Help with Drain that Smells

[GoodGuy]

When our house was built in the 70's the contractor layed approx a 65' drainage pipe from the basement down over the front of the property. This pipe picks up the overflow from the drainage tile around the foundation as well as grey water from the clothes washer and basement sink. About twice a year we get an annoying smell, kind of like sewage but not that bad. If we pour javex down the drain sometimes it goes away & other times it lingers for a few days. I can't get a pressure washer in the drain to clean it & I have snaked it without finding anything. It's my opinion that I've got residue laying in the drain & that's where the rotten smell is coming from but don't know. Has anyone had this same problem ?? Does anyone know what I could pour into the drain to clean the 4" plastic pipe ? This is real annoying & I hope you can help us.

 

[nobull1]

Eric
I have done a couple of jobs that had a problem similar to yours. Sometimes the customer would get a rotten smell from their drain mainly in the spring and fall. What we found was decaying matter under the ground (stumps roots etc) that was buried during construction. When the water level gets high(spring or fall) or after heavy rains the smell would appear. Don't know if this is your problem or not but something to think about.

 

[Highbeam]

I would try a healthy dose of bleach. Don't the sinks and washer have traps to prevent gasses from coming back up? All waste pipes will stink so rather than try and fix the stink, maybe try and keep it from entering your home.

 

[ronjhall]

Javex is the brand name for bleach in Canada. Roman Cleanser was the name used around here when I was younger for bleach.

 

[Jagmandave]

Drains like he's describing don't have a trap, they're just "daylight" drains. I agree with the bleach idea, but you also might consider one of those "natural enzyme" products you can buy at Home Depot and such. Most of 'em take a while to work, but with regular use will keep stuff from growing back........

 

[Highbeam]

THe drain won't have a trap but the actual sink still has a trap right under it doesn't it? If not, then that is the problem, you are getting a chimney effect sucking air through that drainline. Either caused by a temperature differential or by an appliance in your home that has a chimney sucking on the inside of your home.

 

[GoodGuy]

Thanks for replies. It is a daylight or "open" drain & I agree that what is happening is the chimney effect. When I walk down over the hill, I don't detect any offencive odor at or around the pipe therefore that is why I felt the odor comes from what is in the pipe itself. I was hoping that there might be something more effective than Javex (Bleach) because it just seems like I'm not actually fixing what is wrong. Any other suggestions ??

 

[450EXC]

You could have a contractor clean the pipe from the hill back to the house if that is the area you suspect the problem is. I dont think the liquid drain cleaners work that good unless you put a 55 gal drum in there.

Is the washer and sink trapped? Could the gray water be backing up into the foundation drains? Then soaking into the stone - sort of a reverse dry well all around the house? Having the gray water connected to the foundation drain does not sound good. Does the sink gurgle when the washer discharges? (air being forced back out). Dead animal in the pipe - is there a screen at the end of the pipe?

 

[inveresk]

It's likely that cleaning the drain will only solve the problem temporarily. The smell will come back. If the drain isn't trapped, then you need to install one. If one is already fitted, then the trap is either drying out or the water in the trap is being pulled by syphonic action. From what you describe, it's unlikely to be the former. One possible cure for the latter is to fit a durgo - a one way air admittance valve. This allows air to enter the drain to equalise pressure if syphonic action is taking place, but doesn't let air out of the drain into the room.