
32,771
Reaction score
1,191
Points
113
Location
New England
The vents can be hidden, and not easy to see. They are supposed to be checked during building at the plumbing rough-in inspection, but some places are more than a bit lax about that...the good olde boys network, or a few bucks under the table. Many are really good, but then there's the rest.
 

SamSLC

New Member
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Salt Lake City
The vents can be hidden, and not easy to see. They are supposed to be checked during building at the plumbing rough-in inspection, but some places are more than a bit lax about that...the good olde boys network, or a few bucks under the table. Many are really good, but then there's the rest.
Do you think it’s worth having an independent plumber come take a look at it? Our 1 year warranty will be up in February and if they didn’t do something properly, I’d like to get it fixed before that warranty is up
 

Jadnashua

Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Messages
32,771
Reaction score
1,191
Points
113
Location
New England
If either trap is dry (after you've put some water down the floor drain and run a wash after), there's a problem, so yes. If both traps are full, probably not. I'm not a pro, that's my personal opinion. A trap should not siphon dry...it can evaporate dry if it's not used. A dry trap will likely smell.
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks