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    SpcTeach1's Avatar
    SpcTeach1 Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #1

    Mar 6, 2008, 06:45 PM
    Sewer smell related to tree roots?
    HI , I have a sewer smell coming out of my basement floor drain and just noticed today that it is coming out of my the vent for my downstairs bathroom. About 4 years ago we had to have the main line cleared because it was completely clogged with tree roots. Could the line be clogging again? Or is there something else I should check. The smell comes out only if you have ran water. I can actually feel a breeze coming out of the floor drain. The more water you run the smellier it seems to get. Also the floor drain is only connected to the grey water line in the house, the toilet line conncts outside the house. Also the smell doesn't come out of any other drain in the house besides the floor drain and the laundry tub drain. ( they are 2-3 ft apart). The laundry tub drain does have a trap. Please help!!
    MOWERMAN2468's Avatar
    MOWERMAN2468 Posts: 3,214, Reputation: 243
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    #2

    Mar 6, 2008, 09:26 PM
    Yes, the roots could be back causing problems. And grey water can smell horrible at best in most cases.
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
    Eternal Plumber
     
    #3

    Mar 7, 2008, 06:46 AM
    The smell comes out only if you have ran water. I can actually feel a breeze coming out of the floor drain
    This tells me you have a partial blockage in the service line to the street,( most likely roots) that's sending backpressure,(sewer gas), through your floor drain as the discharge flows to the stret. This should be snaked out for a temporary repair, for a permanent repair you will have to locate and repair the break in your line. After you snake and clear the linje of roots here's a tip on controlling the root problem until you can get a permanent repair.
    RootX or Robics Foaming Root Killer that contain Dichlobrnic are two products you could try.
    A less expensive way would be to call around to garden supply stores and ask for fine grain Copper Sulphate. Put a 1/2 pound in your toilet and flush it down. Repeat in 6 months.
    Hope this helps Tom
    SpcTeach1's Avatar
    SpcTeach1 Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #4

    Mar 7, 2008, 06:59 AM
    Thanks I know where about the tree roots are located, they had to dig up half the alley to remove them last time. The problem is I have to dig up a pipe in my yard to give the city acess. They have no access to my line for approx 2 1/2 blocksor more . No man holes or anything. They say that it is to far to insert a camera or anything else to see what is going on. Does anone know if the city is required to have their own access. I know all the opther houses in my town have private access clean outs and then the city house their cleanouts but not my house.
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
    Eternal Plumber
     
    #5

    Mar 7, 2008, 07:26 AM
    I'm confused, Are you saying that you don't have a house cleanout on your sewer line? By "city access" are you referring to man holes in the street?
    By "private access clean outs " is this just another meaning of house clean out? Please clarify. Regards, Tom
    SpcTeach1's Avatar
    SpcTeach1 Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #6

    Mar 7, 2008, 08:32 AM
    I have a buried house clean out in my back yard. There are no manholes on the line, the only cleanout on the whole line is the one in my back yard. It seems that my line from my house exsists my property runs down the middle of any alley, then down another road 2 blocks, then turns and goes into the big line, where there is a man hole. My line runs out the back of the house. All the other houses on my street and in my town leave from the front of the house and connect under the front road. For some reason mine was never connected this way. I am the original house on the block so maybe that is why. But I thought they would have to have some kind of access to the (Im guessing) quarter mile of pipe under the road. The have said that all that pipe under the alley and rd is their responsibility. My responsibility ends at my property line. I am just wondering why I have to dig up my back yard to give them access when the problem is in their section of pipe. Does that make sense. I guess I feel they should have installed access when they dug the alley up years ago. I guess what I am saying is most houses have about 20 ft of pipe before the huge sewer pipe. I have about a quarter mile. It was actually pretty funny watching the city workers run to every manhole in a 3 block radius trying to find the green die they put in!

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