I recently purchased an old house (built in 1906). I have been noticing a sewer gas smell in the basement and decided to investigate. It appeared to be coming from a covered metal plate in the basement floor. I removed the metal plate, and found a square hole a few inches deep with round pipe on one side and some type of backflow device on the other end.
The main floor drain is next to this drain, and drains into it (after flowing through a trap) and the backflow. I'm guessing the pipe on the other end flows to the main drain for the house. It appears this is very old and not something newly installed.
My first guess is that this was some kind of clean-out for the drain, but can't figure out how this set up would have ever worked without a sewer gas smell. The metal plate that sits on top is not tight enough to prevent an odor.
To make things a little more challenging, the previous home-owner installed a wall and covered half of the metal plate.
I've included pictures to give a better perspective.
Any ideas on what this is, and how to stop the sewer gas smell?
The main floor drain is next to this drain, and drains into it (after flowing through a trap) and the backflow. I'm guessing the pipe on the other end flows to the main drain for the house. It appears this is very old and not something newly installed.
My first guess is that this was some kind of clean-out for the drain, but can't figure out how this set up would have ever worked without a sewer gas smell. The metal plate that sits on top is not tight enough to prevent an odor.
To make things a little more challenging, the previous home-owner installed a wall and covered half of the metal plate.
I've included pictures to give a better perspective.
Any ideas on what this is, and how to stop the sewer gas smell?
