What's that smell?

So one of our sump pumps smells. Usually it's just noticable in the utility room in the basement (the furnace and fan are in the same room, but other than leaks around the furnace filter, no HVAC ins or outs in that room).

Today the smell is noticable in other rooms in the house.

Now, about the smell. I recognize it exactly as "sump pump in my house" smell. It is very distinct, but I have never smelled it anywhere else. It is not sewage, or rotten eggs. I have smelled those things. It is sort of 'metalic' or sort of like oil or liquid fuel, but less 'sweet' if that makes sense. Both the wife and I cannot place it nor really describe it well.

It seems to smell more when it rains (and therefore the pump and the water draining into the pump is more active).

How do I go about identifying a smell? 

Kill it with bleach.

Then  you have bleach smell.  At least you know what it is.

Is it the actual pump, or is it your sump pit?

My  guess would be Iron Ochre, aka Iron Bacteria. If you do have it, be vigilant about it. My parents have it in their vacation home; my dad physically cleans the sump pump about 6 times a year and has catch valves in the PVC lines that he cleans as well. To kill it, he'll run a hose directly from the water heater into the sump pit about 6-12 times a year. I don't know if he dumps anything (i.e. bleach or other stuff) into the pit, my guess would be not as the discharge would in theory eventually make it into our water source.

If it’s my Challenge car, you’d better hold your breath!

When I worked for a builder in high school they didn't have porta-pottys so all the tradesmen peed into the sump pump pits.   

That's your smell. 

I clean the sump pit with a hose and a stick to stir up the E36 M3 that sits on the bottom a couple times a year plus a little bleach.  Ours takes the drains for the laundry tub, washer, and basement shower so it ends up with some fabric fuzz and skin cells and dirt that sit in the bottom and rot and stink.  I'm not sure how code legal that is anymore but my grandparents house that was built in 1989 was plumbed the same way with a shower and the laundry going directly to the sump pit.  

1988RedT2 said:

Kill it with bleach.

Then  you have bleach smell.  At least you know what it is.

This is what I do with smells. Unless the smell is coming from a person, in which case I usually recommend a shower. But then if the shower stinks I use bleach. Had some mushrooms start growing in the basement after it flooded a couple years ago. Bleach. Then we fixed the leak and the drainage that were the original problems on a 40 year old house

mtn said:

Is it the actual pump, or is it your sump pit?

 

My  guess would be Iron Ochre, aka Iron Bacteria. If you do have it, be vigilant about it. My parents have it in their vacation home; my dad physically cleans the sump pump about 6 times a year and has catch valves in the PVC lines that he cleans as well. To kill it, he'll run a hose directly from the water heater into the sump pit about 6-12 times a year. I don't know if he dumps anything (i.e. bleach or other stuff) into the pit, my guess would be not as the discharge would in theory eventually make it into our water source.

After some googling I think you nailed it!

I actually get the feeling the smell comes from the pipes that lead into the pit (or the groundwater itself). The pit is rarely stagnant for long since even when it's not raining in Chicago it's still a swamp.

The pit is a giant cast iron tank (seriously, I think two or three people could hide in there for underground railroad situations), and the drain tile appears to be iron pipes too.

Our washing machine goes into a different pit (same as downstairs toilet and shower) that is sealed and has a sewage ejector pump up to the underground sewer level.

SVreX said:

If it’s my Challenge car, you’d better hold your breath!

I'm not holding my breath waiting for your challenge car.

(Oooooh buuuurn)

Any ideas on killing off smells from the crawl space under the house ?

Probably from a water leak under the bathtub , but you have to pull up the floor to get to it , its dirt  under the house.

the crawl space is only 10-12 inches  deep , i guess that was the normal in 1948 when this wood frame house was built ,  and does not even have any vents around the outside , 

I  would love to just drill some holes in the wooden floor and pour "something " to kill off the smell

Any thoughts ?

Thanks

Robbie said:

mtn said:

Is it the actual pump, or is it your sump pit?

 

My  guess would be Iron Ochre, aka Iron Bacteria. If you do have it, be vigilant about it. My parents have it in their vacation home; my dad physically cleans the sump pump about 6 times a year and has catch valves in the PVC lines that he cleans as well. To kill it, he'll run a hose directly from the water heater into the sump pit about 6-12 times a year. I don't know if he dumps anything (i.e. bleach or other stuff) into the pit, my guess would be not as the discharge would in theory eventually make it into our water source.

After some googling I think you nailed it!

I actually get the feeling the smell comes from the pipes that lead into the pit (or the groundwater itself). The pit is rarely stagnant for long since even when it's not raining in Chicago it's still a swamp.

The pit is a giant cast iron tank (seriously, I think two or three people could hide in there for underground railroad situations), and the drain tile appears to be iron pipes too.

Our washing machine goes into a different pit (same as downstairs toilet and shower) that is sealed and has a sewage ejector pump up to the underground sewer level.

Does your pit have a cover? That'd keep the smell down quite a bit. 

In reply to californiamilleghia :

Agricultural lime (not hydrated/quick lime), it's great at absorbing smells and moisture from dirt. I've used plenty of it in our house while the floors are out, making sure that musty old house smell that rises up through the floor is well and truly gone.

Find a way to get ventilation under there if you can, be it passive or forced, if you can keep the crawl space really dry you'll be able to keep most odours at Bay. 

Also, if you've got a water leak, fix it before you try and eliminate the smell, otherwise it'll be back. Rot, mold and mildew are all nasties you'd rather avoid. Termites are also fans of moist areas.

Not one Skynyrd reference?  With a title like that?

You guys are slipping.

californiamilleghia said:

 

its dirt  under the house. the crawl space is only 10-12 inches  deep ,

Any thoughts ?

The way I see it you have 2 choices.

Shovels 

or jacks

And one non-choice, ventilation

Is it on piers or does it have a perimeter foundation?

Good dranage?

Appleseed said:

Not one Skynyrd reference?  With a title like that?

You guys are slipping.

Late to the party but this was my exact first thought.

bentwrench said:

californiamilleghia said:

 

its dirt  under the house. the crawl space is only 10-12 inches  deep ,

Any thoughts ?

The way I see it you have 2 choices.

Shovels 

or jacks

And one non-choice, ventilation

Is it on piers or does it have a perimeter foundation?

Good dranage?

 

it has a perimeter foundation , and I assume  a few concrete blocks   to hold the walls up, but I have never needed to pull up the floors to look yet.

its only 800 sq ft ,  and was cheap housing for a GI  after the war , 

its dirt / sandy soil thats  fill dirt  to make a flat spot  on the small slope to build on in 1948 , so it drains pretty good

just a thought, but it could be your floor drains. Eventually the water in them evaporates allowing sewer gas in the house. the remedy is to routinely dump a bucket of water down each floordrain. 

californiamilleghia said:

Any ideas on killing off smells from the crawl space under the house ?

pro tip: place dead hookers in neighbor's crawl space, not your own.

In reply to drsmooth :

I have to remind people of this constantly, including the upstairs bathroom they haven't used since the kids moved out and the huge bathtub they never use.  

AngryCorvair said:

californiamilleghia said:

Any ideas on killing off smells from the crawl space under the house ?

pro tip: place dead hookers in neighbor's crawl space, not your own.

How many dead hookers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

If the dead hooker's nose is running, throw her out, she's full.

poopshovel again said:

AngryCorvair said:

californiamilleghia said:

Any ideas on killing off smells from the crawl space under the house ?

pro tip: place dead hookers in neighbor's crawl space, not your own.

How many dead hookers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

Just one, but it's gotta be a pretty big light bulb?

californiamilleghia said:

Any ideas on killing off smells from the crawl space under the house ?

Probably from a water leak under the bathtub , but you have to pull up the floor to get to it , its dirt  under the house.

the crawl space is only 10-12 inches  deep , i guess that was the normal in 1948 when this wood frame house was built ,  and does not even have any vents around the outside , 

I  would love to just drill some holes in the wooden floor and pour "something " to kill off the smell

Any thoughts ?

Thanks

When I was a kid, we moved into a house that was started in the '30s and in the intervening 30+ years developed a semi-serious case of termites and mold.  Built on redwood block piers. Smelled musty everywhere.

About 10" of room in the crawl space when we started.  Dad built a 3' x 3' sled with curved ends and a sheet metal bottom.  Rope on both ends.  Kids filled it dirt under the house and dad pulled it out and dumped it.  Rinse and repeat.  Took some time (about 2000 SF of crawl space to dig out), but ended up with about 24" - 30" of clearance.  Replaced the bad wood, replaced the redwood with concrete piers, and installed vents around the entire perimeter of the foundation.  

No more smell.