Sewer Gas Smell

We have an intermittent sewer gas smell in our house, which was completed last year. I informed our plumber about it and they checked the clean-out plugs and then said they couldn't find a source.

Any ideas on how I can pinpoint the source of the sewer gas? There are no traps in the system that don't have water in them.

Thanks,

Ken

"Napalm Heart"

Usually this takes detective work. The plumber should ask if you hear any noises in the tub or sinks. He should also ask if the smell is located somewhere specific. I hope it's not something like a vent pipe that's come apart inside the wall, or something like that.

ask if the floor drain goes to the sewer. You can test for this with dye.

If so you need a trap in it. They really should not be tied together though.

Do you have a pump tank in the basement for the sewer?

No floor drain in the basement, but there is a sump pump. It drains to a seperate discharge.

Soil pipe to septic tank and drain field - no pump.

Thanks for the reply.

Ken

Will check wax rings. Piping in basement is visible.

checked

check for something coming back up the pipe into the sump pit and dying. in the spring, little peeper frogs would crawl 50 feet from the back yard thru the discharge hose into our sumps and sing all night. Something bigger like a mouse or rat could get in, get stuck, and die.

We also thought we had a sewer gas leak in the basement that turned out to be some shrink-wrapped hamburger that was accidentally left out for over a week, hidden under an empty cardboard box while we were busy re-arranging foods in the downstairs fridge. Ewwww!

First things first. Call a professional drain cleaning or plumbing company that offers smoke testing. They'll fill the system with smoke....any leaks....and the smoke will make invisible leak(s) visible. No smoke? No problem with the drain system.

Good Luck

First things first. Call a professional drain cleaning or plumbing company that offers smoke testing. They'll fill the system with smoke....any leaks....and the smoke will make invisible leak(s) visible. No smoke? No problem with the drain system.

Good Luck