HELP! Sewage smell coming from basement...?

Question

Okay, I came home from work last week and smelled something really gross coming from my basement...went down and couldn't find the source - there were no leaky pipes, ect. I then peered into this toilet area that we have and never use (in the basement) and there was no water in the toilet so I thought that I should put water in it to see if maybe that was the problem....so I added water to the toilet and overnight the smell seemed to disappear. Now I am catching wiffs of the smell in different places such as under the kitchen sink and walking downstairs to the basement, above my head, right at the base of the upstairs - coming from the wood or something.....Any ideas before I spend tons on a plumber? BTW, I had my main line replaced less than a year ago. Thanks!

Answer 1

You did the right thing to put water into that seldom used toilet in the basement but it sounds as though there are one or more other "traps" that have dried out and need to be filled with water.

Toxic and unpleasant gases from the sewage system are kept out of your home by "traps" -- similar to that U-shaped pipe under your kitchen sink -- but they must be kept full of water to work and if they are seldom used, the water evaporates and allows the gas to sneak in.  Look in the basement for:  floor drains, a standpipe for a washing machine drain, a seldom used laundry sink or washroom basin, a shower drain.   Since you have a toilet in the basement, I'm guessing that you may also have a shower or hand-washing basin etc.  Find them and fill them with water and your problem should be over.

By the way, sewer gases are usually lighter than air so that would explain your smelling them upstairs, etc.

Answer 2

If you have any sinks (laundry, basement bath) run water in them for a bit to make sure that the traps are full.  Check all your floor drains, dump a couple glasses of water in each one to make sure those traps are full.  Flush each toilet a couple times to make sure that each has water.  

If it's not coming from any of those being dried out, then I would call a plumber.  

Good Luck