Bad smell from unused 1920's plumbing

[gwebber]

We have a 1920's semi and have noticed a really bad smell in our dining room. This was once the kitchen or bathroom (we have a flat room extension at the back of the house with new kitchen & bathroom). We have been in this house for 7 years and have not noticed the smell before.

On lifting the carpet & floorboards we can see what looks like an old waste pipe - we prodded around and it came away leaving an embedded pipe with damp soil in it. I seemed to have been filled with cement. The extension is about 25 years old, so we assume that the job was initially bodged and not sealed off properly.

What should we do? How do we find out where the pipe leads to and how do we seal it off properly to stop the smell. Many many thanks in advance for your help.

 

[petetheleak]

You dig and dig untill you either come to a junction or a good section ,presume its fireclay then you either replace pipe junction or recap with cement. Try putting drain dye down to determine what is feeding it you may be able to rerun the source.

 

[ChrisR]

If you shove a drain rod , with no end fitting, down through whatever's (not) sealing it, you can then put smoke pellets into manhole feed pipes from the manhole side, to see where it's connected. Avoids getting evrrything wet!

 

[gwebber]

thanks guys - we think we have found out where it leads to but the bit of pipe sticking up from under the floorboards is really old - any sugguestions as to how we can get a really good seal? What if we were to pour jeyes fluid down and block both ends?

The whole house smells like a sewer now - all help very much appreciated!!!

Gwen

 

[Whitespirit66]

Can you take a picture?

 

[gwebber]

sorry - cant work out how to do it - its 4" across and sort of broken on a bend