Ejector pit4/20/2023 ![]() Start by turning off water to the toilet then flush the toilet and drain all the water from the tank and the bowl. Although a wax ring can last for a long time, a wobbly toilet or an uneven floor can cause the wax ring to stop sealing thereby allowing sewer gases to penetrate between it and the toilet. A Bad Toilet Wax Ringĭo you have a toilet in your basement? If you do and the sewage smell in there is not caused by dried drain traps or a missing cleanout plug, you could be having a toilet wax ring that is not sealing.Ī toilet wax ring is a round ring of wax that is used to create a watertight seal between the bottom of the toilet and the top of the closet flange. If it is missing or damaged, you can buy another one and replace it in minutes. Start by removing the basement floor drain grate then check on the side to see if the plug is there. If the plug is missing, damaged or loose, sewer gases will flow from the sewer line to your basement without being restricted. It is usually covered by a plug to prevent sewer gases from coming up through it. The cleanout is found inside the floor drain on the side. In some houses, the cleanout is located outside the house but in some the cleanout is inside the house usually in the basement. Sewer lines have a cleanout which is basically a pipe used to access the entire sewer line when you want to have it inspected or unclogged. If you have other fixtures in the basement like toilets, sinks and washers that you have also not used in a while, they could also be the cause of the sewer gas smell.įlush the toilets and turn on faucets on the sinks for a few seconds. You will only need to pour about a gallon of water down the floor drain to replace the evaporated water in the P-trap. The solution for this problem is usually a very easy one. When that happens, the sewer gas barrier will have been broken allowing the sewer gases to flow through it and hence the sewage smell in the basement. If your floor drain has not been used for some time, the water in the P-trap is bound to evaporate. Instead, sewer gases flow out through the plumbing vent which runs through the roof of the house. The water in the P-trap acts as a barrier preventing sewer gases from coming up through the drain. This is the water you see at the bottom of a toilet bowl at all times. The shape of a P-trap allows it to hold water at all times. You can clearly see it under your kitchen or bathroom sink but cannot see the one in your basement floor drain or in shower/tub drain. As such, every fixture in your house has a drain trap.Ī P-trap is a U-shaped piece of pipe which also resembles an inverted P and hence its name. ![]() In plumbing, every drain line connected to the sewer line needs to have a drain trap also known as a P-trap. The floor drain is meant to prevent the basement from flooding by channeling excess water to the sewer line. Your basement being the lowest level of your house is designed with a floor drain in mind which is connected to the sewer line. `We will start with the most common cause for sewer smells in the basement which also affects the whole house especially the bathroom. Let us now look in more details why you have a sewer smell in your basement and what you can do to get rid of the odor. Sewer gases will easily flow out of the drain line through the basement floor drain instead of moving up through the plumbing vent. In electricity, we say that electric current flows through the path with the least resistance. When that happens, sewer gases flow out through the drain into the house instead of flowing out through the plumbing vent. If you have an unused bathroom that smells like a sewer, the water in the sink or toilet trap has dried up. When that happens, the sewer gases do not flow out through the plumbing vent but instead forces their way out through basement floor drains. If there is a sewage smell in your basement especially after it rains, it is due to the fact that the rain causes changes in atmospheric pressure causing the air to be dense. ![]() ![]() If all those fail, you will need to have the sewer line inspected. Make sure that the sewer cleanout plug is properly installed, the ejector pit is sealed properly and that the toilet wax ring is not leaking. To get rid of the sewer smell in the basement, pour about a gallon of water down the floor drain and other rarely used drains. In rare occasions, it could also mean that the sewer line is damaged. In homes, that is usually caused by a problem in the drain-waste-vent systemĪ sewer smell in the basement is a sign that the floor drain trap has dried up, the ejector pit is not sealed properly, the sewer cleanout plug is missing, the toilet wax ring is not sealing or there are improperly vented fixtures. A sewage smell means the presence of methane and/or hydrogen sulfide gas which also smells like rotten eggs. ![]()
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