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I am desperate!!! Long explanation follows--bear with me...
I have a 4-level split house in a Development. Level one and two are above ground (Kitchen, LR and DR. and 3 BR's)
Level 3 is Club Room, an extra bedroom (used to be my Hubby's "office"), a small full bath, and the door out
to my yard. This level is about 50% underground.
Level 4 is the lowest. It was my Ex.'s Shop. This level also has my Laundry room, the furnace and Water Heater
and a small storage area. This level is about 75%-80% underground.
So much for geography...
Here is the issue I need help with. It is the Bathroom on level 3. Seldom used...
So many times--randomly--it emits sewer gasses that stink up my whole lower level.
When i do flush the toilet down there--there is a definite "bubble" that comes up as it flushes.
I work at a HD. Once I was talking to a customer and he said he owns a lot of rental homes.
I explained to him about the sewer stink and asked him if he would know what it is caused by.
He said--"Sure!--I have dealt with the same issues"...I was SOOO happy to hear that...Hmmm...
He asked me if it was the lowest level toilet in my house. I said--"Yes"...
Then he said that that may be the cause of my sewer smell problems--as any toilets I flush (there are two more upstairs)
may be sucking out all the water from the lower traps and causing the gasses to emanate.
He suggested that--every time anyone flushes the lowest level toilet--I should run water in the sink as well as in the tub
to allow water to re-fill the traps. So--I have been trying to follow this advice--except--no one ever uses the lower BR.+
Would this apply to me flushing the main toilet upstairs as well???
Still--especially right now---no matter how much water I run in the lower sink and the tub--the Sewer gas smell permeates...
It is really disgusting!!! I run the exhaust fan down in this bathroom. I run the water in the sink and the tub to try to get rid of it--
sometimes it helps--and sometimes it does not. It is rather random. Moastly--this is an unused BR.
Questions:
--Should I contact the County's Sewer service and ask them what to do? I can imagine they would not know.
--If I called out a Plumber--it would cost me mega-$$$$. Can't afford that!
--PLEASE--if any of you out there in DG Land are serious plumbers, what advice would you have for me?????
FYI--Al the walls in all the levels of my house are finished. There is NO bare studding--everything is "done"...
The Sewer clean-out traps are behind walls--but I do know where they are. It would be hard to get to them.
Do any of you plumbers have any ideas what I could do--or why this is happening--almost every day?????
Ask me any questions you want to. If I know the answer--I will reply.
Thank you so very much! Gita
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