Why Does My Basement Smell Like Sewer And What Can You Do With It?

Quite often in the basement, you can hear the unpleasant sewer gas smell. It penetrates for various reasons and often indicates various problems. More about why my basement smell like sewer will be discussed in this article.

Causes of sewer smell in the basement

There are several reasons why my basement has a sewer gas smell. If you notice an unpleasant sewer smell, then first, you need to visually inspect the room.

However, be prepared for the fact that it will not be possible to immediately determine the cause of awful basement smells.

It is necessary to conduct several studies to determine the true cause. First, you need to assess the basement floor drain and ventilation system. If the issues are not in the sewer or ventilation, you need to check the injection pump and the sewer line.

Incorrect operation of the floor riser or drain in the basement floor

Cellars are rarely used. However, they have several floor drains that provide a drainage function if the basement floods. If the drains work with problems, an unpleasant smell can appear in the basement.

Floor drains retain some water by sealing the pipe. This prevents the penetration of sewer gas smell into the house. If the seals begin to dry out, an unpleasant sewer smell seeps into the basement.

The bad basement smells because of dry shutter

An equally common reason for the penetration of sewer smell into the basement. As you know, seals can dry out even in toilets, sinks, and washing machines. This happens if the device is used extremely infrequently. As soon as the seal begins to leak, the sewer smell comes out.

Even if the seal was not installed correctly, it leaks. Even if dryness is not provided. If you notice an unpleasant sewer smell in the basement, you need to inspect the drains.

Basement floor drain repair

All floor drains in the basement should be checked first. It is important to check the drains in the toilet, sink, and washing machine. However, solving the problems is quite easy.

If you suspect that the floor drain seal is dry, you need to drain 1 gallon of clean water down the drain.

This helps close the pipe so bad smells won’t seep into the basement.

To facilitate the work, you can add a little mild cleaning agent that is used in everyday life. This helps mask the sewer gas odor. If the seals on the toilet, washing machine, or sink are broken, you have to work more aggressively.

Sewer blockage in the basement

Often, due to clogging of the drain, everything that should fall into the sewer gets stuck. If the floor drain becomes clogged, plumbing problems may arise. Because of this, an unpleasant sewage smell begins to appear.

Is it possible to break through the basement sewer?

Sewerage can be cleaned with a plunger. If the blockage is minor, then you can use a conventional plunger. This saves money because you don’t have to call a plumber to do the same job. This does not always guarantee success, however, for the first time this is enough.

Improvement of ventilation in the basement

If you built the house first and started working on the basement, chances are good that the ventilation system is bad. If the ventilation is not connected to the rest of the ventilation of the whole house, then the sewer gas does not constantly come out.

Often, due to poor ventilation, the unpleasant odor of sewer gases can spread throughout the house. Therefore, you first need to check the drainage seals, and then make sure that the entire house is properly ventilated. It is very difficult for inexperienced people to conduct a check.

If you have little experience, you can check everything yourself. Or call an experienced master. It is better to try to find the source of the unpleasant smell, and run other ventilation forms to mitigate the smell.

Use of fans and dehumidifiers to prevent bad basement smells

Thanks to the use of such devices, basement ventilation will improve. After all, the air is filtered and circulated. Provide pathways for fresh air to enter and exit.

You can install an exhaust fan or a special hole to improve circulation.

This helps create better airflow, so a comfortable environment is formed.

The easiest way to ensure good ventilation is to open the ventilation window. However, it is not always relevant because it all depends on the weather conditions on the street. If there are no windows in the basement, you have to look for more expensive solutions. This increases the value of the house, and you can make the basement more attractive.

Ejector pump problems

If you have equipped a bathroom or laundry room in the basement, you should provide additional devices that will pump out wastewater. For this, an ejector pump is used, which will pump water from the basement into the sewer systems.

Often such systems work correctly. However, sometimes there are problems. If the seal on the device cracks or becomes clogged, an unpleasant sewer smell penetrates the basement.

Features of the repair of the ejector pump

It is best not to do this work on your own. If you have suspicions that the ejector pump provokes unpleasant odors like sewer gases in the basement, it is better to call the master.

Try to reduce your basement wastewater consumption so that the pump is less stressed. If you prefer to experiment, you can buy a new pump and replace the old one.

Sewer pipe problems

If you’re smelling sewer smell in your basement, chances are your sewer line is broken. You need to understand that such a problem is considered the worst. If other issues are not confirmed, you should carefully inspect the sewer system.

If you suspect this reason, you should call the technician. This prevents further damage to the home and sewer system.

How to repair a sewer line?

In most cases, after repairing the sewer line, you can get rid of the unpleasant smell of sewer gas in the basement. If independent work was unsuccessful, and it is better not to carry it out at all, it makes sense to call an experienced plumber.

The plumber independently checks and repairs the sewerage system that leads to your house. Work can be costly. However, this guarantees the safety of the home and the whole family.

Reasons for the basement smells of the rotten egg

If the smell of sewer gas enters, you may feel a rotten egg smell. Often the source of such a smell is considered to be hydrogen sulfide contained in the sewer. When organic materials begin to decompose, sewer gas begins to be released. It is quite difficult to cope with it, and it carries a certain health hazard.

To remove the unpleasant rotten egg smell, you need to fix the sewer system, fix the drain, and improve ventilation. Smell sewer gas may contain ammonia, carbon monoxide, and esters. Sewer gases are dangerous to humans.

If the basement smells are intense, you should first ventilate the room. Only then can you begin to eliminate the cause. Be aware that such odors can ignite easily. Therefore, the use of fire should be abandoned.

Reasons for the smell of poop

Often this happens if there is a sewerage problem in the basement. As soon as the seal in the drain pipes dries, sewer gas begins to leak out. The smell resembles the smell of feces. After the smell seeps into the house.

You need to start solving the issue right away. Otherwise, your health is at risk.

What happens if the odor is not eliminated?

You cannot ignore the presence of an unpleasant smell in the basement. Yes, people tend to get used to this. However, if you do not eliminate the unpleasant odor, this is fraught with some problems.

The presence of an unpleasant odor

You need to understand that the smell is very unpleasant.

The basement then is useless. At the same time, you will be embarrassed if guests come.

Remember that air fresheners and scented candles will not neutralize the smell.

Presence of harmful bacteria

If you smell a strong sewer smell in the basement, then there are leaks. Almost all gases that penetrate inside contain harmful bacteria. This can lead to headaches and other health problems.

FAQ

When unpleasant odors begin to accumulate in the basement, this can cause a lot of questions.

Results

As you can see, the unpleasant smell of sewage in the basement can occur for various reasons. Often this happens if drains and drainage holes have lost their tightness. It can also indicate a poor ventilation system. Therefore, it is necessary to start solving the problem in a complex.

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