Our house was built in 1910 and we've owned it 5 years. We have had issues with a stinky house from a drain in the basement, always worse in the winter. It is easily covered up by completely blocking that drain, but as we have a drain line going to it, that doesn't work well.

Through more research recently I realized I think this is actually a "cleanout," which I read should not have open access to my basement. Right now there was a crappy rusted grate over it, but otherwise it's a cracked out, uneven hole in the floor that drains away at an angle.
I need to plug that smell in, but also allow the drain line to drain into it.
This is one option I looked at: [www.trapguard.com]

Hole in floor closeup
[s965.photobucket.com]
Hole in floor broad view
[s965.photobucket.com]
A/C drain line
[s965.photobucket.com]

We also want to switch our A/C unit drip line to PVC pipe as we have issues with it draining correctly as it travels across the basement (6 ft?), and I had to rig a system so the flex line doesn't have low points that end up clogging. I want the drain line to have a trap, to keep any possible smell from getting back up the line (http://tinyurl.com/kr6wtlj). But I am concerned how that trap keeps from clogging - the water doesn't seem to come out with enough water or force to push through low spots in a flex line, how will it not clog that trap? Also, I am fairly novice and would like more specific instructions/list of pieces I need to complete this correctly.

Please help!!

You would be better off in the long run to break the concrete and install a proper floor drain and a cleanout that can accept a threaded plug. The biggest part of the job is breaking up and removing the concrete. That part of the job is just physical labor and doesn't take a lot of skill. Contact a local plumber for an estimate and his space requirement for placement of the drain.

I see now how that is really what we need done as I realized this is the main drain line for the house that leads to the sewer (duh, should've realized before), but... I imagine that's more pricey than we can afford right now. Are there any other options here?

Here are context pictures of that drain.
[s965.photobucket.com]

The only other drain appears to be the washing machine/dishwasher drain.
[s965.photobucket.com]



Edited 1 times.

Not unless you are willing to install a condensate pump.

The proper installation of same may be complicated and costly unless you can dump the discharge into the washer standpipe via an AIR GAP.

Have it done right ONCE and fuh-ged-bout-it

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