Basement floor drain/sewer smells.

[Woodtick]

3 minutes ago, Voodoo said:

I drive in my spare time a concrete truck. I see this stuff every day. Big O weeper pipe runs the perimeter of the footing, and in spots is T'd into big O that runs under or through the footing, into spots on the floor, before the concrete floor get poured. The basement is filled with 3/4 stone, usually at least a few inches, then the floor gets poured. If the house is in a clay environment, more stone is used..sand not so much

This allows the hydraulic pressure of water around the house, underneath as well the ability to drain so it does not get to the inside of the basement

Usually that type of system goes to a sump pit or ejection pit. My house has over head sewers. So my basement open sites, sinks and bathroom go to a sealed ejection pit. It gets pumped up 7’ to the city sewer. The corrugated shoved into a clay pipe tells me it is some sort of footing drain?

[irv]

4 minutes ago, Voodoo said:

I drive in my spare time a concrete truck. I see this stuff every day. Big O weeper pipe runs the perimeter of the footing, and in spots is T'd into big O that runs under or through the footing, into spots on the floor, before the concrete floor get poured. The basement is filled with 3/4 stone, usually at least a few inches, then the floor gets poured. If the house is in a clay environment, more stone is used..sand not so much

This allows the hydraulic pressure of water around the house, underneath as well the ability to drain so it does not get to the inside of the basement

That is kind of what I was thinking. This weeper is there just in case, due to torrential downpours/soil saturation, that if the city sewer/culverts are overwhelmed, it will flow to this floor drain?? Likely way offside with that thinking but since I have never heard nor seen water flowing into this drain, it's the only thing I can come up with? Either that or this is a clean out spot but the weeper there takes that idea away, I am thinking? 

I've heard both stories up here. It is sandy and others have said it is mostly clay?

[irv]

2 minutes ago, Woodtick said:

Usually that type of system goes to a sump pit or ejection pit. My house has over head sewers. So my basement open sites, sinks and bathroom go to a sealed ejection pit. It gets pumped up 7’ to the city sewer. The corrugated shoved into a clay pipe tells me it is some sort of footing drain?

The corrugated/weeper being inside that 4" pipe tells me also it is some type of drain despite me never hearing water drain into it. 

For the record, I have no sump pumps and I'm on city water/sewer with no pumps anywhere. 

[snoughnut]

6 minutes ago, irv said:

The corrugated/weeper being inside that 4" pipe tells me also it is some type of drain despite me never hearing water drain into it. 

For the record, I have no sump pumps and I'm on city water/sewer with no pumps anywhere. 

More than likely that is the drain from your foundation drain tile and usually you won't hear it because most of the time it just trickles. I'm really surprised your city allows clear water draining into a sanitary system, no way that would be allowed here.

Edited December 8, 2019 by snoughnut

[Woodtick]

1 minute ago, irv said:

That is kind of what I was thinking. This weeper is there just in case, due to torrential downpours/soil saturation, that if the city sewer/culverts are overwhelmed, it will flow to this floor drain?? Likely way offside with that thinking but since I have never heard nor seen water flowing into this drain, it's the only thing I can come up with? Either that or this is a clean out spot but the weeper there takes that idea away, I am thinking? 

I've heard both stories up here. It is sandy and others have said it is mostly clay?

You never use corrugated as a clean out. The snake will tear the shit out of the pipe. The plumbing at my cabin was a night mare when I bought it. The septic was newer,but they did it under the radar. The shower was on its own soil line as well as the kitchen sink? I had freezing problems in the winter and slow draining problems in the spring. You wouldn’t believe the stupid shit people do. It required a back hoe to fix. I would just do the Murphy’s oil trick and see if that works. It been there with out any problems ,other than a smell every few months since 1973.

[Snake]

Lemme get the expert on this.....

[Woodtick]

3 minutes ago, snoughnut said:

More than likely that is the drain from your foundation drain tile and usually you won't hear it because most of the time it just trickles. I'm really surprised your city allows clear water draining into a sanitary system, no way that would be allowed here.

They thought different back in 1973. In today’s world it’s a big no no.

[Voodoo]

Sump pumps in a basement floor are there for when the weeping system can't naturally drain the water...at the eight or ten feet below grade.

Sump pumps push that water, hydraulic pressure to the surface and away from the house, and it can evaporate or go somewhere else..hopefully..or your sump pump runs lots to keep the basement from flooding....

[awful knawful]

No one has a small inspection camera you can use?

I can borrow one from the local village. And lots of times they'll go have a quick look for free.

[Tinker]

Very typical to have the floor drain tied into the foundation weeping tile/Big O drains and run out to the city storm drains. There's no traps or sealed piping and it's not tied into sewage drains. Put a float ball on top to stop gases from coming up but allow water to drain if you have a flood.

[snoughnut]

2 minutes ago, Woodtick said:

They thought different back in 1973. In today’s world it’s a big no no.

Canada must be a bit ass backwards because they didn't allow that in my area even in 1973, most of that foolishness stopped around the 50's here.

[smokin george]

See if the smell is coming from that drain hole. If there is pour bleach in there and if it doesn't go away call a plumber as you might have a blockage going out to the sewer

[irv]

11 minutes ago, snoughnut said:

More than likely that is the drain from your foundation drain tile and usually you won't hear it because most of the time it just trickles. I'm really surprised your city allows clear water draining into a sanitary system, no way that would be allowed here.

I have no idea the codes back then, or now, for that matter. 

9 minutes ago, Woodtick said:

You never use corrugated as a clean out. The snake will tear the shit out of the pipe. The plumbing at my cabin was a night mare when I bought it. The septic was newer,but they did it under the radar. The shower was on its own soil line as well as the kitchen sink? I had freezing problems in the winter and slow draining problems in the spring. You wouldn’t believe the stupid shit people do. It required a back hoe to fix. I would just do the Murphy’s oil trick and see if that works. It been there with out any problems ,other than a smell every few months since 1973.

Exactly what I'm thinking. I will try the Murphy's oil soap and see what happens? I am guessing this is just a single purpose drain for the weepers or in case of a flood/broken washing machine line, etc? 

2 minutes ago, awful knawful said:

No one has a small inspection camera you can use?

I can borrow one from the local village. And lots of times they'll go have a quick look for free.

I can likely borrow or rent one somewhere? 

1 minute ago, Tinker said:

Very typical to have the floor drain tied into the foundation weeping tile/Big O drains and run out to the city storm drains. There's no traps or sealed piping and it's not tied into sewage drains. Put a float ball on top to stop gases from coming up but allow water to drain if you have a flood.

This making the most sense as well, Mike. It is a single purpose pipe/drain in case of flooding of some sort. The thing is, however, if there is no P trap there, what keeps the water there? When I add a couple buckets, that water drains somewhere but there is always some remaining. I have yet to see it where it has been bone dry. 

1 minute ago, snoughnut said:

Canada must be a bit ass backwards because they didn't allow that in my area even in 1973, most of that foolishness stopped around the 50's here.

Yeah, who knows what the codes were or if this was snuck in but Tinker above says this is normal and I tend to believe what he is saying as it makes the most sense so far. 

I will run a pile of water shortly and listen but my gut tells me I am not going to hear a thing? 

Thanks for the info, guys. Hopefully I can get this sorted out? 

[Woodtick]

Just now, snoughnut said:

Canada must be a bit ass backwards because they didn't allow that in my area even in 1973, most of that foolishness stopped around the 50's here.

A lot of older towns only have one sewer system. My FIL house in Chicago is a “one pipe”. Every thing goes to the same city pipe. The house I’m in was built in 1968 and city separated storm and waste. There is big money in putting in check valves in homes in older towns. Nothing like having raw sewage backing up in your basement after a heavy rain.  This is why beaches get closed on Lake Michigan. Sewage ends up in the lake during heavy rains. Chicago as well as a bunch of other cities are guilty of it. The deep water tunnel project in Chicago is helping the basement and sewage in the lake problem. 

[irv]

3 minutes ago, smokin george said:

See if the smell is coming from that drain hole. If there is pour bleach in there and if it doesn't go away call a plumber as you might have a blockage going out to the sewer

That's a good possibility, George? I also need to talk to my neighbor to find out what he had done some years ago now? I know he had a plumber do some snaking or something with regards to his floor drain but I can't exactly remember what? He is 2 doors down so I don't know if his problem would also be related to mine or if everyone is just on separate dedicated drain lines from their houses?

[smokin george]

3 minutes ago, irv said:

That's a good possibility, George? I also need to talk to my neighbor to find out what he had done some years ago now? I know he had a plumber do some snaking or something with regards to his floor drain but I can't exactly remember what? He is 2 doors down so I don't know if his problem would also be related to mine or if everyone is just on separate dedicated drain lines from their houses?

We had that same issue when we were in the city. I rented a snake and put it thru the pipe going out to the sewer. It was all sorts of grease and shit built up in the pipe and the water wasn't going out fast enough. A few minutes with the snake and the problem was taken care of

[XCR1250]

There is a device you can buy, and using an air compressor you put it in the drain, it expands from the compressed air, a water hose can be hooked up to it or just use air pressure, it will clean it out without any Snaking.. I made me own, works great.

[Woodtick]

6 minutes ago, XCR1250 said:

There is a device you can buy, and using an air compressor you put it in the drain, it expands from the compressed air, a water hose can be hooked up to it or just use air pressure, it will clean it out without any Snaking.. I made me own, works great.

Be careful if you have clay pipes doing that!

[XCR1250]

2 minutes ago, Woodtick said:

Be careful if you have clay pipes doing that!

Yup, always use 5 psi or less.

[snoughnut]

1 hour ago, Woodtick said:

A lot of older towns only have one sewer system. My FIL house in Chicago is a “one pipe”. Every thing goes to the same city pipe. The house I’m in was built in 1968 and city separated storm and waste. There is big money in putting in check valves in homes in older towns. Nothing like having raw sewage backing up in your basement after a heavy rain.  This is why beaches get closed on Lake Michigan. Sewage ends up in the lake during heavy rains. Chicago as well as a bunch of other cities are guilty of it. The deep water tunnel project in Chicago is helping the basement and sewage in the lake problem. 

I've been a plumber for 33 years, I know all about it. I put a ton of Palmer valves in during the  90's early 2000's, most of the existing homes are all done, now it's mostly done on new homes. The problem with a Palmer valve is if it closes due to a backflow, the home owner has to recognize that and stop using their plumbing otherwise it will still come up a floor drain or lower level fixture.

[irv]

50 minutes ago, XCR1250 said:

There is a device you can buy, and using an air compressor you put it in the drain, it expands from the compressed air, a water hose can be hooked up to it or just use air pressure, it will clean it out without any Snaking.. I made me own, works great.

Any idea what that is called, XCR? I do have clay pipes by the looks of things so I likely shouldn't go that route? I think I will try to run my furnace/AC condensate pump line over to this drain to help keep it primed. Running it to where I can hide it nor get tripped over will be a problem but nothing ventured, nothing gained. 

[XCR1250]

9 minutes ago, irv said:

Any idea what that is called, XCR? I do have clay pipes by the looks of things so I likely shouldn't go that route? I think I will try to run my furnace/AC condensate pump line over to this drain to help keep it primed. Running it to where I can hide it nor get tripped over will be a problem but nothing ventured, nothing gained. 

Not sure of the name..I made my own, but when I was in JH Larson heating/plumbing supply buying furnace parts I saw it there and simply made a somewhat copy for myself.

[XCR1250]

1 hour ago, snoughnut said:

I've been a plumber for 33 years, I know all about it. I put a ton of Palmer valves in during the  90's early 2000's, most of the existing homes are all done, now it's mostly done on new homes. The problem with a Palmer valve is if it closes due to a backflow, the home owner has to recognize that and stop using their plumbing otherwise it will still come up a floor drain or lower level fixture.

Any idea what this is?

 

[XCR1250]

Another:

 

 

[snoughnut]

44 minutes ago, XCR1250 said:

Any idea what this is?

 

Looks like some kind of drain cleaning ram except that one uses air. The only issue with a tool like that is the clog has to be downstream of a vent, otherwise the pressure will divert up the vent instead of hitting the clog.