Help! Sewer smell in basement.

Feb 27, 2006 6 Replies

I had a badly clogged drain last week I had to attack at the main drainage line right before it leaves the house. There's a 1' by 2' floor opening at the corner of the basement with access to the pipe. I opened the cap and out spilled water and all the filth backed up inside the drain. The smell that came out was unbearable. I put on some long rubber gloves and a respirator and in about two hours had the pipe unclogged and the 1x2 hole cleaned of all the "stuff" left behind. It's just dirt in that hole so taking out all that mud wasn't too easy.



My next problem was the stench left behind throughout the entire basement. I emptied a small bottle of bleach into the hole, opened the windows, and cleared the basement. Now, I must let everyone know I live in New York City, and it has been bitterly cold here lately, so I don't like leaving the windows wide open for too long a time.



Well, it's been over a week and the smell is still there. Obviously, it's not as bad as before, but it's still very noticeable. Our basement is completely finished and a part of our everyday lives. We've been forced to abandon it for the past week. We've tried Lysol, Oust, mopping the floors with strong pine cleaner, leaving the basement windows open for long periods of time. These just help for a small amount of time. Besides letting the place air out for a couple of weeks/months, I just don't know what to do.



Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.



Thank You


Try something with charcoal in it, such as this product...

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did you pour clean water down all your drains to refill the traps after you removed the clog?

Oh thats just disgusting. Did it shoot up in the air?

So this hole in the floor was recessed? How extensive was the spillout? What type of surface came in contact with the substance?

Since your in NY you can probably burn a gang of incense every day for a week.

You say the basement was finished. I suppose that means cloth covered furniture which may have absorbed some of the smell? Try Fabreze and/or OdoBan on the furniture.

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