I already augered the washer pipe. I also ran a hose up to the roof and flushed out the vent pipe. There was no leaking anywhere when the water was running through the vent pipe. The smell is the strongest in the basement. It may also smell a little when I run the shower. Thoughts?? Thanks.

Is there a floor drain in the basement? Sometimes, if they don't get enough use, the water in the trap evaporates and you can get sewer gas back through them. In fact, any drain that is not used for a long time can give this problem.

Actually, now that I think about it, sometimes a wash machine develops a bad odor between wash days. Have you checked the machine before the first load?

EPM

PS For all you nit pickers out there, I do know about trap seal makeup systems, but they aren't found very often in residential... yet. :)

Is your washer draining into a stand pipe that is not vented? That would create the issue you describe.

I don't know about the venting. Can you let me know how to check. Also, it rained really hard last night and that also created the smell.

I don't know about the venting. Can you let me know how to check. Also, it rained really hard last night and that also created the smell.
A washer set up looks like this, (see image). The vent is in the wall. Smells are always worse in rain or high humidity. The dense air makes the smell heavier and brings them closer to the ground so you smell it more. And check the floordrain trap to be sure it's full.Regards, Tom

Ha! No. My washer pipe is kind of a crazy mock-up job done by the last owner. The washer drains into a standing pipe that then goes nowhere that I can see. Underneath the basement floor. The weird thing is, I never had this smell for 10 months and obviously I was doing laundry.

Hey Girl,
Let's see if the washer's trapped. Stick a broom handle down the stand pipe and look at it when you draw it back out. There should be a few inches of water on the end. Let me know what you find. Regards, Tom

There is water on the end.

Is your washer draining into a stand pipe that is not vented?? That would create the issue you describe.

Here is a brief history of the situation.
I moved into the house 10 months ago.
Replaced the airconditioner 9 months ago.
Had a clog in the kitchen sink 2.5 months ago and used a plunger to remove.
Detected the sewer smell coming from the basement about 2 months ago.
Used an auger to clear out the washing machine pipe and ran a hose through the vent to check for clogs, leaks. None.
Now, the smell is BAD, espcially after it rains, I use washing machine and sometimes after using toilet, shower.

No fixture is draining poorly except the washer which leaks a little underneath the washer. Any ideas?


One more thing. I have researched the issue of a clean-out plug for the basement floor drain. I do not have a plug on that part of the drain. It's an old in the floor drain. Could it really be that simple??

Well, Tom is a master plumber but there may be one hitch to his test for a trap. Usually an inch or so of water is an indicator of a trap but standuing water in the darin line can also give a false reading. With you other drain issues you may still have a partially clogged drain pipe and NO trap. Try removing your washer drain from the stand pipe, cover the open end of the stand pipe with plastic wrap and a few rubber bands, if the smell disappears you probably have no trap. You can create a air tight sealing connection between the stand pipe and the washer. Tom's expertise doesn't end with plumbing, he can show you the proper connection with his library of pics, right Tom?

Just saw your question regarding the floor drain. Remove the strainer and add a bucket of water, if you see standing water the drain is likely trapped but can give you a false reading just like Tom's broom stick test. Tape plastic wrap over the drain for several days just like the stand pipe. I have never run into an untrappde floor drain but there is always a first time.

So, the floor drain has a trap. I am still unsure about the washing machine pipe. However, I took the washer tube out of the pipe and sniffed and didn't notice any smell. I am running a load of laundry and will check again after. Any other thoughts or tests I can run to narrow down the smell? The plumber is coming tomorrow and I'd love to have an idea about what's going on so I don't get charged for hours of investigating. Thank you so much.

Are you saying that the hole in the side of the floordrain is open(no plug)? If so, yes this could very well be your problem.

Lawgirl, did you try the plastic wrap?

Mygirls, where did you catch the part about no plug?
Thanks,
Bob

Hello! Ok, so I tried the plastic wrap and it seemed to me that the smell was definitely leaking out of the floor drain. I didn't have a cap on the part of the floor drain and it was horribly corroded. A plumber came this morning and said that the missing cap was definitely part of the problem. The other part was that after the flooding, the cap was gone and the drain was horrible clogged underneath the basement. They are coming tomorrow to chip away part of the floor and fix the clog and cap the hole. He said it would be about 300.00 Does this seem like an OK price and/or the legitimate cause? You have been a great help thus faar. Thank you!

So the plumber did not try to rod the drain at all, just decided he has to break up your floor? The price seamsa low and the reasoning seems weak. The missing cap is likely a drain strainer and would not affect the drain one bit. Floor drain traps can be a pain to rod but I sure would have tried bedfore I got my rotary hammer out and broke the floor.

The plumber did try to rod it first. Hmmmmmm... I will be there tomorrow morning again. What do you think I should do at this point?

He is there and I am not, just let him do what he thinks is best since he has actually done an inspection. Its hard for us to "picture" all the iissues in our minds eye, maybe this guy is right.

Well, I will give it a go. If this does not work I will be back online once again asking for assistance. Thank you!!

I do not have a plug on that part of the drain. It's an old in the floor drain. Could it really be that simple?? [/QUOTE]
This quote is from the bottom of post #9
Ballengerb,
I took this to mean that she does have a side cleanout, but it is not plugged (capped). Sorry if I misunderstood.