Sewer smell - could it be linked to Sanispeed pump plumbing setup?

[GillObrien]

Hi,

I apologise for the length of the message.

About one year ago we had a Sanispeed pump installed on the ground floor of our house to take the washing machine water to the sewer system (it was previously linked to the rainwater system). Since then there have been intermittent very strong sewer smells outside the house (I blamed the neighbours as they have a drain at the front linked to the sewer, but everybody does and there is no issue, and we never had this before the pump).

I put pictures of the plumbing and my attempt at a drawing. Red is as built plumbing and green is additional. The black pipe on drawing "Section 1 Garage" that joins the WC ground floor pipe is from the pump. There is also the condensate pump from the boiler attached to the same pipe. The total distance from the pump to where it joins the pipe is about 7m and it rises up to about 1.9m.

There is no non-return valve or anything on the pipework from the pump.

My question is, the pipe that connects to the pump is linked ultimately to the original pipe in the kitchen that goes to the regard under the house that links to the sewer. Could the pump be creating a sort of "backdraft" that is bringing back the smell? Or does it not work like that? Because this issue literally started as soon as we had the pump installed. It only smells outside. There are no manhole or access points to the sewer pipes on our property and we are at least 100m from the nearest manhole so it has to be coming from us or next door.

Also, should we worry about the state of the pipe in the kitchen?

Any input appreciated.
Gill

 

[just pumps]

A simple test is to remove the cap and charcoal filter and have a sniff there adding water to activate the pump at the same time.

 

[just pumps]

By the way, You cant see it but there is a non-return valve there in the photo.

 

[GillObrien]

By the way, You cant see it but there is a non-return valve there in the photo.

Ok. They told me they hadn't put one.

I did the test suggested by you and it smells. So what does this mean?

 

[just pumps]

Ok. They told me they hadn't put one.

I did the test suggested by you and it smells. So what does this mean?

Ok, that shows the level of understanding of what they were fitting - Nothing new tbh.

Was it "The smell" or a different smell. The tank is dirty inside and needs a service/ clean.

 

[JohnD]

What's that pipe with a dirty brown bandage on it?

 

[GillObrien]

What's that pipe with a dirty brown bandage on it?

Ok, that shows the level of understanding of what they were fitting - Nothing new tbh.

Was it "The smell" or a different smell. The tank is dirty inside and needs a service/ clean.

It seemed like "the smell" but fainter. And it didn't smell before I activated it by running the water.

I will clean the tank anyway.

 

[GillObrien]

What's that pipe with a dirty brown bandage on it?

That is one of the soil pipes (?) that goes into the sewer. It goes up to the roof I think. It originally had the toilet on the first floor connected to it and the one in the loft. It is the one in red on the right of the hand drawn diagram (in the kitchen).

I don't know why it has a bandage. At some point someone joined the grey plastic pipes from the garage to it (1st floor WC now plus ground floor WC and sink.

 

[GillObrien]

It seemed like "the smell" but fainter. And it didn't smell before I activated it by running the water.

I will clean the tank anyw

 

[GillObrien]

@just pumps I took it apart and cleaned it. It was a bit gunky, like the inside of a washing machine, but nothing terrible. No smell. Before I attach it back to the electrics and switch it on, is there anything I need to do? I put some water in.

Also, I should have said that the pump attached on the picture here joins the pipe further up (photo added). This was fitted around the same time. Could this be an issue?

 

[just pumps]

Well you could rub any gunk off the rubber cover of the microswitch with a rag or fingers. This will be low down on the right (oval in shape and around 4" x 2").

Have a look up the bore of the plastic outlet pipe at the bottom where the rubber non-return valve flap is just to comfirm it is there then there is no way sewer smells can travel back from the drains so you can rule that out.

Dont switch power on until the very last thing or you may get a face full of water!

Now for the other pump in the photo.

Switch power off, remove 6 screws holding the white top section to the tank and remove. Clean tank etc and replace. Repeat every two years for both pumps.

 

[GillObrien]

Well you could rub any gunk off the rubber cover of the microswitch with a rag or fingers. This will be low down on the right (oval in shape and around 4" x 2").

Have a look up the bore of the plastic outlet pipe at the bottom where the rubber non-return valve flap is just to comfirm it is there then there is no way sewer smells can travel back from the drains so you can rule that out.

Dont switch power on until the very last thing or you may get a face full of water!

Now for the other pump in the photo.

Switch power off, remove 6 screws holding the white top section to the tank and remove. Clean tank etc and replace. Repeat every two years for both pumps.

I see the valve.

It doesn't ever smell inside the house. I suppose my question is whether there is a suction effect on the sewer that could be pulling the smell up through the outside drain next door that is (wrongly) connected to the sewer system. Prior to this, even with the badly connected drain next door there was never a smell.

I will move onto the other pump another day!

 

[just pumps]

There is nothing connected at the bottom. The washing machine waste comes in on the right on the attached picture and the water goes out through the 90 degree pipe on the left.

In the very bottom of that 90 degree pipe is where the rubber flap will be.

 

[GillObrien]

In the very bottom of that 90 degree pipe is where the rubber flap will be.

I replied above somehow.

 

[just pumps]

I see the valve.

It doesn't ever smell inside the house. I suppose my question is whether there is a suction effect on the sewer that could be pulling the smell up through the outside drain next door that is (wrongly) connected to the sewer system. Prior to this, even with the badly connected drain next door there was never a smell.

I will move onto the other pump another day!

Wouldnt say a suction effect but the pressure of the pumped water being discharged could stir up smells in the drain much like the sanispeed tank when you added water and the smell got worse there.