On Monday, November 26, 2018 at 8:25:50 AM UTC-5, dpb wrote:
On 11/25/2018 9:04 AM, trader_4 wrote:
On Saturday, November 24, 2018 at 4:36:45 PM UTC-5, dpb wrote:
On 11/24/2018 2:44 PM, Andy wrote:
I just moved into a house we recently purchased. In the remodeled
basement is
the laundry area. The original washing machine drain, which is in concrete
block wall, has been eliminated and another drainage system installed on
the outside of wall with its own vent. It isnt tied into the septic. The
original one is. A couple of says after moving in, we started getting the
smell of septic gas. I narrowed it down to the laundry area....

...snip...


This should have been disclosed by the previous owners; you may have
recourse.

Nowhere that has Code will allow that drain to not be terminated in a
sewer system -- was there not inspection/occupancy requirement?

More than likely what the problem is is that drain is connected to the
drain field and with disuse the water in the trap has evaporated so
that's the escape path. This is easy-enough to check; simply run some
water down the drain and see if that makes the symptoms go away.

...


It sounds like they installed a separate dry well for the laundry machine.
So, another problem could be that it doesn't have a trap and/or isn't properly
vented, and that's where some or all of the smell is coming from.
...

Had done that in a previous house when the original drain field failed
while kids were young and doing lots of laundry. The County folks
wouldn't sign off the occupancy certificate until we reconnected to the
drain field again when went to sell some 20 yr later...and that was in E
TN outside City in county 20 yr ago now. If there's any code in place
in OP's jurisdiction there's good chance this doesn't meet it.

--

I agree with regard to current code in most places. I'd bet it's
not allowed here anymore, that;s for sure. But if it was done decades
ago it could be compliant by being grandfathered. Provided a dry well
for a washer is kept a safe distance from any wells, I don't see the
health or safety dangers to it, compared to a septic field. I seem to
recall some places with water issues allowing some grey water systems
now for lawn watering, etc.