I've got a bad sewer line leaving my house going to the city. The question is if it's stinking up the yard (which will make me replace the line next week, as opposed to in 2-3 weeks which would be more convenient).
I think I know what sewer smells like (I've smelled it, especially when the basement shower trap evaporates). But the yard smells different from that. We thought it was a dead mouse in the garage or something, but it hasn't gone away in a few weeks of dry heat, and the smell comes and goes.
So the question is basically: does a busted sewer sometimes smell like a dead mouse, or are there a variety of smells at least? Maybe it's the city sewer I'm smelling?
Background:
I got the line scoped 18 months ago and there was a root infestation. I have clay tile pipe sections maybe 3 feet long, most of which are misaligned (they're from the 1940's?).
The sewer line finally backed up a few weeks ago and it was cleared. He "pushed" something all the way out to the city, and I'm wondering if that opened up an airway for gas to get into the yard.
More importantly, I'm also wondering if the plumber might have ground out part of the pipe that would let water get into the ground. The air coming up is a minor nuisance, but water getting in the ground is a bigger problem if I'm thinking of waiting a few weeks.
Picture
If you're bored, you can watch a video of the cleared line. I suspect the main block is around the 2-minute mark of this video (there's still a little bit of root showing there, and my guess is that's about where the smell is worst).
Thank you for any thoughts you have!
Edited to add: the smell started the same day (or within one day) of getting the sewer line cleared.
I think I know what sewer smells like (I've smelled it, especially when the basement shower trap evaporates). But the yard smells different from that. We thought it was a dead mouse in the garage or something, but it hasn't gone away in a few weeks of dry heat, and the smell comes and goes.
So the question is basically: does a busted sewer sometimes smell like a dead mouse, or are there a variety of smells at least? Maybe it's the city sewer I'm smelling?
Background:
I got the line scoped 18 months ago and there was a root infestation. I have clay tile pipe sections maybe 3 feet long, most of which are misaligned (they're from the 1940's?).
The sewer line finally backed up a few weeks ago and it was cleared. He "pushed" something all the way out to the city, and I'm wondering if that opened up an airway for gas to get into the yard.
More importantly, I'm also wondering if the plumber might have ground out part of the pipe that would let water get into the ground. The air coming up is a minor nuisance, but water getting in the ground is a bigger problem if I'm thinking of waiting a few weeks.
Picture
If you're bored, you can watch a video of the cleared line. I suspect the main block is around the 2-minute mark of this video (there's still a little bit of root showing there, and my guess is that's about where the smell is worst).
Thank you for any thoughts you have!
Edited to add: the smell started the same day (or within one day) of getting the sewer line cleared.