Question: Thank you for all of your education over the years. It has certainly been invaluable. Now it's my turn to ask a question:
We live in a raised ranch in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. The home has two sump pumps — one in the garage and one in the laundry room.
The pump in the laundry room received very little water for several years, but since installing landscaping in the area, the amount of water has increased. When the pit dries out, there is a horrible stench that permeates the basement. Adding bleach to the pit helped stem the odor, but it killed plants at the discharge point. A friend suggested adding septic treatment (bacteria and enzymes), which helped the odor somewhat and didn't hurt my plants, but needed to be added regularly and didn't solve the problem.
Last summer, my son and I replaced the pump/PVC and cleaned out the pit with bleach, scrubbing the sides and bottom. We reset the pump in the gravel to minimize any standing water and felt we had solved the problem, but the smell came back a few months later, as strong as ever.
I have layers of plastic sheeting over the pit cover, taped around the PVC, but the odor still comes through. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
— via email
Answer: Try spraying the pit as needed with Nok-Out (www.nokout.com), a powerful odor eliminator.
I suggest you get a gallon, put some in a spray bottle to spray the walls of the pit, and pour some of the product into the pit when the smell returns.
Sewage backup
Q: In late February, we had a sewage backup from the powder room toilet, which is at the lowest point in a finished basement. It overflowed into the game room and the adjoining closet where the furnace is. It took us a while, with the help of a plumber, to determine that there was a blockage in the outside line feeding into the basement. This was discovered by using a 75-foot electric snake.
The plumber said that when the snake is pushed through, they can usually tell what the cause is by means of what's on the end of the snake, but in this case, the snake line was clear. We didn't have the obvious things that clog — hair, etc.
Is it possible that the cause might be that there is insufficient water flow to clear the trap? We have those new toilets with low flow ratings.
Second, we had our basement remediated — carpeting and padding removed cement floor disinfected, running fans and dehumidifiers — but we wanted to know what else we should do to prevent this from happening again.
Third, before replacement flooring is laid on the cement floor, are there any products that serve as a barrier or as a system warning? And would you recommend putting some sort of casing around the furnace area? Could the extreme cold weather that occurred this winter have been a factor?
Lastly, would you recommend any of type of flooring for a basement area — vinyl flooring vs. carpeting?
Thank you for any advice you can provide. Sincerely.
— Apollo, via email
A: What did the plumber tell you might have caused the blockage, since he or she didn't find any obvious material? If all your plumbing fixtures are connected to the same waste line — as opposed to a black water waste line for toilets and a gray water waste line for laundry, kitchen and baths — I doubt that the low-flow toilets are responsible for the blockage you experienced. There should be enough water flow from the other plumbing fixtures to clear the waste lines.
How old is the house, how long have you lived in it, and is this the first time this occurred? Did the plumber check the slope of the waste line? Too shallow a slope, or none, can cause solids to accumulate and result in a temporary blockage. So can too steep a slope that causes the liquids to run so fast that solids get left behind.
There are warning systems that are comprised of a device, attached to a cable and an alarm control, and placed on the floor. The control will emit a signal if the floor device comes in contact with water. It is always a good idea to set a water heater and a furnace in pans to protect them from basement leakage, and to protect the rest of the basement if they, in turn, leak.
It is possible that you experienced a temporary frost blockage in extreme temperatures if the outside waste line is not buried deep enough below the frost line for your area. If a basement is absolutely dry, carpeting over a synthetic pad adds to its comfort. Otherwise, it is safer to use vinyl tiles.
Send questions to Henri de Marne at First Aid for the Ailing House, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106; or email henridemarne@gmavt.net.
