Hey all,
I'm nearly done my basement remodel. Original construction had the HWH near the big main house drain pipe. Tapped into that was a set of smaller pipes. They make a single exit from the main drain. Then it sprouts upward 3 feet to a Studor vent. Off the bottom of that is a trap, which leads to an open top pipe also 3 feet tall standing next to the Studor vent pipe. The only apparent purpose to this open pipe was that the HWH had a copper pipe running out of it and into this pipe - presumably emergency HWH overflow.
In the past, on rare occasions, I'd notice the faintest sewer smell. We also once had a fly bloom down there - not the little triangle dumb/slow looking fruit fly types - but your classic "fly". Never happened again. Could have been unrelated.
We had some HVAC work done and the HWH moved. Now, the HVAC guy has run a PVC drain for AC overflow to this existing same open-top pipe that leads to the main drain. The HWH continues to have its overflow running there too.
I realzed that previously, the HWH probably never overflowed - so the trap in that drain was likely bone dry - probably where the smell came from as this is on the main house drain.
Now with HVAC AC drain running into it - that will keep the trap wet in summer months when AC is running.
But not in the winter. I pointed this out to the plumber. He showed me this little flip-valve on the HWH overflow. Open it briefly, and it drains hot water into that drain - to wet the trap. He just said to do it on occasion.
This just simply doesn't seem right. So I'm trying to think premptively - could I simply tightly enclose the open top of this HVAC/HWH drain in question with spray foam or even plumbers tape or silicone? Then - who care is the trap goes try in the winter. Maybe sealing it would keep it more moist in there anyway.
My main concern is that before, this was all out in a big open room. But now, it's in a one-foot wide space behind a wall that's open to my new HVAC/HWH area. I don't want those units sucking sewer gas out of this drain and spreading it through my house...
Thoughts?
I'm nearly done my basement remodel. Original construction had the HWH near the big main house drain pipe. Tapped into that was a set of smaller pipes. They make a single exit from the main drain. Then it sprouts upward 3 feet to a Studor vent. Off the bottom of that is a trap, which leads to an open top pipe also 3 feet tall standing next to the Studor vent pipe. The only apparent purpose to this open pipe was that the HWH had a copper pipe running out of it and into this pipe - presumably emergency HWH overflow.
In the past, on rare occasions, I'd notice the faintest sewer smell. We also once had a fly bloom down there - not the little triangle dumb/slow looking fruit fly types - but your classic "fly". Never happened again. Could have been unrelated.
We had some HVAC work done and the HWH moved. Now, the HVAC guy has run a PVC drain for AC overflow to this existing same open-top pipe that leads to the main drain. The HWH continues to have its overflow running there too.
I realzed that previously, the HWH probably never overflowed - so the trap in that drain was likely bone dry - probably where the smell came from as this is on the main house drain.
Now with HVAC AC drain running into it - that will keep the trap wet in summer months when AC is running.
But not in the winter. I pointed this out to the plumber. He showed me this little flip-valve on the HWH overflow. Open it briefly, and it drains hot water into that drain - to wet the trap. He just said to do it on occasion.
This just simply doesn't seem right. So I'm trying to think premptively - could I simply tightly enclose the open top of this HVAC/HWH drain in question with spray foam or even plumbers tape or silicone? Then - who care is the trap goes try in the winter. Maybe sealing it would keep it more moist in there anyway.
My main concern is that before, this was all out in a big open room. But now, it's in a one-foot wide space behind a wall that's open to my new HVAC/HWH area. I don't want those units sucking sewer gas out of this drain and spreading it through my house...
Thoughts?