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. I located the
original drain line and thought it was probably covered over and not sealed. I
was right. They had cover the whole area around the top of the pipe with
insulating foam. I removed the foam and there was no seal on the pipe. I used
an expansion plug and sealed it. It seemed to stop the odor in that area. Next
day, I had been away from the house for a while and when I walked in I could
smell the odor in the house. Im thinking there is a problem below the top
of the pipe which caused the previous owners to stop using it. They said they
had the system smoke tested and didnt find a problem. Now, my question.
Would it harm anything to force a ball Id foul down the pipe to about floor
level and fill the pipe with concrete? I think the crack or break in the pipe
is allowing gases to deep into the walls way below where I could cap it.

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...mell-5962-.htm

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. I located the
original drain line and thought it was probably covered over and not
sealed. I
was right. They had cover the whole area around the top of the pipe with
insulating foam. I removed the foam and there was no seal on the pipe. I
used
an expansion plug and sealed it. It seemed to stop the odor in that
area. Next
day, I had been away from the house for a while and when I walked in I
could
smell the odor in the house. Im thinking there is a problem below the top
of the pipe which caused the previous owners to stop using it. They said
they
had the system smoke tested and didnt find a problem. Now, my question.
Would it harm anything to force a ball Id foul down the pipe to about
floor
level and fill the pipe with concrete?Â* I think the crack or break in
the pipe
is allowing gases to deep into the walls way below where I could cap it.

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.

--

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. I located the
original drain line and thought it was probably covered over and not
sealed. I
was right. They had cover the whole area around the top of the pipe with
insulating foam. I removed the foam and there was no seal on the pipe. I
used
an expansion plug and sealed it. It seemed to stop the odor in that
area. Next
day, I had been away from the house for a while and when I walked in I
could
smell the odor in the house. Im thinking there is a problem below the top
of the pipe which caused the previous owners to stop using it. They said
they
had the system smoke tested and didnt find a problem. Now, my question.
Would it harm anything to force a ball Id foul down the pipe to about
floor
level and fill the pipe with concrete?Â* I think the crack or break in
the pipe
is allowing gases to deep into the walls way below where I could cap it..

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.
The idea of putting some water into the old drain is a good one. He could
also check if it has a trap and if the new dry well system has a trap
and vent. I'm betting it doesn't. What the consequences of pouring
cement into the old drain, who knows? We can't see what's there, what
it feeds into, where the concrete will wind up, etc. Did he have a home
inspection prior to buying? Those inspectors vary widely in competence
and even a good one can't see everything, but this sounds like an obvious
red flag that would be found.

The way I look at paying for a home inspector is that for any house that
isn't brand new, he'll likely find a few things that you can use to get
the seller to knock off a few hundred to make up for what you paid for
the inspection. And if they find even one thing, like this, it could
be a major thing. This kind of thing if it's DIY, maybe it can be fixed
for a hundred bucks in supplies. If you have to call a plumber, it could
be thousands. If you;re in the latter category, even more reason to have
a home inspection before buying.

On 11/25/2018 10:04 AM, trader_4 wrote:


The way I look at paying for a home inspector is that for any house that
isn't brand new, he'll likely find a few things that you can use to get
the seller to knock off a few hundred to make up for what you paid for
the inspection. And if they find even one thing, like this, it could
be a major thing. This kind of thing if it's DIY, maybe it can be fixed
for a hundred bucks in supplies. If you have to call a plumber, it could
be thousands. If you;re in the latter category, even more reason to have
a home inspection before buying.


I just sold my house. One of the agreements was "no contingency" for
exactly the reason you mention. I don't need some BS nickle and dimeing
after. Of course, he still had an inspection and that was done Friday.

I've been here 37 years and in that time, the doorbell has worked maybe
a total of 18 months. He did not catch that. One of the outside lights
does not work, did not check it. There are outdoor receptacles, one
front, one on the deck, never checked them. The front is controlled by
a switch inside and is turned off.

I have a detached garage. He never check the receptacle on the outside
of it. He did check a panel inside, but never checked the feed for it.
The reason I mention, it is properly installed, but still does not meet
code. When we bought the house there was no power to it. I put in a
light and power for a door opener. Some years later I added power tools
so needed more power and ran a second feed to the garage. To my
knowledge, only one feed to a building is allowed.

I don't know if he caught it or not, but I did tell him about the light
beam sensors for the garage door. When I replaced the opener instead of
tripping them accidentally I just taped them together and stuck them up
on a rafter. If the new owner wants them he can install them.

On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 10:44:11 AM UTC-5, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 11/25/2018 10:04 AM, trader_4 wrote:


The way I look at paying for a home inspector is that for any house that
isn't brand new, he'll likely find a few things that you can use to get
the seller to knock off a few hundred to make up for what you paid for
the inspection. And if they find even one thing, like this, it could
be a major thing. This kind of thing if it's DIY, maybe it can be fixed
for a hundred bucks in supplies. If you have to call a plumber, it could
be thousands. If you;re in the latter category, even more reason to have
a home inspection before buying.


I just sold my house. One of the agreements was "no contingency" for
exactly the reason you mention. I don't need some BS nickle and dimeing
after. Of course, he still had an inspection and that was done Friday.

I'm curious what your experience was taking that stand. Did you have
any buyers you lost who would not agree to the no contingency clause?
Around here I would think it would be a big deal breaker.



I've been here 37 years and in that time, the doorbell has worked maybe
a total of 18 months. He did not catch that. One of the outside lights
does not work, did not check it. There are outdoor receptacles, one
front, one on the deck, never checked them. The front is controlled by
a switch inside and is turned off.

I have a detached garage. He never check the receptacle on the outside
of it. He did check a panel inside, but never checked the feed for it.
The reason I mention, it is properly installed, but still does not meet
code. When we bought the house there was no power to it. I put in a
light and power for a door opener. Some years later I added power tools
so needed more power and ran a second feed to the garage. To my
knowledge, only one feed to a building is allowed.

I don't know if he caught it or not, but I did tell him about the light
beam sensors for the garage door. When I replaced the opener instead of
tripping them accidentally I just taped them together and stuck them up
on a rafter. If the new owner wants them he can install them.


That's a pretty long list of stuff. Especially the outside outlets, you'd
think he'd put a tester in each one, verify they are wired correctly and
GFCI, etc. I'd consider that an important safety item.

On 11/25/2018 10:51 AM, trader_4 wrote:
On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 10:44:11 AM UTC-5, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 11/25/2018 10:04 AM, trader_4 wrote:


The way I look at paying for a home inspector is that for any house that
isn't brand new, he'll likely find a few things that you can use to get
the seller to knock off a few hundred to make up for what you paid for
the inspection. And if they find even one thing, like this, it could
be a major thing. This kind of thing if it's DIY, maybe it can be fixed
for a hundred bucks in supplies. If you have to call a plumber, it could
be thousands. If you;re in the latter category, even more reason to have
a home inspection before buying.


I just sold my house. One of the agreements was "no contingency" for
exactly the reason you mention. I don't need some BS nickle and dimeing
after. Of course, he still had an inspection and that was done Friday.

I'm curious what your experience was taking that stand. Did you have
any buyers you lost who would not agree to the no contingency clause?
Around here I would think it would be a big deal breaker.



I've been here 37 years and in that time, the doorbell has worked maybe
a total of 18 months. He did not catch that. One of the outside lights
does not work, did not check it. There are outdoor receptacles, one
front, one on the deck, never checked them. The front is controlled by
a switch inside and is turned off.

I have a detached garage. He never check the receptacle on the outside
of it. He did check a panel inside, but never checked the feed for it.
The reason I mention, it is properly installed, but still does not meet
code. When we bought the house there was no power to it. I put in a
light and power for a door opener. Some years later I added power tools
so needed more power and ran a second feed to the garage. To my
knowledge, only one feed to a building is allowed.

I don't know if he caught it or not, but I did tell him about the light
beam sensors for the garage door. When I replaced the opener instead of
tripping them accidentally I just taped them together and stuck them up
on a rafter. If the new owner wants them he can install them.


That's a pretty long list of stuff. Especially the outside outlets, you'd
think he'd put a tester in each one, verify they are wired correctly and
GFCI, etc. I'd consider that an important safety item.

I hope I get to see the final report. He did check the bathrooms and
kitchen counter. Overall, he was here a little over an hour. He did
not have a long enough ladder to check the roof but that is in good shape.

He did do some obvious stuff like flush toilets, check faucets, burners
on the gas range. There are no major faults like foundation cracks or
sagging floors. I don't think thy are doing a radon test. I did a DIY
test and results are good so they may pass on a more formal test. I
bought a First Alert kit.

Still waiting to hear when my new house will close. I'm ready to go and
house is done.

On 11/25/18 10:44 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 11/25/2018 10:04 AM, trader_4 wrote:


The way I look at paying for a home inspector is that for any house that
isn't brand new, he'll likely find a few things that you can use to get
the seller to knock off a few hundred to make up for what you paid for
the inspection.Â* And if they find even one thing, like this, it could
be a major thing. This kind of thing if it's DIY, maybe it can be fixed
for a hundred bucks in supplies.Â* If you have to call a plumber, it could
be thousands.Â* If you;re in the latter category, even more reason to have
a home inspection before buying.


I just sold my house.Â* One of the agreements was "no contingency" for
exactly the reason you mention.Â* I don't need some BS nickle and dimeing
after.Â* Of course, he still had an inspection and that was done Friday.

I've been here 37 years and in that time, the doorbell has worked maybe
a total of 18 months. He did not catch that.Â* One of the outside lights
does not work, did not check it.Â* There are outdoor receptacles, one
front, one on the deck, never checked them.Â* The front is controlled by
a switch inside and is turned off.

I have a detached garage.Â* He never check the receptacle on the outside
of it.Â* He did check a panel inside, but never checked the feed for it.
The reason I mention, it is properly installed, but still does not meet
code.Â* When we bought the house there was no power to it.Â* I put in a
light and power for a door opener.Â* Some years later I added power tools
so needed more power and ran a second feed to the garage.Â* To my
knowledge, only one feed to a building is allowed.

I don't know if he caught it or not, but I did tell him about the light
beam sensors for the garage door.Â* When I replaced the opener instead of
tripping them accidentally I just taped them together and stuck them up
on a rafter.Â* If the new owner wants them he can install them.

I've had some interesting experiences selling houses I've lived in.

I sold one in a small Michigan town when I moved out of state. The buyer
filed suit claiming the built-in wall oven and matching standing oven
wouldn't turn on, never having called me to discuss it first.

I called a bud back in Michigan- a retired attorney- and told him about
the suit and that the pin head buyer probably neglected to over-ride the
child safety start switch. Mr friend said he'd take care of it for sport.

He ended up embarrassing the buyer in small claims court by showing the
judge a copy of the oven owner's manual identifying what the problem
was. The judge assessed the buyer court costs and said he had to pay
$500 damages which my friend and I split 50-50!

--
Ever notice the shortage of "armed law-abiding citizen€� victim tragedy
stories in the news?

On Sun, 25 Nov 2018 13:45:29 -0500, Wade Garrett wrote:

On 11/25/18 10:44 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 11/25/2018 10:04 AM, trader_4 wrote:


The way I look at paying for a home inspector is that for any house that
isn't brand new, he'll likely find a few things that you can use to get
the seller to knock off a few hundred to make up for what you paid for
the inspection.Â* And if they find even one thing, like this, it could
be a major thing. This kind of thing if it's DIY, maybe it can be fixed
for a hundred bucks in supplies.Â* If you have to call a plumber, it could
be thousands.Â* If you;re in the latter category, even more reason to have
a home inspection before buying.


I just sold my house.Â* One of the agreements was "no contingency" for
exactly the reason you mention.Â* I don't need some BS nickle and dimeing
after.Â* Of course, he still had an inspection and that was done Friday.

I've been here 37 years and in that time, the doorbell has worked maybe
a total of 18 months. He did not catch that.Â* One of the outside lights
does not work, did not check it.Â* There are outdoor receptacles, one
front, one on the deck, never checked them.Â* The front is controlled by
a switch inside and is turned off.

I have a detached garage.Â* He never check the receptacle on the outside
of it.Â* He did check a panel inside, but never checked the feed for it.
The reason I mention, it is properly installed, but still does not meet
code.Â* When we bought the house there was no power to it.Â* I put in a
light and power for a door opener.Â* Some years later I added power tools
so needed more power and ran a second feed to the garage.Â* To my
knowledge, only one feed to a building is allowed.

I don't know if he caught it or not, but I did tell him about the light
beam sensors for the garage door.Â* When I replaced the opener instead of
tripping them accidentally I just taped them together and stuck them up
on a rafter.Â* If the new owner wants them he can install them.

I've had some interesting experiences selling houses I've lived in.

I sold one in a small Michigan town when I moved out of state. The buyer
filed suit claiming the built-in wall oven and matching standing oven
wouldn't turn on, never having called me to discuss it first.

I called a bud back in Michigan- a retired attorney- and told him about
the suit and that the pin head buyer probably neglected to over-ride the
child safety start switch. Mr friend said he'd take care of it for sport.

He ended up embarrassing the buyer in small claims court by showing the
judge a copy of the oven owner's manual identifying what the problem
was. The judge assessed the buyer court costs and said he had to pay
$500 damages which my friend and I split 50-50!

LOL Good one.

On 11/25/2018 1:45 PM, Wade Garrett wrote:

I sold one in a small Michigan town when I moved out of state. The buyer
filed suit claiming the built-in wall oven and matching standing oven
wouldn't turn on, never having called me to discuss it first.

I called a bud back in Michigan- a retired attorney- and told him about
the suit and that the pin head buyer probably neglected to over-ride the
child safety start switch. Mr friend said he'd take care of it for sport.

He ended up embarrassing the buyer in small claims court by showing the
judge a copy of the oven owner's manual identifying what the problem
was. The judge assessed the buyerÂ* court costs and said he had to pay
$500 damages which my friend and I split 50-50!

Good for you. Why make a phone call when you can make an ass of
yourself instead? Serves him right.

I'm leaving a folder of paperwork from appliances and stuff as well as a
couple of pages of notes that will be helpful, such as the switch
location for the outside receptacle.

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.

--

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.