Smelly Basement Drain

I read a post earlier about this, my problem is similar, but different...
1. 40 year old house
2. Smelly basement drain
3. Does not smell for 3-4 days after pouring water down the drain
4. The drain holds water
5. No flies breeding in or around the house.
6. The drain is packet tight in cement and the water flows easily through it.
7. We live in town, no septic tank.
8. We had a water heater blow up about 5 years ago, could the sludge from that cause the smell? We have lived there about 12 years and I don't remember a smelly drain until the last few years...

please help....

lbeattie820 said:

I read a post earlier about this, my problem is similar, but different...
1. 40 year old house
2. Smelly basement drain
3. Does not smell for 3-4 days after pouring water down the drain
4. The drain holds water

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Probably stagnant water sitting there getting bad. Maybe new water displaces some of the bad water or dilutes it enough.

lbeattie820 said:

5. No flies breeding in or around the house.

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This can be indication of drain problems, but not necessarily no drain problem w/o them.

lbeattie820 said:

6. The drain is packet tight in cement and the water flows easily through it.

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I thought the drain held water? If water is flowing through it and its smelling perhaps there is no trap in the drain.

lbeattie820 said:

7. We live in town, no septic tank.
8. We had a water heater blow up about 5 years ago, could the sludge from that cause the smell? We have lived there about 12 years and I don't remember a smelly drain until the last few years...

please help....

Click to expand...

I would say from your comments most likely its plugged up or at least partially. If everything else in the house is functioning just fine, then its probably in the trap and can pull it out with a snake/auger. Plunging MAY push it furthur down and cause problems else where.

Unprofessional Opinion.