So here's the deal:

During the summer of 2012 our sewer pit ejector died. It was a pretty terrible scene--raw sewage seeped up through the top of the pit and backed up through the below-grade toilet. We had a plumber out and the entire pit was replaced (the old metal one was corroding) and the actual ejector pump was also replaced. In the fall of 2012 we had to call the plumber out again because someone had flushed a paper towel which got caught in the pump, causing it to stop working. The plumber fixed the clog, put the beast back together, and called it a day. After that, I noticed that when that toilet was flushed and the pump would actually kick on, a bit of water would dribble back down on the OUTSIDE of the pipe. We called the plumber back out (at no cost to us this time) as he had failed to secure those pipes completely.

Ever since the pump originally being replaced I have battled a stale sort of smell that comes and goes. I don't think it smells exactly like sewer. At times it is quite faint, other times it is much stronger. The stronger smells seem to correlate with moist weather. We do keep a dehumidifier running in the basement as 3/4 of it is finished.

I know this sounds gross, but I have actually laid on the floor and can really isolate the smell to the pit area and the lower end of the pipes. When I stand or tilt my head upwards, it just smells normal. So here is what I've done:

I've flushed water through the pit several times (by flushing the toilet and running water in the sink) to see if I could get the smell to get stronger. Every once in a while I seem to get a sewer-like smell outside of the that area after a few minutes. Other times, nothing. The pit is vented, though I'm unsure if it is vented through the roof or through the side of the home because of the set-up of the finished basement (the vent pipe runs towards the finished side and then disappears into the wall that separates the finished side from the unfinished side so I can't tell it the pipe goes straight through and exits the side of the structure or if it takes a turn up towards the roof). I've caulked the lid of the pit to death with silicone caulk. I've caulked pipe connections, check valve connections, the entire way around the pit and over the concrete a bit. I've caulked where the wires come out of the pit. Still I get the smell at times. There are no visible leaks. I should add that we have city sewer and the ejector pump connects to the main line that takes waste water out of the home. The only things connected to the ejector pit are the below-grade sink and toilet. We have drain tile that is connected to a sump pump area, which is about 2 feet away from the ejector pit.

Any advice for me? My next task is going to be to get my husband to stand on the unfinished side of the vent pipe and for me to go to the finished side and lift up the ceiling tiles. I'm going to ask him to gently flex the pipe so that I can determine where it vents to. If it vents to the side my next goal is to see if there is a blockage. If it vents to the roof, well, I'll be calling a pro at that point! If is was a venting problem, would this be evident with all plumbing fixtures in the home? This is strictly a basement problem. No sewer smell anywhere else in the house.

We never had a problem with this smell until the pit malfunctioned and had to be replaced in 2012.

Also, is if safe to use something such as Earthworm through an ejector pump?

Thanks!



Edited 1 times.

Since you already caulked the pit, that does eliminate the pit itself as the source of the smell provided that all the holes are air tight. Normally, I find that atmospheric changes and sudden odors are usually due to a dry trap somewhere and the change in pressure causes sewer gas to vent inward instead of up the vent as it should. In your particular case, I think that it may be simpler than that. You mentioned sewage seeping up and out of the pit. I suspect that the escaping sewage has left some residual on the surfaces in the area and the odor returns when it gets moist. I would try scrubbing the floor within 5' of the pit with straight bleach, and make sure to get it around the base of the walls as well. If you have stud walls, directly under them is where I would make sure to let some bleach sit and soak in as well. The easiest way to do this is to use a stiff bristled broom or deck brush and dollar store chlorine bleach. After scrubbing, rinse the area with a garden hose to a floor drain if you have it if you like. Personally, bleach doesn't bother me like it does some people, so I don't mind letting it sit and dissipate. If the area is bad, I just do the same thing repeatedly. Bleach, scrub, rinse

Thanks for the reply.

I had actually thought about that recently. Unfortunately the previous owners (I'm finding out just how odd they were/are) painted the floor with a waterproofer meant for walls. Well, it is chipping up from getting wet when our A/C drip pan cracked, allowing water to pool on the floor until we could figure out what the problem was. I'll probably have to go at the floor with a stiff brush to get the chipping waterproofer (why, oh why, would you use something meant for walls on a floor???) and then go at the area and scrub it out. That is probably going to be my new weekend project. Scrub-a-dub-dub!

Fortunately, the studded walls are over 5 feet away, and the pit is fairly close to the french drain in that area. I'm hoping that will make my job a bit easier.

Thanks again...and I'll update on whether that worked!



Edited 1 times.

Hello, just wondering if you have found a solution to this problem. It sounds very similar to the problem we are now presently experiencing. Our home is 10 yrs. old and our ejector pump died. Our plumber (he was the one that did all the plumbing in our home when we built) came and installed a new pump. We have had a terrible sewer smell in the utility room where the pump is located, ever since. He has been out twice and one of his plumbers has been out as well. There is still a faint smell which periodically gets worse off and on. Can't take it anymore and I am concerned for my one year old grandson who I babysit while his parents are at work. Now with the colder weather our furnace is turning on (it is in the same room) and it is drawing the odor into the rest of our home. The plumbers applied a large amount of silicon around any and all openings on the lid and is still smells. Tired of calling them and I know they are tired of hearing from us. Hoping you have found a solution. Help please!!