My garage smells like a sewer

[PlumbDumDum]

I now have water leaking from the cement slab next to the outer wall in my garage. It appears to be near the corner that is next to the laundry room and the outer wall of the house. Water leaks from this area only when the washer is running, but it gives off a foul odor like it is sewage water. There is no water leaking in the laundry room, only the garage. The house is built on a cement slab and when I had a plumber come out to look at the problem, he said I will have to bust up the floor to see what is going on. He said he could not run a camera or check anything out otherwise. He cost me $125 to tell me to bust up the floor. Is this my only option? I wouldn't even know where to start breaking the concrete to locate the exact source of the leak. Do I have any other options for this problem?

 

[ExtraMilePlumbing]

First off I would try to cable the line . It might be congested. Second I would see if I can camera the line from the roof vent or by removing sheet rock and cutting pipe

 

[Mr_David]

Camera may not show where the problem is but My camera has a transmitter in it. With the right locator equipment I can tell you exactly where the pipe is running and how deep.
I charge $350 for camera/locator ( includes 2 hrs labor)

I just looked at this one today. This one leaks when you dump a load from a autowasher just upstream on this 3" line going into the wall.

 

[frodo]

I now have water leaking from the cement slab next to the outer wall in my garage. It appears to be near the corner that is next to the laundry room and the outer wall of the house. Do I have any other options for this problem?

if it is within 5' or so from the outside, its tunnel time

 

[PlumbDumDum]

Camera may not show where the problem is but My camera has a transmitter in it. With the right locator equipment I can tell you exactly where the pipe is running and how deep.
I charge $350 for camera/locator ( includes 2 hrs labor)

I just looked at this one today. This one leaks when you dump a load from a autowasher just upstream on this 3" line going into the wall.

The plumber that came out and looked at it said he would not be able to get a camera to the leak due to the P-Trap. He would have charged me an additional fee just to try so I based it on his opinion that he would not be able to get to the source of the leak. He also said he couldn't get to it from the roof vent for some reason (possibly the same problem of the P-trap) but I can't recall for sure why. I'm not sure where the P-trap is located, but if I could cut the line from beyond that point, I could get a camera or cable through there. Is it possible that the P-trap would be in the concrete slab or would it be above the slab then the pipe itself runs into the slab?

 

[ExtraMilePlumbing]

I hate repeating the same advice

 

[Mr_David]

Do you have cast iron or plastic (ABS or PVC) drains?
Maybe you should open the wall 1st.
I see a lot of ABS pipe cracked near the floor.
You won't see a crack with a camera unless it is a really big gap in it.
Your plumber might be right. He has eyes on and it didn't charge you to do something that might have been a waste of time and money.