advice please!!!

[debbienandrew2]

Hi,

I am a single mom to a 6 yr old and do not know anything about plumbing. i recently had a flood in my basement in NY due to the Noreaster 2 weeks ago. Anyway, Ihad a plumber here today to install a subpump and he noticed that the cap was off of my sewer pipe in the trap in the basement. My uncle and grandfather thought this was a good idea so that if the sewer ever backed up, it would come out of the sewer pipe instead of my toilet bowl. I don't really understand that but anyway, the plumber said I need to shut it because dangerous fumes have been coming into the house from the sewer. This must have been like this for 2 years since I moved here!!! My neighbor put the cap on lightly since he said it is stripped and I am concerned about what this all means and what I should do until I can call the plumber back to check this. Should I be very upset and worried??

debbie

[Terry]

If you look at the pipes coming out of your roof, those are plumbing vents.

Vents need to be 12 feet away from an open window, or up on the roof.
Having an open cleanout at ground level means that sewer gas lifts up into your open windows.

I don't know that it's that dangerous, there are vents on the roof, that disperse the same gases into the wind. The idea being that by the time it reaches the next house, it is diluted, and even gains elevation.