First thanks for being here on the internet for people asking questions.

We have a custom built 1945 three flat garden basement apartment Brick, with apartment(front) directly above in the front of the house,(70 feet ) long full attic. And a apartment also on above ground level in rear. So its base apt front ,with full basemant rear i.e. laundry room heating rec room etc and above front half and rear half and attic above housing (storage) catch basin in rear of building outside . No power systems all gravity system, below ground piping to city sewer system. Basement apt. and front apts. Are connected to one stack pipe and laundry and apt rear kitchen sink connected to another stack pipe . Rear apt. has toilet and tub on oppisite side encluding a third stack vent for that system. Front apt and basement apt above and below each other are the same lay out , kitchen sink in the middle with bath room Toilet ,tub, sink ten feet away to the front. Or right , problem is basement apt, has sewer gas coming out of wall from 1 1/2 dwv system of kitcken sink, both sinks have a histroy of clogging and filling the basement one up because they connected to same dwv line , Dwv line in basement apt kitchen sink 1 1/2 is running along gouged out concrete foundation to toilet stack AREA but is not connect to toilet stack as I removed water from toilet to listen for running water to this stack from kitchen sink and don't hear any,
So that means dwvc must be going to catch basin?? No drawings on this house so I am up for grabs and how its put together. Is there normally a second 4 inch line under house taking kitchen sink water to the catch basin and using the same dwv system as the toilet stacks for venting?? And being I have sewer gas coming out of wall (outside wall) does this mean I have pipes rotted or separated at the joints to the dwv system to the catch basin?? That would mean tearing out the basment apt kitchen wall and cabinets to find out , so anyhelp and thought would be very helpful. I was looking on internat for layout info on common systems but couldnot find any I would think that this would be typical layout?? I don't see any water leaks or rotted piping I have many times rodded and plungered line only to get clogged again soon 2 months and sewer gas is getting worse. Bashed out part of the wall plaster 3 inches fron concrete foundation and found no rotted piping all visible piping is still sealed. We are very firmilure with grease going down the kitchen sink and freezing up as it hits the underground cold piping and causing blockage so we always drain our grease from cooking pans and freeze it and throw in the garabge but you never get it all no garbage disposials or dish washers either.
I also have a problem with flooring outside bathroom in hallway seems like rotted supports for oak flooring I wouldn't be surprised if this is tied together with possible broken piping from kitchen, but how?? System is all cast iron piping and iron pressure piping some copper replacments in other parts of house on pressure side. All kitchen sinks and baths are on outside walls.


Thanks Douglas Star393

Hi Douglas,

You speak of being connected to city sewer but you also mention a "catch basin" do you mean a septic tank, grease trap, (that we used to discharge our kitchen sinks into in the 40's and 50's) or a storm water catch basin. Describe it please and its function. If you're looking for a "Typical plumbing layout" on the internet you won't find one. The builder sends us plans and we design each installation individually. Condos and hi raises are the only exceptions. Without being there I would guess the kitchen sinks discharge into the catch basin and from there out to the sewer but that's only a guess. Regards, Tom

Tom

Here in the city or suburban area all houses have a catch basin, some things are tied into it and something's are not all raw sewage goes directly out the main to city, town, sewage system under the street No septic system around here until you get 25 miles out farther then its mushy hold your nose land. Today I did a inspection of what does go there and what does not. The rear apt. kitchen sink runs to the catch basin the laundry room in rear basement goes to catch basin floor drains outside and in basement go to catch basin gutter water also . But front apt and basement kitchen sinks donot they must go to main under building. 6 inch main under building and 6 inch outlet from catch basin to street other end of main. 6 inch pipe from rear and basement kitchen sinks and 4 inch main from floor drains.
I have a rod out station I put in out front of the house going to street because of the tree roots. Today I ran 2000 gallons of water thur the catch basin to get small pool ready for winter and clean out catch basin all working find I might add. So front apt and front basement apt must go to main from kitchen sinks . So kitchen sink piping to toilet stack 10 feet away must came apart en route to the stack or at the stack pipe (4 inch Cast iron piping) . Or rotted off. Clogging takes affect 3 gallons away from basement apt kitchen sink that's about 8 feet of 1 1/2 old dirty piping just before or at vertical stack (vent stack) to roof bottom side used by drains and toilets. I always thought that all kitchen sinks went to catch basin guess not here cost of piping in 1945 they must have started limiting use of the catch basin but for sure all lanudry rooms go there and in single family dwells all kitchen sinks also I just don't know when it comes to aptment buildings even as small as this one but long 70 long. This is a story and ahalf custom built brick three flat basically for family.

Douglas

Good morning Douglas,

Your "catch basin" qualifies as a grease trap in my book. Back when my house was built in the 50's all kitchen sinks and washers discharged first into the grease trap before exiting out into the sewage system. This prevented grease, garbage and fiber from entering the sewer system especially if the system had a septic tank and filter bed. Cheers, Tom

OK grease trap but larger ones called catch basins grease traps are basically very small units external of all plumbing and usually under a sink mainly in businesses some very small ones are inside the buildings in the ground about 10 gallons or so. Although these catch basins do the same thing in a reality they give them a diff. name when used in a residents. Most catch basins are 10 feet deep 3 1/2 feet id dia with a manhole cover over it on the out side of the house although they can wind up inside after people add on to there house in violation of code. What ever the size grease trap or catch basin although the wording does describe its type of installation around here.

Back to my original problem which is sewer gas coming out of the wall from this dwv system that must connect to the 4 " cast iron main vent stack i guess i have alot of walls to tear down because the 1 1/2 dwv piping must have rotted or torn apart from the 4 " system at the bathroom were it joins the bathroom sewer system as this sink doesn't go to the catch basin grease trap it goes directly to the main via bathroom 10 feet away from kitchen sink I guess its camera time to really find out, as I do have a problem with kitchen flooring getting weak and hallway flooring outside bathroom going bad as batroom floor is concrete with ceramic tile so some of the water is spilling out of piping into building and running to flooring somehow.

Any thoughts on this problem

Douglas

Since the kitchen flooring's getting weak why not take out a section and attempt to track the leak back. I had that happen to me,( 1954 house) and I located the leak in the sink lateral (horizontal ) drain in the wall off the trap.
The copper, (yours may be gakvanized) 1 1/2" drain had split and all the water I let go from the sink leaked out inside the wall and down to the floor.
Replacing the arm solved the problem. Regards, Tom

How would sink above and sink below be piped into one outlet to 4" waste line from bathroom 1 1/2 black dwv piping used both sinks have to run to the right at least 3 or 4 feet tee and then 2 to 3 ft to vent waste line ,
I knocked out afoot of plaster.line is buried into concrete cutout foundation behine wall before it can make the run for front to back clearance, no leaks noted around there. Camera will only fit 3 or 4 inch line so that's out unless fiber optics types are used. I guess that moist concrete outside wall arouind piping promoted rott in this case, must be a big break to allow so much sewer gas to blow in wall and into house.


Douglas maybe some mirrors might help. And strong lighting.

Hey Douglas,

Since the original drainage in your house was cast iron and ABS black plastic has been added I would take a close look at the connections where the cast iron converts to plastic. I would also inspect the cast iron pipe a lot more closely then I would the plastic pipes. Regards, Tom

No plastic has been used I will need a camera to look into the wall before I bring out the axe and hammer. Any advice on type of camera?
Black pipe cast iron not black plastic. Douglas

no plastic has been used i will need a camera to look into the wall before i bring out the axe and hammer. Any advice on type of camera??
Black pipe cast iron not black plastic. Douglas

Hey Douglas,

I assumed from your post where you mention "1 1/2 black dwv piping" that you meant ABS plastic since cast iron stops at 2" and we install galvanized for 1 1/2". (Black pipe cast iron not black plastic.) Sorry!

You ask,"Any advice on type of camera??" Do you wish to purchase, rent or contact a service company to do this? Regards, Tom

Did you ever get this fixed?

Im on the NW side of Chicago and had (I hope had!) a similar problem. My catch basin was buried under an addition in the crawl space. I had an awful smell of sewer gas in the basement. I finally narrowed it down to the catch basin. In my house only the gutters are draining into it. Sinks drain directly into the stack due to remodeled plumbing.

I popped the catch basin cap and it reaked of sewer gas. I ran the garden hose in it for about an hour and it seemed to stop it. I was thinking maybe the water in the catch basin either soured or was very low (which it was)

Im assuming the odor will return eventually. Since Im finishing the basement and will lay carpet Im trying to find a permanent fix.

Any suggestions? Did you end up fixing it?

Try dumping a gallon of bleach down into it and letting it set over night. Next morning flush it out with a hose. The bleach will kill any bacteria that may be causing the bad smell. I never heard back from the first poster. Good luck tom

Did you ever get this fixed?

Im on the NW side of Chicago and had (I hope had!) a similar problem. My catch basin was buried under an addition in the crawl space. I had an awful smell of sewer gas in the basement. I finally narrowed it down to the catch basin. In my house only the gutters are draining into it. Sinks drain directly into the stack due to remodeled plumbing.

I popped the catch basin cap and it reaked of sewer gas. I ran the garden hose in it for about an hour and it seemed to stop it. I was thinking maybe the water in the catch basin either soured or was very low (which it was)

Im assuming the odor will return eventually. Since Im finishing the basement and will lay carpet Im trying to find a permanent fix.

Any suggestions? did you end up fixing it?


Catch basin is super clean, I have a pool and I dump many gallons of clorine water into catch basin a dual problem solver and I did check it still super clean, no I don't really think that is my problem but thanks for the post,
I still haven't fix problem yet as I am trying to buy a borescoupe so that I can drill small holes in 8 foot of wall were pipe run is located from kitchen to bathroom were DWV system is connected I have a broken or rotted broken DWV pipe somewere in wall and bath is ceramic tile and ceramic flooring and kitchen is double iron built in cabinet sink system from 1940,s built to stay there. Eithe way I am in for a lot of remodeling and repairs. This problem just did not start all the pieces are falling together now Nat flies sewer gas and weak oak flooring outside bathroom door. In hall way to livingroom. The bleach idea will help kill grems and deorerize but labor of tearing out everything will be a nightmare. I woulder if Ins will cover this problem??
Using borscope will lesson the taer out by knowing were its at hopefully but result is it will all have to come out and flooring also.
Construction is piping is located along interior wall embeded into concrete foundation someone screwed up at construstion time in the 40,s and had to carve out a 3 inch trench into concrete foundation to make the run for DWV drain system to stack in bathroom so its no easy task. I would say cold wet concrete on outside promoted iron rot Also this area outside kitchen windows is a cutter drain leading down under sidewalk and cheap ******* typical construction contractor ended clay tile 6 inches under sidewalk and ran galvanized gutters down under sidewalk to meet clay tilles well sure enough 45 years later gutter water has been washing the surrounding dirt down 4 inch tile until it was plugged up all the way down under footing and then backed up and kept flooding foundation . I found this problem 15 years ago and had to dig under footing and replace piping and bring above sidewall and do it right myself. Pee gravel and sand for fill and 6 inches of concrete. This probably started the process to what it is now. Or it sure helped a great deal. I just hate to see what the hell happened to my flooring supports outside bathroom door after cerramic concrete flooring from bathroom. Iam in for a big one that's for sure.

Douglas

Hey Douglas,

I assumed from your post where you mention "1 1/2 black dwv piping" that you meant ABS plastic since cast iron stops at 2" and we install galvanized for 1 1/2". (Black pipe cast iron not black plastic.) Sorry!

You ask,"Any advice on type of camera??" Do you wish to purchase, rent or contact a service company to do this? Regards, Tom


Thanks Tom for all your input yep also sorry for the mix up I guess I am old world to the point that when I talk I don't have plastic on my mind I also learned how to use oakum and lead and there tools in my younger days and brass lined lead pipe that was once used for water supply back in the late 1890,s and early 1900,s at my parents house now coupled with special connector to copper piping another hole in the ground. Check further post to another person for further news on this subject, no I still haven't fix problems

Douglas

no plastic has been used i will need a camera to look into the wall before i bring out the axe and hammer. Any advice on type of camera??
Black pipe cast iron not black plastic. Douglas
Hi Douglas,
There are companys that specialize in "sewer viewing". Look in your yellow pages. Good luck, Tom