Really bad smell in basement. NEED HELP!! dont know what to do?

Question

I live in a 3 floor house. We finished our basement about 6 years ago. Recently in these couple of years we have been getting this really horrible smell in the basement. It smells like something dead or like sewage or something. It is only in the bedroom of the basement and no where else. The smell also only comes a few times a week and it mostly only comes in the night. It rarely ever smells in the day or ever all the time. It just comes sometimes. PLEASE HELP, what is it, what can I do, who can I call. I need to know.

Answer 1

May be it is coming in from outside.

Answer 2

I had the same problem but it was coming from a floor drain in a building I worked in. It turned out that the heat and/or A/C was sucking the water out of there and sewer gasses were coming through.

If it is a drain you should be able to feel it through your carpet. Feel around the floor (this is easier than taking up the carpet) and look for any indentations that are about four to six inches in diameter. They are not usually flush with the floor.

If you locate it pull the carpet up to that point. Fill your drain with about a quart of vegetable oil...not water.

No matter what you do to cover it up, water will evaporate rather quickly. Veggie oil will last several years. You are creating a barrier between the air in your house and the gasses beyond.

Answer 3

Do you have carpet?sometimes when its humid the carpet will get a musky smell.Is there a floor drain in that room?maybe some moisture is coming up through there,try putting a dehumidifier down there to draw out the moisture in that room,leave the door open as much as possible to circulate fresh air,try a floor fan if you dont have a dehumidifier

Answer 4

its actually normal i think, because my cousins got their basement redone and it started to smell too.  just give it time and it shood go away i think so ya!!! i hope that helps!

Answer 5

check for a body lol

Answer 6

Assuming nothing really is dead there (because it's not a constant smell) ... it's very likely to be sewer gas that is coming from a rarely used drain.  I have 4 drains in my unfinished basement - 1 in the floor, 1 in my utility sink and 2 for my 2 washers.  If I don't run the washers and utility sink for 3 days or more, there is definitely a smell that eminates from my utility sink drain.  I quickly solve the problem by pouring a bunch of water down to flush the drain.  Open the bilco door, air it out for 3-4 minutes - problem resolved.  I'm going to assume that maybe in the bedroom of your basement maybe there's a drain around there that isn't totally plugged up?  Or maybe there's a sink around there that doesn't get used much?  If you could just regularly get some water down all the drains in the basement (like at least every 2 eays), the problem might go away permanently

Answer 7

I had encountered the same problem while working in a school that had an unused shower in a change room. The plumber said you have to pour a bucket of water down the drain about once  week or you get sewer gases backing up through the drain. So, if you have an unused drain near or in that room it is probably the source of the problem.

You might also want to check and see if the plumbing vent stack on your roof is blocked. It is a lead pipe about 2 inches in diameter that will be located near or directly over a bathroom.

If it is neither of these problems you may want to call a plumber and/or an exterminator.

Answer 8

sounds like a dead rat or mouse and the reason you only smell it a cuple times a week may be when the AC is on for a long period of time. try to find where the smell is the strongest and the sourse will be near.

Answer 9

maybe you have a dead mouse somewhere.

if not that maybe it is your pipes that drain the water from upstairs (Bathroom, kitchen).  Install an exhaust down in the basement.

Answer 10

Run water down all the drains, especially the floor drains.  Then check the vent pipes for blockages (you'll probably have to get on the roof to do it.)

Are you sure you're not smelling a skunk?  They're nocturnal, so if you've got a skunk outside that's in a heated discussion with a neighborhood cat or dog, night is when you'd get the odor.

Answer 11

I think you've solved the Jimmy Hoffa mystery. Well done!!!