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View Full Version : I have the smell of raw sewer in my home. How do I find out the problem?


debralewis1148
Dec 8, 2014, 08:18 AM
Trying to find the smell of sewer in my home. The Plumber tell me it's the pipes. He told me to use bleach once a month but it is worse now. I live in brick home so how do I find were the smell coming from.

ebaines
Dec 8, 2014, 09:06 AM
One common cause is if a P-trap dries out, allowing sewer gasses to come up into the house. If you have a bathtub or sink that is rarely used (perhaps in a guest bath or basement) it's possible that the water that should be in the P-trap has evaporated away. Run some water so that it can reseal the P-trap. In my house I have a drain in the floor of the laundry room, and since it's never used (knock on wood) about once/year I have to put some water down that drain or the laundry room starts smelling like an outhouse. I also have a drain in the floor of the basement, but since the condensation from the furnace drains into it there's never an issue with that one.

parttime
Dec 8, 2014, 09:08 AM
Hi debralewis and welcome, do you have floor drains or any fixture that has not been used? Pour cup of water in every drain and see if that helps.

Posted same time ebaines, good answer.

Milo Dolezal
Dec 8, 2014, 07:48 PM
Any long time inactive plumbing fixtures in your house ?
Any work done on your house recently ?

Back to you

Milo

ballengerb1
Dec 8, 2014, 08:13 PM
All good advice so far. Does all your plumbing work properly, no gurgling or bubbling

Mike45plus
Dec 9, 2014, 05:42 AM
Do you have a septic system or central sewer? Odor problems can be difficult to trace, and, there are dozens of circumstances that can cause sewer - like odors. I suggest opening the main soil pipe cleanout, and, take a whiff to confirm that the odor is present in the pipe when you smell it in the house. I also recommend performing a peppermint test on your DWV system...