Air Condition comes on that leads to laundry floor drain smell.

[BamBoozzled]

Hi everyone! First post here looking for some help!

A couple years ago we had a sewer backup that left us with 3 feet of water in our basement. After that we had to replace our air conditioner and we started to smell sewer (the same smell from the flood) around our house. We thought it was the air conditioner but it seems that when the ac fan turns on the smell comes from the laundry room drain and fills the house. I have poured buckets of water, baking soda, vinegar, soap, and even canola oil to prevent it from evaporating. Then I removed the floor drain and got a toilet brush to scrub as far down as I can. The smell goes away for like a couple hours but then comes back up. We rarely use the room but it slowly creeps back out. We just placed new tiles so I am trying to avoid having to tear anything up... even if its a small nuisance. So I have had 2 ideas.

1. Temporarily I filled a bag with baking soda and placed it atop a towel with a little bucket to keep it still. This seems to solve the problem but my mother is paranoid about gas buildup even though people seal drains all the time.

2. I was thinking about buying a one way valve https://www.amazon.ca/Liquid-Breake...0503581&sprefix=drain+trap+sea,aps,145&sr=8-2 I hear great things about this and am seeing great reviews.

Basically I am on board to do any of the above two option but leaning towards more of the second. To be honest... my mom has made me slightly paranoid but in my level head it doesnt make any sense. I just really want the sewer smell out. It is weird because it only happens in the summer months which is june, july, august when we turn on the air conditioner. We also have a backflow valve in the laundry room. Other then that I am stumped for solutions. If this issue persists I may have to call a plumber but I just thought I would ask on here.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jamesplumbing06]

Cap the laundry pan drain. In 25 years going through 3 sets of washers and dryers. I have learned. The washer only leaks when in use. So your at home.
these new washing machines only use about 5-8 gallons each cycle fill. Mine fills 3 times. Is 15gallons really worth the expense of haveing the headache of a stupid laundry pan and drain? Dumb plumbers plumb that drain direct into sewer and makes it even stupider, A trap. no one remembers to pour a cup of water in that trap every month. It eventually goes dry. Or even dumber. No trap.In the plumbing codes department. We tend to make provisions for old appliances and old theory’s. Then by the time the provision become national.The appliance company makes better stuff. That pan and drain inclusion in codes is the single dumbest 10 years too late code. Our washers don’t use 50-60 gallons a load. And the most common free call back complaint is. MY UTILITY ROOM STINKS. lol. I use a gripper plug or expanding foam sealer

 

[BamBoozzled]

Cap the laundry pan drain. In 25 years going through 3 sets of washers and dryers. I have learned. The washer only leaks when in use. So your at home.
these new washing machines only use about 5-8 gallons each cycle fill. Mine fills 3 times. Is 15gallons really worth the expense of haveing the headache of a stupid laundry pan and drain? Dumb plumbers plumb that drain direct into sewer and makes it even stupider, A trap. no one remembers to pour a cup of water in that trap every month. It eventually goes dry. Or even dumber. No trap.In the plumbing codes department. We tend to make provisions for old appliances and old theory’s. Then by the time the provision become national.The appliance company makes better stuff. That pan and drain inclusion in codes is the single dumbest 10 years too late code. Our washers don’t use 50-60 gallons a load. And the most common free call back complaint is. MY UTILITY ROOM STINKS. lol. I use a gripper plug or expanding foam sealer

So your saying to cap the drain? We currently have no appliances in the laundry room as we are still selecting them but you also agree to cap the drain to solve the issue?

 

[frodo]

post a picture of the floor drain and the washing machine drain

 

[BamBoozzled]

post a picture of the floor drain and the washing machine drain

The first couple pictures are the laundry drain that smells




This is where the air condition is





Thanks for the response!

 

[Jamesplumbing06]

Yeah that floor drain can have a solid cap bought for it or just put duct tape over grid to test then go buy the cap

 

[CT18]

Have you had your a/c serviced. Most A coils have a drip pan under them to catch condensation. You can put that trap seal in, we do all the time now when a trap primer isnt a viable option. I would just keep dumping water down it periodically like you have been doing.