Smell of drains inside house

aka_Ciaran

Hi - I live in a house in northside Dublin, it's a semi-d built some time in the sixties. The drain outside at the gable between me and next door has given problems 3 or 4 times in the last 4 years where it gets backed up and overflows with sewage. This hasn't happened in over a year thankfully, but lately I can get a slight smell of drains inside the house. What's the best way to sort this before it becomes a potential problem? Would it be a good idea to get some of that acid type drain unblocking stuff? If so should I pour it down all the sinks in the house, or just pour in the manholes outside? Any other suggestions much appreciated.

sweetbubbly

I have this problem in my house in exactly the same place. Was backing up regularly. For the last couple of years, once a month I fill the bath, and let it flow while flushing all the toilets and running all the sinks. I haven't had it back up on me in years now. TOUCH WOOD!!!!

gsxr1

a big bucket of water while flushing down the toilet might push the blockage on

aka_Ciaran

Well there's no blockage as such, it's just that I can sometimes smell drains inside the house, and the sinks in the upstairs and downstairs bathrooms are pretty slow to empty. I put some caustic soda type stuff down the sink in the downstairs bathroom and left it a couple of hours but it's still slow to empty. Any other suggestions much appreciated.

gamer

i seen an identical probem in an old house, it turns out the main outlet pipe from the upstairs loo/wc went under the floor,behind the skirting underneath the floorboards,so there was a square grill,3ft under the floor.SO BASICALLY,THIS meant foul air ,gases from the sewer pipe ,were drifting up ,thru the house from under the skirting ,floorboards.IT WAS like having a manhole ,with no cover ,under the floor.it was worst after the toilet was flushed.THERE was no leaks,it was simpy foul air drifting upwards ,the soution was finding the uncovered pipe,manhole,and putting on a pastic cover 12x12inch across,to seal the pipe opening, it was not a hole in the pipe it was ie a maintence space,that was open,or was not covered,when the floor,skirting was installed.
post back here if you need a diagram,or more detailed explanation.BECAUSE THE flooring is 50plus years and skirting is old ,it was easy to lift it up and find the source of the smell.OBVIOUSY THE smell was worse in the sitting room.but it was intermittent ,ie not there a the time.IT WAS the main pipe from the toilet,,ie im not talking about 1, half inch water pipe, i mean the MAIN the pipe to sewer,approx width 8, 10inchs wide.

start in the room where the smell is the worst.
or maybe a maintenance hatch on the main sewer pipe is loose,or damaged,
or fell off .lift off skirting 1st be4 you start lifting up floorboards,,does the smell
get worst after the wc is used.
OR its possibe there could be a hole in the sewer pipe inside the house.
old PIPES ARE made of enamel,or concrete ,not plastic.THE pipe WAS not broken, it was an open
maintenace point, on top of the pipe,square shaped,similar to a manhole ,you ,d see in your backgarden,it was totally uncovered.IT WAS a smell of drains, athough there was no leak,or blockage
anywhere.YOU MAY BE ABE TO FIND the source just by using your nose.