Smelly sump problem

Bleach a gallon is a start. you may want to turn it off and let it fill so the bleach will get the whole sump wall. Leave it in maybe 4 hrs. then pump out. It takes time to work leaving it in longer or more bleach wont hurt anything. Try running bleach in the sinks also. Anywhere water sits can grow mold , even floor traps and washing machine

You probably got rotting debris in the bottom of the pit. Turn the pump on manually *hold float up* until you pump out as much water as possible. Then use a shovel to scoop put as much solid junk as you can and put it in a pail to dispose outdoors. You can also use a wet&dry shop vac to remove the sludge. Once cleaned, pour some bleach in and add some water. Let it sit overnight with pump unplugged so it can work into the drain tiles and such.

Just bleaching will stop the natural decomposition of the sludge and sooner or later it will get deep enough to clog your pump.

Mark

How about making an airtight cover (well-sealed to the floor a foot around the edge of the hole) with a vent pipe to the sewer vent or the outdoors?

Nick

If true, this is a bad error in construction. The drain tile ought to lead water away from the house (not into the basement.)

This seems also non-standard. Sumps do not (in this part of the world) pump into the sewer: they have their own exits (to the exterior and away from the house.)

This is an anomaly which you can confirm by looking at sump pumps at the hardware store. The standard size is less than 30 inches overall, designed to pump out water when it gets to be 18 or 20 inches deep and stop when the sump holds only a few inches. (Depth settings for On and Off are set by adjustable floats.)

first play with the bleach, air out the basement and treat pet accidents. go to

and search for kill oder. click on the catalog page 1601. buy a gallon of the concentrate now you'll thank me later. we like the cherry almond but they have other ones now also.

now your basement smells so nice, go read about mold at:

Drain tile has with no negative issues been used in the best of houses draining into a basement sump in the chicago area for over 100 years. Drain outside, in a neighboorhood where houses are next door at -20f. no way it would freeze and be a public liability from freezing, Not to mention it would not drain at -20f it would freeze. This is the way its done here and always has been.

You may have picked up a mouse or something, which is now decomposing, if the tiles have any openings, like in window wells.

See if you can pump as much water out as u can, and see if there is anything left that smells.

info note: i see you are getting mixed replies because the disposal of rainwater in some cities is required to go to the sewer where in others it is not permitted. some dry cities have no rain gutters, other cities are built below sea level. in buffalo ny depending what part of town you are in the sewer may be leaving the basement below the basement or in one case we own just like yours, above the basement floor. often the best advice comes from a neighbor with more years in a similar house who has the same drainage of soil and ordinances, as well as the name of an old time plumber.

Dunno what to tell you on this. Our house, like the many others built at the same time in the same development have drain tile that empties into the sump. Also the basement window wells drain into the drain tile.

Well, in this part of the world the sumps don't pump into the sewer any more, either. When our house was built, however, emptying into the sewer was standard. Code on that has been changed, however, and new sumps now must pump out onto the lawn or some other part of the property. We have a second sump (added later) kitty-cormer from the one with the problem that empties onto the front lawn.

Thanks for the comments.

-Len

A mouse or other form a wild life found its way into the drain tiles from the window well drain, and is now rotting in the sump.

Had this exact same problem at my folks house as a kid.

lint accumulation? the plastic washtub maytag washer washer 4 years old we recently replaced [for a transmission problem] was starting to get musty/mildewy/moldy odors from lint buildup between the inner and outer tubs. your washing machine may also have a residual lint holding dampness problem which holds odors. this same lint is being passed to the sump and may tend to accumulate since its last cleaning.

Some states it's illegal to put waste water into sump. When I get sick of paying for holding tank pumping, I run my shower into sump. This makes it smelly. Probably anything putting organic matter in there will do it.. Maybe have the waste water put elsewhere.