amy grindstaff
New Member
I just bought my house almost two months ago. It was built in 1950. there is one original bathroom and one additional bathroom added in later years. when i purchased it the disclosure statement said sewer smell after rain but the owners had paid over $1000 to have it fixed and assured me it was repaired. When i first moved in, we thought the smell was coming from an old drainage system in the basement used for the washer (not connected to rain???) so we rerouted the washer ... this did nothing. we cannot connect the smell to any certain event. We have it one day and then not again for three, etc. for the last three mornings i have been awoke by this smell that i could not sleep through. I mean the worst imaginable smell. I thought my child would vomit before we could leave. I expected my floors to be covered in sewage. I can find no connection to anything i am doing. laundry, rain, showers, temperatures, nothing!! the smell is in the older bathroom and right outside the older bathroom wall. the vent runs up from the basement in this wall out the roof. we have checked it, it is not stopped up. the smell is also in our basement under this bathroom. we have a second floor, which has been getting pretty hot these last few 90 degree days so I put a box fan in the window before bed to pull out the heat (we do have a heat pump but the upstairs still gets very hot). the smell this morning seemed 5 times worse and seem to even go upstairs. I assume the fan was pullling air through the house and apparently pulling these gases even more than normal but we cannot find the source. we have no leaks, etc. there is a shower in this older bathroom we do not use because there is no water pressure. we plan to repair this but haven't had a chance so far. I have heard of dry drains but would this not be an everyday issue if it was only a 'dry' drain. I am going to run water and put bleach in it tonight per a plumber's suggestion. i called a plumber but considering the previous owners paid alot of money already, i am concerned we may be wasting our time. any suggestions or ideas would be greatedly appreciated !!!!
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