All

I read the string and notice I have a similar problem with a little twist:

1) Live in a 3 story townhouse no underground bottom floor--sits on foundation. Water heater and utilies in closet open to garage.. laundry room inside on bottom floor.

2) had a sewage/organic smell strongest in the basement next to utility closet and laundry room (they share a wall) it would waft upstairs through the vents.

3) The water used to smell and we have replaced the anode in our water heater in December (it is now April)

4) smell was gone and now it is back again---only drain is the one underneath the A/C in utilily closet in garage--none in finished bottom level or laundry room.

5) MAY coincide wit htoilet flushing or heater coming on---

Any ideas? Can the anode need to be replaced again?? What about the organic smell? It smells almost like a mossy odor.

Thanks!! :eek:

The anode rod should be good for several years but the tank should have been thoroughly flushed several times to get the water fresh. Organic smell but not sewage smell? Must be mold or mildew. You may also have junk in the washer drain. Lint can collect and smell like rot.

There is a sewage smell as well--but the organic smell is especially heavy when we turn on our gas fireplace?

Where would the washer drain be?

Thank you!

When you light your fireplace you start a draft up the chimney. The draft pulls air into the building to make up for the loss. It sounds like its pulling in your smell. The drain should be behind the washing machine. The thick black hoes comes out of the machine and goes into something. That's the drain, smell it and see if its your odor.