Are you smelling a sewer odor when you go into your basement?
It’s not unusual, but it is still quite unpleasant. But don’t panic! There could be a variety of possible fixes. With a bit of investigation, you can (hopefully easily) eliminate the smell.
There are so many smells – because you can’t see smells – there are multiple possibilities at play.
As Toronto’s trusted plumber – Hoerner has the solution!
A sewer smell in the basement could be caused by:
A dried-out floor drain – Every drain in a home has a trap. It’s a pipe that resembles a sideways P, which allows the waste water to drain properly. But P-traps also serve another purpose – preventing hazardous sewer gasses from entering the home. The floor drain uses water to form a seal which prevents gas from flowing back into the home. However, when the water evaporates, the trap dries out. This happens in infrequently used fixtures, such as guest bathrooms. When the trap dries out, gas seeps in and causes the terrible smell.
Loose drain plug – The p-trap contains a cleanout plug, without which sewer gas can easily escape into the basement. When the plug becomes loose or goes missing, it must be replaced to avoid the bad smell.
Bad toilet seal – The toilet seat should not wobble when you sit on it, as that indicates a bad wax seal between the flange and the base of your toilet. If the seal dries out or if the toilet was not installed properly after new flooring was installed, this would happen.
Issues with the ejector pump – While a sump pump collects groundwater to prevent basement flooding, the ejector pump collects water from the basement and pumps it into the sewer or septic tank. However, an ejector pump collects both sewage and wastewater. As such, a bad seal, clog or crack can cause sewer gas to permeate the entire basement.
Learn more about the Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program for sump pump rebates and backwater valve rebates.
Bad vents – A basement is sometimes treated as an afterthought when it comes to venting the appliances and fixtures. This prevents sewer gases from properly exiting the home.
And Yes even stuck Critters can you clogging up your drain!
Don’t Ignore Sewer Smells in Your Basement or Home
Some other issues that might lead to sewer smells in the basement require professional intervention. That’s especially important when you have damaged sewer lines or poorly vented fixtures. Sewer lines can be damaged by tree roots that grow through hairline cracks, and unless the issue is addressed timeously, it can cause pipes to collapse.
Apart from the stench of sewer gas, it also contains harmful bacteria that can lead to a variety of health issues. Methane gas is also highly combustible.
When you have a main drain sewer backup in basement, you might notice:
- Slow flushing toilets in the basement
- A higher water level in the floor drain
- Pooling around the floor drain
The best solution is to call Hoerner Heating & Plumbing. We will bring our drain camera inspection equipment to locate the blockage or the origin of the sewer smells in your basement. Then we will professionally clear it.
Call our Scarborough plumbers today for your sewer backup in basement assessment today! We can’t guarantee a solution and there could be lots of steps, but we will try to get your drains back up and flowing as quick as possible.