My wife and I recently noticed a sewer smell in our home. I went down to the basement and noticed that the rubber boot that connected the sump pump to the pvc discharge pipe was loose thus spraying smelly "water" into my basement. I secured the boot and figured OK problem solved... not quite. I am still getting that sewer smell in my home. At first I thought that I may have not cleaned the basement well enough, and figured that's why the smell was still present. I went down to inspect the sump today and noticed the smell near the sump. Upstairs on the main floor, the smell comes and goes, so I'm thinking every time the sump kicks on, the smell travels up. Just an FYI I had "Roto-Rooter" come out to do my sewer about a year and a half ago. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Mike S.

We are talking about a sump pump with a open pit and not a ejector pump with a closed one aren't we? You say sump but I wonder. Do you have a basement bathroom that drains into this sump? Waiting on your reply, Tom

Tom asks a good question since a sump pump pit should have no connection with sewer gas. The only exception to this I have ever seen was a leaking sewer drain that allowed sewage to saturate the soil under the foundation. We will all pray that this is not your issue, especially if you are fond of your cuurent basement concrete.

It is a pit with a removable lid so I can see down into the pit. I see the pump itself and what looks like two large drain tubes at the bottom going in opposite directions. I do not have a bathroom in my basement, and this is one of two sump pumps I have in my basement. I did also notice a stench coming from the second pit which is located under some stairs. The second one did not have any leak whatsoever. The second is located on the opposite side of the first.

This still does not clearly tell us if this is a sump pump pit draining ground water or if it's a sewage ejector pump. Do these drain tubes seeep watrer when it rains or only when a toilet is flushed or washing machine is used.

Ok sorry... This pump pumps out waste water from washing machine, shower etc...
When I go near it I can hear the trickeling water.

OK now this does sound like an ejector because shower and washer are sewage, gray water. The ejector pit must be sealed with caulk or bolted down and have its own vent stack. I think you are getting ordinary sewer gas backing up in your open pit.

Now this has never happened before the rubber boot connecting the pump to the pvc came loose. I have been in my home for going on six years now. Th sump plate has been this way since the day I bought the house. What is causing the smell to come up from the pit so much?? Was there some kind of vacuum effect caused by the boot coming loose thus sucking air in?

That I can not answer but I do know that , if this is an ejector pit, it should have been totally sealed and vented from day one. It doesn't require a vacuum in your house for sewer gas to enter. It could be slightly increased pressure in the sewer itself due to age. Clogging and increased demand elsewhere in the neighborhood.

OK... Now one more question... Do you think having "Roto-Rooter" come out to my house would fix this problem? Does this sound like a semi clog thus allowing contaminated water coming back in, then being pumped back out via the sump?? Now I understand where you say this sump pit should have been sealed with an airtight lid from the beginning, but seeing as how it wasn't, and there wasn't a smell before, it would bother me to put a lid just to cover the smell without knowing what that smell was or why it started.

Either way the pit eventually must be sealed but it is possible that your drains have a slight blockage. It is your money and we are at the pint when I can be there so I can't diagnose much more.