Questions tagged [sewer]
For questions regarding the underground pipes that carry foul or "black" water to a treatment works.
131
questions
2
votes
2answers
76 views
Sewer line repair - most cost effective method?
Background
So I recently had a bad clog to which I had a plumbing company come out and clear out. A part of the process is looking at the finished job on their sewer camera. Our sewer line is made ...
1
vote
1answer
85 views
Is this a displacement or just a blockage?
We just had an inspection done on a house we are buying, and during the sewer scope, the inspector found what he believes to be a displacement. In the video, at about 0:44, there is something ...
0
votes
2answers
47 views
Sewage pump sounds like running dry
We have a sewage pump in our basement. We didn’t install it but inherited it with the purchase of the house. I believe the basement was updated in 2014 with a bathroom, hence the sewage pump. The last ...
0
votes
1answer
38 views
UK Sewage connection - is an external rodding point mandatory
I have a house extension built circa 1997. Inside there is a three-port shallow inspection chamber where a shower and toilet join to a single 110mm waste outlet heading out of the house.
Outside the ...
0
votes
1answer
60 views
How far from the kitchen sink can a vent pipe be?
We live in a 1960's single floor concrete slab house with concrete block interior/exterior walls. We had to replace the pipes under the slab in the kitchen and currently still have the floor torn up ...
1
vote
1answer
29 views
Check valve versus trap; sewer backups
We have a problem with the condensate drain line on the air conditioner and water softener. It is the only basement drain in the lowest building in the whole town. It occasionally backs up.
The ...
1
vote
3answers
103 views
Snapped off screw on sewer vent cover
The city recently told me I need a new cover for a sewer vent on the sidewalk. The cover looks like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/NDS-4-88-in-x-4-88-in-Perforated-Sidewalk-Grate-BSB-CP-RTL/...
1
vote
1answer
25 views
Backwater Valve Access Sleeve Cap Broken… sewer gas smell?
Related to this question.
Summary: I have a sewer smell in my condo unit (top floor). Recently a smoke test was done and smoke was coming out, from what appears to be the division wall between my ...
0
votes
1answer
93 views
Cool down wastewater from dishwasher
I am planning to install a high power dish washer. This dishwasher runs hot and the water is heated to 180 degrees during the wash cycle. One potential problem with this is that I have a septic system,...
3
votes
3answers
75 views
Sewer smell in basement - missing venting or other leak?
I recently started detecting a sewer smell coming from the laundry room in my basement. I think I only trigger it (and not every time) when I run my whole-house fan. I've been running this fan (with ...
1
vote
1answer
38 views
Does a fixture connected directly to the ground stack (vented) need to be vented separately?
I'm adding a shower in the basement (there was a half-bathroom already) and the new drain is literally right by the stack (probably few feet away, 3-4' max), so I would think the air coming from the ...
0
votes
1answer
107 views
Why do my bathroom sinks smell like death?
Whenever I turn on my bathroom sinks for more than 5 seconds, I can hear gurgling in the walls, and shortly after, a terrible smell fills the bathroom. Is this a problem with my vent lines?
0
votes
1answer
40 views
Ejector Tank Safe Cleaning Additives
Wondering if there are any suggestions for a safe additive that can be flushed into a sewage ejector tank that can help break down waste (even toilet paper). Getting some awful foul smells - going to ...
0
votes
2answers
58 views
Frozen drain line into septic from furnace
Last winter the condensation from our high efficiency furnace caused our line to freeze from the floor drain where the water was running into, all the way to the septic. No one was there to flush ...
0
votes
0answers
41 views
Cast iron sewer pipe leak? Or something else? Shower pan?
We have a concrete slab and it’s soaked. Water has been coming up through the grout of our ceramic tile. This may have been something that happened over time and we only noticed now. We had a few ...
1
vote
1answer
68 views
Is a slightly-deformed clay pipe a concern?
We're doing a buying inspection on a house, and the sewer inspector provided a video of the snake camera. Here's a still from where the house line (clay) connects to the city line:
The inspector didn'...
0
votes
1answer
77 views
Warm Weather Smell…Again
Trying to track down an odor that has once again shown up, now that weather is getting warmer. I believe it to be a sewer odor, but no water leaks in the sewer pipes. House was built in 1910...with ...
4
votes
2answers
477 views
What are these two Sewer Pipes Coming up Out the Ground?
We recently had the old terracotta sewer line replaced that comes out of our house to the main sewer line
There are now two pipes in addition to the sewer clean along where the guys dug up
I planned ...
0
votes
1answer
72 views
Stopping sewer smell
I have a sewer near the house where two sewer pipes meet. The problem is that it's been built badly and a lot of sewage remains there instead of going in the 3rd pipe. How could I make it go through ...
1
vote
1answer
43 views
How to connect 4” PVC to broken sewer line?
I have a piece of broken cast iron pipe with almost no overhang. Wondering what are my options here?
1
vote
1answer
25 views
What options for replacing a leaking soil pipe?
There are tree roots growing in the soil pipe leading from my home to the street. (The pipe is about 75 feet long.) When it is time to repair or replace the soil pipe, what are the options and their ...
1
vote
1answer
28 views
Replace soil pipe or continue cleaning it annually?
Tree roots grow into the house sewage drainage pipe some 6+ feet out of the house. Each year I have a company clean out the roots with a large drill. Replacing the pipe will be expensive. What ...
2
votes
2answers
38 views
Will I have a code problem attaching a 1.5“ grease interceptor to a 4” drain pipe?
I want to install a grease interceptor in my house. The problem is that it will not fit under the sink, so I plan to put it in the basement.
The problem is that the sink, laundry and dishwasher all ...
0
votes
2answers
74 views
How can I locate the drain plumbing in my old house?
I don't have plans for the house. I have had a plumber here but he's dug and he didn't find the pipes. We have had every kind leak imaginable for months. Now it's coming in under the concrete and ...
1
vote
2answers
120 views
Sewer gas smell in replumbed old house
We bought a 1920 house about a year and a half ago and occasionally we can smell a sewer gas odor and I’ve been trying to figure out what the cause is. Whenever we smell it, it’s coming from either ...
0
votes
1answer
101 views
Plumbing venting into apartment
I am a renter and my house often smells overbearing of sewers gas. I guess this is a two part question. The smell cures up from all the drains and I’ve made the landlord aware of this, she has not ...
0
votes
1answer
263 views
Low Frequency Noise inside my house [closed]
I do live next to a sewer lift station. The noise is through out my home. It seems to be worse late night to early morning and when it's colder out. Could the pump station noise be piped into my ...
3
votes
1answer
121 views
Move or remove a downspout inside brick wall
I just moved into 1912 townhouse in DC. It has cast iron drain lines for the gutter downspouts. One of the lines is clogged, but I assume it eventually connects to the sewer. At some point in the ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views
How do I fix a sewer snake cable that has kinked inside the spooler cage?
I had to snake out my sewer this weekend and rented a large sewer snake from the hardware store. When I hit the problem area the cutting tip on the end of the cable apparently got stuck and I didn't ...
1
vote
4answers
393 views
What to do for unused shower drain? (Prevent sewer vapors and mosquito larvae.)
I have a shower stall with a drain that is going unused. My first concern is that if the water evaporates out of the plumbing trap below, I could have sewer vapors coming up, so I pour in some water ...
0
votes
1answer
72 views
How should I seal a drain waste line that I'm no longer using?
The waste line from my kitchen sink is plumbed directly into my side sewer via a dedicated pipe that travels along the exterior of my house before tee-ing into the side sewer line. Apparently this was ...
1
vote
2answers
98 views
Planting tree - hit sever line?
I was digging a hole to plant a tree in front of my house last night (it was still light but the sun was down). The home is only a year old and is in California.
When I got a bit over a foot down, I ...
1
vote
1answer
89 views
Sewer pipe cleanout
My house was built on a slab in1964 and has a walk out basement. There is a floor drain in my basement, along with a toilet & utility sink. Water from the main floor fixtures is backing up through ...
1
vote
1answer
540 views
Studs cut to fit the sewer pipe — is it ok?
I removed the drywall in a kitchen and found that studs are cut through to fit the sewer pipes. Is it OK to keep them as is or should I do something?
I am thinking about installing the stud shoes.
...
4
votes
2answers
527 views
Stinky dishes and cups from the dishwasher - but only after it rained
The house I live in is 14 years old and is connected to the municipal water and sewage system in the Toronto, Canada, suburbs. I am on my second dishwasher. The first one was a cheapo Whirlpool, the ...
0
votes
0answers
211 views
What is this huge hole in my back yard?? Can I fill it in?
I have a huge hole “ maybe 3 foot diameter and 8ft deep” I have noticed the ground sinking in around it. I would like to fill it in. I know that around 12 years ago we went from septic to public ...
1
vote
1answer
2k views
Dishwasher causes terrible smell in disposal - why?
Our 15-year-old Asko dishwasher has its drain connected to the garbage disposal on our sink, and it in turns drains through a P-trap into a sewer pipe that has a "sure vent" (not vented to the roof or ...
1
vote
1answer
720 views
How to remove a cast iron pipe plug that has been soldered with lead
I'm adding a utility sink in my basement. I'd like to drain it into a cast iron pipe junction, but I'm having trouble removing the old plug. It appears to have been sealed with lead solder.
I'm ...
0
votes
3answers
676 views
How to Cover Giant Sewer Vent [closed]
Does anyone have a creative/safe way to hide this hideous sewer vent and manhole?
Thanks in advance!
0
votes
1answer
2k views
Sewer smell every time it rains
I've just moved into a newly build house a few months ago and every time it rains, it smells like sewer in a bathroom and the living room.
I'm using the municipal sewer and I checked in my own yard ...
1
vote
3answers
97 views
What can cause a blockage in an otherwise decent main sewer pipe?
I purchased my first house (on city water and sewage system) about 6 months ago and the main sewer drain clogged and backed up through the basement drain within the first week being there. We're ...
0
votes
2answers
180 views
How to upgrade old sewer drain?
I have a 4" cast iron sewer pipe in a concrete floor basement dating to 1910.
I can't figure out how it is configured. Here is what is visible:
The connection to the house drains is cast iron pipe ...
1
vote
1answer
559 views
Can I run my sink & disposal into my basement's sewage pump?
Can I run my sink & disposal into my basement's sewage pump?
My basement has a bathroom in it that uses an ejector pump. It works great.
Meanwhile, my kitchen sink & disposal are in the ...
1
vote
0answers
3k views
Should my bathroom's plumbing vent be downstream of the toilet connection?
My wife and I just bought a house and have been smelling sewer gases from our tub. After taking a look at the piping, the tub doesn't have a p-trap. My original plan is to install a trap before the ...
1
vote
1answer
89 views
Is it a problem that a pipe in basement slopes upwards slightly for 9 feet?
A plumber I hired to rough in new plumbing installed the 3 inch pipe in the basement.
The pipe slopes downward nicely at the required pitch as it leaves the house.
There is a small section (a 9 ...
0
votes
3answers
5k views
Cesspool vs Septic system, what's the difference?
I own a home on Long Island, NY, which has an original block construction cesspool. These are known to collapse, and I'd like to replace it in the near future. I was given two options for replacement:
...
0
votes
1answer
109 views
Explosive Backup in Shower/Toilet in Small House & Clear Bubbles in Sink & Toilet of Main House
I have small main house and smaller unattached house-like mother-in-law dwelling. Both houses have shower, toilet, sink. Yesterday in main house I noticed clear water bubbles in the sink and ...
1
vote
1answer
48 views
Maximum toilet pipe width?
It looks like incorporating a wider toilet pipe "system" (everything from the u-shaped tube of the bathroom toilet down to the home pipe that finally connects to the greater "public" sewer system) ...
1
vote
1answer
90 views
Is the diameter of drain snake cable the bigger the better?
Is the diameter of drain snake cable on the drain snake machine the bigger the better?
If it is for the same price, what is the advantage or disadvantage to have the bigger-diameter cable machine?
1
vote
0answers
118 views
Where are vents required for bathroom drains?
Here is a diagram of the new drain plumbing we are installing for one and a half new bathrooms.
Where should I locate any required vents on these lines?
I live in Oakland County, MI and it looks they ...
