Trap water siphoned after a week of filling

[Lyn12]

Hello. I have replaced all my plumbing through the house and new sewer pipes under the basement floor to the street. The house still smells like sewer gas. I filled the tap in the basement drain up and a week later it was gone. I had the house smoke tested and a camera run down the trap to the street. Everything looked good. No leaks. On plumber said it might be a venting issue. What do you think? Have any ideas?

 

[WorthFlorida]

Possible it is venting. Is it a 2 story or one story home? A second floor drain, such as flushing a toilet, the column of water will going down the pipe will put air pressure in pipe in front of the water and the air will go out a vent or a trap in a sink or floor drain. You may hear gurgling if it occurs. The flor drain goes down becuase as the water passes. there is a slight vacuum behind the water and it pull just a little water as lomg as it pulled over the trap way. After a week or so there is evaporation?

Where is a washing machine? it dumps a lot of water at once. Was any of the venting replaced or moved? Any AAV's added? Fill the floor drain and cover it with plastic bag and weight it down with a pail of water. A week later check the water level? is there still the sewer gas small?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jeff H Young]

A properly plumbed house with no stoppages does not push and suck the water out a floor drain . something isnt right .
if you check and put water in floor drain daily will stink still come

 

[Lyn12]

Possible it is venting. Is it a 2 story or one story home? A second floor drain, such as flushing a toilet, the column of water will going down the pipe will put air pressure in pipe in front of the water and the air will go out a vent or a trap in a sink or floor drain. You may hear gurgling if it occurs. The flor drain goes down becuase as the water passes. there is a slight vacuum behind the water and it pull just a little water as lomg as it pulled over the trap way. After a week or so there is evaporation?

Where is a washing machine? it dumps a lot of water at once. Was any of the venting replaced or moved? Any AAV's added? Fill the floor drain and cover it with plastic bag and weight it down with a pail of water. A week later check the water level? is there still the sewer gas small?

It is a one story ranch style. It is unoccupied now because of the sewer gas. I think something is wrong with the venting of the main drain. Only one plumber last week out of dozens thought of that. Im meeting a couple more this week to see what they think

 

[Lyn12]

A properly plumbed house with no stoppages does not push and suck the water out a floor drain . something isnt right .
if you check and put water in floor drain daily will stink still come

I haven't tried putting water in daily. The odor seems to be constant. But maybe it takes a long time to get the gas out of basement even if the trap is full? I put a cap on the drain recently and the cap smelled horrible like an outhouse when I took it off a few days later. There was still some water in the trap. Something is not right for sure. Maybe the main drain isn't vented right?

 

[Jeff H Young]

It is a one story ranch style. It is unoccupied now because of the sewer gas. I think something is wrong with the venting of the main drain. Only one plumber last week out of dozens thought of that. Im meeting a couple more this week to see what they think

the same applys whether a ranch with basement or 2 story , facts are houses dont have sewer stink that are in proper condition. could be a lot of causes of stink , you havent explained the trap though is there a house trap ?
What about the entire house was replumbed that includes all underground and vents through roof? could be an open pipe inside a wall ? Have you tried plugging off the floor drain ?
Was the home totally remodeled maybe another trade ran a saw through a vent.
We are kinda stuck with 100 guesses .
Dozens of plumbers ? i dont work on those basement houses and also dont have homes that tie roof drains and drain tile into the sewer , could be an open line there . when was smoke test and sewer cam ?
some thoughts might pop up but only with your participation otherwise turn a top notch plumbing crew loose start the clock and open check book and pray

 

[Lyn12]

the same applys whether a ranch with basement or 2 story , facts are houses dont have sewer stink that are in proper condition. could be a lot of causes of stink , you havent explained the trap though is there a house trap ?
What about the entire house was replumbed that includes all underground and vents through roof? could be an open pipe inside a wall ? Have you tried plugging off the floor drain ?
Was the home totally remodeled maybe another trade ran a saw through a vent.
We are kinda stuck with 100 guesses .
Dozens of plumbers ? i dont work on those basement houses and also dont have homes that tie roof drains and drain tile into the sewer , could be an open line there . when was smoke test and sewer cam ?
some thoughts might pop up but only with your participation otherwise turn a top notch plumbing crew loose start the clock and open check book and pray

I have spent a fortune re-doing everything. There is not whole house trap. Yes. I plugged the floor drain. It still smelled but maybe it takes some time for the sewer gas to escape a basement? I did a smoke test this week and camera in the sewer line. It is a mystery so far.

 

[Jeff H Young]

I have spent a fortune re-doing everything. There is not whole house trap. Yes. I plugged the floor drain. It still smelled but maybe it takes some time for the sewer gas to escape a basement? I did a smoke test this week and camera in the sewer line. It is a mystery so far.

Ok well thanks for coming back so quick , Im sorry for this frustrating and expensive problem , If you keep up with the info we might get somewhere to steer you.
Ok is the smell through out house or just in basement? that trap shoudnt dry out in a few days or weeks my opinion in a proper system it just dosent happen its bullshit that a trap drys out on a proper build in a couple days or someone uses a toilet nope nope never not if everything is built right. plus youve got it plugged for days or weeks now right? if not why not if its just something with floor drain why not figure that out ? Im also wondering if storm water , or foundation drains are connected to this sewer line and some how smell is coming out?
Ive not done a smoke test but wonder if an oderant additive might help pinpoint . A few thoughts you got pictures of the entire build to review or possibly post if questions arrise? Busy day but will respond later maybe other thoughts from others here including George (worth florida) I dont nessesarily think the trap should drain like that but he always has good ideas too , these are kinda rough to figure from afar and near for that matter. Jeff

 

[John Gayewski]

I think you need to narrow down if the smell is coming from the floor drain in the basement first. Plug it for some time. Air out the house and basement. Then come back and check to see if the smell returned while it's plugged and you know it couldn't be lingering smell.

If it does smell and that's the only trap in the basement then your smoke test was a failure and there's a leak somewhere. If it no longer smells then it's the floor drain.

Your sure there's nothing dead or a bucket of feces somewhere? It sounds weird to have a bucket of feces hidden somewhere, but who know what they could've done during construction or possibly a homeless person or kids.

 

[bingow]

@Lyn12 , DIYer following your problem, with a couple of things. First, A contract re-roofer for our soon-to-be home somehow hit a bath roof vent hard enough to break an internal attic joint, then likely just straightened the exposed part. Sewer gas filled the attic, eventually making its way into the house. Second, birds of certain species will dive down open top pipes. Other critters possible.

 

[WorthFlorida]

A google search?

People also ask
What is a plumbing peppermint test?

Pour $4-$5 of pure peppermint flavoring down the roof vent stack in your house and begin smelling around the house for the peppermint smell. Where you discover the peppermint smell inside you house indicates a location with something not right in the waste piping.

Sewer Gas Smell & Peppermint Extract - Mosby Building Arts​

https://mosbybuildingarts.com/sewer-gas-smell-peppermint-extract/#:~:text=Pour%20%244%2D%245%20of,right%20in%20the%20waste%20piping.

Search for: What is a plumbing peppermint test?
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[Jeff H Young]

John articulated well ! You need to proove or disproove if stink has anything to do with the drain. smoke test says its good but I dont know if it was inside a wall where woulds smoke appear might leak up above in attic. Lyn12 what was the conclusion of plumber who performed smoke test?

 

[Lyn12]

Ok well thanks for coming back so quick , Im sorry for this frustrating and expensive problem , If you keep up with the info we might get somewhere to steer you.
Ok is the smell through out house or just in basement? that trap shoudnt dry out in a few days or weeks my opinion in a proper system it just dosent happen its bullshit that a trap drys out on a proper build in a couple days or someone uses a toilet nope nope never not if everything is built right. plus youve got it plugged for days or weeks now right? if not why not if its just something with floor drain why not figure that out ? T Im also wondering if storm water , or foundation drains are connected to this sewer line and some how smell is coming out?dddd
Ive not done a smoke test but wonder if an oderant additive might help pinpoint . A few thoughts you got pictures of the entire build to review or possibly post if questions arrise? Busy day but will respond later maybe other thoughts from others here including George (worth florida) I dont nessesarily think the trap should drain like that but he always has good ideas too , these are kinda rough to figure from afar and near for that matter. Jeff

John articulated well ! You need to proove or disproove if stink has anything to do with the drain. smoke test says its good but I dont know if it was inside a wall where woulds smoke appear might leak up above in attic. Lyn12 what was the conclusion of plumber who performed smoke test?

I believe he did a good job with the smoke test. It was the 3rd smoke test Ive had done over a period of years. The walls were open on the first test. The second test we found a leak that needs a cap glued. The odor is in the basement but wafts upstairs. It is the worst around the floor drain. I put the drain cover back on today and will fill the trap everyday. I have widow open and a fan pulling the air outside.

 

[Lyn12]

Ok well thanks for coming back so quick , Im sorry for this frustrating and expensive problem , If you keep up with the info we might get somewhere to steer you.
Ok is the smell through out house or just in basement? that trap shoudnt dry out in a few days or weeks my opinion in a proper system it just dosent happen its bullshit that a trap drys out on a proper build in a couple days or someone uses a toilet nope nope never not if everything is built right. plus youve got it plugged for days or weeks now right? if not why not if its just something with floor drain why not figure that out ? Im also wondering if storm water , or foundation drains are connected to this sewer line and some how smell is coming out?
Ive not done a smoke test but wonder if an oderant additive might help pinpoint . A few thoughts you got pictures of the entire build to review or possibly post if questions arrise? Busy day but will respond later maybe other thoughts from others here including George (worth florida) I dont nessesarily think the trap should drain like that but he always has good ideas too , these are kinda rough to figure from afar and near for that matter. Jeff

The smell is coming from the trap drying out so fast. It is coming from the basement but wafts upstairs making the house smell like its filthy and needs cleaning.

 

[Jeff H Young]

The smell is coming from the trap drying out so fast. It is coming from the basement but wafts upstairs making the house smell like its filthy and needs cleaning.

Well gee isnt that simple ? a dozen plumbers and a smoke test and they couldnt figure it out. Communication must not be good between you all
If I recall everything is new including the floor drain p trap all the way out the house... how new is new ? , did the trap freeze in winter? I dont know

 

[WorthFlorida]

The smell is coming from the trap drying out so fast. It is coming from the basement but wafts upstairs making the house smell like its filthy and needs cleaning.

If you need the floor drain, look into trap primers.

 

[Lyn12]

I will look into that verses tearing the concrete and doing proper venting on the drain pipe. I posted a pic of the pipes

 

[Jeff H Young]

this sounds beyond trap primer duty unless you put water down drain and then 2 monthes later you start getting stink, trap primer job is in addition to plumbing to code and another code requirement . Ill look for your pic of plumbing lyn12

 

[Lyn12]

this sounds beyond trap primer duty unless you put water down drain and then 2 monthes later you start getting stink, trap primer job is in addition to plumbing to code and another code requirement . Ill look for your pic of plumbing lyn12

That's good to know about the trap primer. I will have to get it properly repaired. Cut out the concrete. It's dry after a week. I put a cap on the drain recently and adding water every few days through the wash machine drain. It seems to be smelling better already.

 

[Jeff H Young]

Never saw your picture so a few comments are in order. FLOOR DRAIN is I call unvented you can call it improperly vented if you prefer. totally wrong though. secondly what is going on with the 2 inch or 1 1/2 wye ing off and running against the wall? is there a p trap or a pit there ? wye the pipe just standing there? there might b another unvented p trap close to the wall cant tell ? let us know lyn12. hope its still open to do some fixing!