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-   -   Smell on first floor when I shower on the second floor (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=631233)

  • Jan 28, 2012, 12:29 PM
    Scottelb
    Smell on first floor when I shower on the second floor
    I have a colonial two story home that's about 60 years old. We bought it 5 years ago and everything was fine until the last few months. Now, when I take a shower in my bathroom upstairs, it smells on the first floor, mostly in the stairwell going to the basement. We've had a couple of plumbers come and so far they are not getting to the source of the problem. There are two bathrooms upstairs, side by side. My wife's shower doesn't cause the smell to occur, only mine. The smell is a bit sulfurous and clears in less than an hour. We haven't had any recent clogs in the sinks or showers and water (both hot and cold) comes out smelling fine. There was work done on our street in terms of the main sewage system, when they repaved the street this summer but the smell preceded that work.
    Anyone having any thoughts?
    Thanks
  • Jan 29, 2012, 09:36 AM
    speedball1
    If you have a floor drain in the basement check the trap level. If the floor drain isn't used the pour a quart of cooking oil or Anti-freeze down the in the trap. Did that take care of the odor> Tom
  • Jan 29, 2012, 11:50 AM
    Scottelb
    When you say a floor drain, what am I looking for (Duh!)?

    What am I looking for?
  • Jan 30, 2012, 02:26 PM
    speedball1
    1 Attachment(s)
    Youi are loo9king for a round grate like opening in the basement floor. Here's a picture of one, (see image) The only thging visible is the top of the fitting the rest is under the cement. Take a stick and see if the trap has water in it. If it doesn't then you have located the source of the odor. Pour a quart of cooking oil or anti freeze in the trap and forget it. Good luck, Tom
  • Jan 31, 2012, 02:19 PM
    Scottelb
    Speedball,
    I don't see any drain in the basement. The basement is mostly finished and in the unfinished areas there's not grating. There is a small sump pump in one corner but no other drains
  • Jan 31, 2012, 03:02 PM
    speedball1
    Could the sump be the source of your smell? Is it a open pit? Back to you, Tom

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