what could be the cause of a strong "sewer smell" in my basement? A two story house with rec room in basement.

Question

Leaching fields for several houses are in extreme backyard, They are maintained regularly. My basement perodically smells BAD and is unusable. No bathroom in basement and it is not located below main floor bathroom Help !!!

Answer 1

I would call a plumber and see if they could pinpoint where the odor is coming from.

Answer 2

You might have a broken pipe under the basement floor that carries sewage out to the fields. My first home had a horrid sewer smell and it turned out that one of the terra cotta pipes had cracked under the basement floor. Some roots from the garden broke through it and that was where the smell came from. I had to have the plumber come with a scope to find where it was so that we didn't break up the whole basement floor looking for it. He also snaked out the pipes to clean out the roots and replaced the broken pipe.

It might behoove you to have a plumber out to scope the pipes, it costs less than $100 and at least you will know whether that is the problem.

Answer 3

What RJ is talking about goes over the floor drain and has a cap on the bottom that covers the drain. It stops the smells from coming up into he basement, maybe your is missing? or someone moved it.

The other problem is the air vent is plugged, a plumber will run hoes to your roof vent and turn it on flushing the air line or you can climb up there, save some money if you don't fall and maybe, just maybe some stupid bird didn't build it's nest over your vent line, another aspect is a hornets nest in the line.
In any event the line could be plugged. Good luck

Answer 4

Basements usually get damp and if not taken care of can get moldy. In which case it may end up smelling. I would first invest in a dehumidifier unit, not very expensive at all. That will take the moisture out of the air. But i would also get the basement checked for mold because that can be a health hazard.
Also may want to look into getting a sump pump if there is a spot for it. Ask your neighbors if they have one in there basement.

Answer 5

Sounds like you need to flush out your plumbing. It may also be that your pipes are not properly pitched so that the effluence is settling to it's lowest point. It makes no difference whether you have a bathroom in your basement or not. If you have a sink (for laundry, say) the smell of the eflluence will come up through your drain.

Answer 6

You most likly have a straight drain pipe in the basement. It may be under something. The sewer gas is backing into the basement. This is actually fairly common with older home. I do believe you can put in an insert for it.

Answer 7

No because I don't believe in angels nor do I just blindly have "faith." This is just a story meant to help people cope with problems in their life, filled with lots of emotion and no fact. And every outcome is not always to your advantage. This is an extreme example, but for the millions of people who died in the holocaust, was being sent to a concentration camp to their advantage? Obviously not. And fairy tales about angels won't change that.

Answer 8

let me just add to what gypsy said. Yes u could put water in the floor drain once in awhile. But if u add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil on top of that water, the water in the trap will last longer and cooking oil doesn't hurt the plumbing

Answer 9

If the drain is not getting any water, the water in the trap dries out. Pour some water in the drain every couple of weeks and it will be OK,

Answer 10

Call the health inspector in your area and have them come in and check this problem...it sounds like sewer gas is leaking into your basement. This is a health hazzard, and can also be dangerous. Have this checked out immediately

Answer 11

You need a reverse-flow-stopper-thingy. I am 'teaching' class right now and the smell is atrocious in here. Every day the same thing. We need a reverse-flow-stopper-thingy, too.

Take Care.