Great video, and good to see people with knowledge and experience solving a problem like this. I'm watching from overseas (Channel Islands) after moving in to a 320 year old cottage and finding a horrible smell in the bathroom coming from a fairly large open hole in the ground where heating pipes come through from the other side of the house. I thought it might be sewage, but maybe it's bacteria in the soil, or dead rodents buried under there by the previous owner (there was a mouse trap in the pit, and rat and mouse droppings around the house). I'll get to the bottom of it, but it's inspiring to see how you guys investigate these things. Best wishes to you guys.
how the heck did the wire get thru the easte pipe.. i can understand the drill going through the waste pipe.. but inserting the wire.. what ... blindly ? thru both sides of the waste pipe ? what are the odds ?
I finally found the video that explains what I’ve been going through the last 2 1/2 months! I’ve had several AC guys out here no one can give me an answer on where this sewage smell is coming from but the upstairs neighbors have been doing major renovations! I guess I need a plumber! Thanks guys!
I am a plumber and had a door bell wire run thru waste stack, but only would smell when it rain because they where on septic system. rain water over drain fields push smell back into house. crazy. they would call fire dept everytime it rained enough to cover the ground. it was between two sealed off TGI joist. harder to locate
Great video guys... Thanks, I think we're dealing with something similar in an old commercial townhouse we have in Washington DC, that's been 'remodeled' a number of times over the past 40 years we've owned it.. And we've so far been unable to locate the source of a sewer gas problem.. So next step is the video, then smoke test. Strange however, that the odors are inconsistent. Some days, no odor. Other days, our ground floor tenants complain of strong odor mid-day and between 5-6 PM. Today a plumber suggested it could be b/c of peak times at the carry out restaurant in the lowest (basement) level, and lots of water going down the drains -- causing a backdraft of sewer gas, being picked up by the mid-level air-handler installed in the ceiling, and likely pulling air from between the walls and a broken vent or drilled drain pipe. We'll see!
@@TwinHomeExperts Hey guys, we ** FINALLY ** got to the bottom of this, and I think it's one for the record books! This is after 4 months of intense searching, with as many twists and turns as a 'Whodunnit' murder-mystery and in fact it's been a 20 year problem according to one of our longest renting tenants... First I have to thank you guys for your videos because after having numerous plumbing 'experts' and other professionals on the property, it was one of your tips that lead us closer to finding it. All of the others were dead-wrong, despite their fancy video technology, amateur smoke pellet tests, and wasting tons of time hunting down P traps, replacing 2 toilet wax rings, and nearly jack hammering out a lower level carry out restaurant's bathroom because one plumber said their main line plumbing was all wrong... Well all the 'pros' were all wrong, dead-wrong and in the end it was a 15 minute $15 repair --- It just took thousands of dollars to get to the point of where we could find it.. I'll put together a video and/or overview report if you're interested and if it will help people -- I have to say this was one of the hardest challenges in my life to figure out, and we were nearly ready to give up. So glad it's been solved, and now all the building tenants can breath a sigh of sewer-gas free relief!!!
@@BrettFogle how did you end up finding the source of the smell and what was the problem? As I have the same issue, where a few apartments keep on having sewage smell occasionally.
@@SGluck-um5xd Sorry have been very busy with some new life directions. I'd like to do a full documentation of this, with pictures but will need some time. The phone I used during this project just died but I believe the photos are on Google Cloud. Here's the short version: - Our family has had 2 commercial townhouses for 30 years, so they're old. - Years ago, our family video rental store took over both sides of the main floor. - Subsequently the sides were sealed up and separated again. - A new main floor tenant, a bike repair shop started complaining of sewer gas smells coming out of the air vents, but only at certain times of the day. - We determined this coincided with when the rooftop restaurant exhaust fans turned on at around 11 AM. - Multiple 'experts' came and gave opinions. Most were directed at the newer restaurant that opened below a year ago. - We cleaned out sewer lines, did smoke tests, tore through drywall, and ceramic tiles, and nearly jackhammered up the basement floor to re-run sewer lines. - But it didn't add up. - The original theory was that the rooftop vans were pulling sewer gasses out of the sewer and/or the restaurant lines. But the restaurant wasn't having the smell. - So I came up with a different theory, that they smell was in fact coming from the 3rd floor tenant somehow, and being pulled down into the main level ceiling. - Further smell testing in the drop ceiling indicated this could be it. So we cut out 20' drywall ceiling to find the 'leak' -- but it was not found. - We tried spraying expanding foam, and re-insulating the ceiling. But that also did not work. - I could not see past the drop ceiling because of the AC ductwork there. So we determined to remove 18' of metal ducts. - We still could not locate the source. - After hours after the construction team had left, I decided to run a thin camera up the wall between the floorboards to see if I could see anything. - We had determined where the smell was the worst, coming down through the ceiling at this point, between where the buildings had been separated. - The first Two sections showed nothing. - Out of desperation and nearly ready to give up, I tried one more time. The next section over (floor board joists are 16" apart).... There it was. - Approximately 16" inches up from the true ceiling / upper floor board and in side a wall was what looked like a piece of PVC vent pipe with a rag or other material stuffed into it a long time ago. - A bit farther up, the camera showed what looked like it could be a broken PVC elbow pipe as well but wasn't clear. - But this was exactly 14' from the backwall of the building, and 16" from the floor. - So after months and thousands of dollars spent on unnecessary plumbing repairs, pipe videos, smoke tests, drywall demolition and hunting... - I was able to pinpoint the location, cut 2 5" x 5" holes in the upper floor tenant's wall to expose and repair the problem for under $10 in materials. - Best I could tell, this area was the kitchen area of the home decades ago, and when the remodeling team tried to cap one of the sink vent pipes, they stuffed a rag into the open end, possibly to properly cap it later on, but never did. - The 2nd issue was a broken PVC elbow that looked very old, and likely cracked from the weight / pressure of a 3 story tall building vent stack. - But that was it! I'll upload some pictures when I can soon... - But wait, you ask? Why didn't the upper floor tenant ever smell the sewage gases? - That's what didn't make sense from the start. However, what was happening was that when the restaurant vent fans turned on, they were sucking a lot of air from the commercial kitchen's 3 floors down, creating a lot of negative pressure. - The air needed to come from somewhere, so it was sucking air from the walls and every crack or open air source it could find, from the entire building. - This explains why the sewage gases were only noticeable during these periods of negative pressure, effectively 'sucking' sewage gases out of the vent stack, up and out into the walls, where it was being pulled back down into the main floor ceiling and walls. - Later I learned that it was actually a 20 year old intermittent problem that previous tenants gave up on.. - Ultimately solved for under $20 and under 20 minutes of PVC and drywall repair... It was knowing where to look that was the HARD and EXPENSIVE part!!! Really hope this helps some of you out there... If you're not sure where to look, really look at old plans, and where an old vent stack tie-in could have been re-plumbed or broken over the years. In this case... Occam's Razor was right. "The simplest explanation is usually the best one"
These guys are awesome, I can relate to their persistence, I just don’t have the equipment. Hopefully my smells go away, I have done so much upgrading to eliminate the smell and sadly I’ve had several contractors out and I’ve been the one come up with the solutions. Great video
It's crazy to see how many people think this was done on purpose by the electrician. This is totally an accident. The electricians have really long drill bits that they are able to drill through several joists at a time. This keeps them from having to remove all the drywall when running a single line for adding can lights during a remodel. At any rate, they drilled through it not even noticing. Then attach the wire to the bit and pulled it back through the holes. They never even knew there was a problem. And yes, the homeowner could have done this. But probably a handyman doing a remodel job if I had to guess.
Doesn't matter if it's on purpose or not. You shouldn't just blindly drill through walls. You could hit sewage pipes, ductwork, WATERLINES, electrical lines, etc.
@@liamwelsh5565 Exactly. In fact incompetence is even worse. At least the 'cowboy electrician' would have known the source of the problem if it had been deliberate.
Why would an electrician drill through an ABS waste pipe rather than go around it. It would have been interesting to see where that wire went. Strange they went through all this detail of the set up and then skipped the details of the pipe and wire??? I wouldn’t exclude the homeowner as a person of interest as the culprit.
Hey, you guys are great! I’ve got the same problem now. Don’t know exactly where to pinpoint it but my whole house stinks after Covid. That’s pretty hazardous gases. Some days are worse than others.
Great job! I have the same issue right now and its in a new construction development. There's a black pipe with a cover in the garage (sewer line?) and the garage smells. Now the inside of my home smells. AC does smell too. Have warranty's plumber coming by to assess the issue.
Great job guys. My issue is as follows, only when I have the whole house fan on that sits on my hallway ceiling do we smell a sewer smell. I have septic tank in my yard that has been pumped. Still a smell when attic fan is on. I have also changed wax seal. Only one bathroom in the home. I also checked the cast iron vent pipe on the roof by pouring water down it. Not clogged with debris. So my question is can a leak of air becoming out of the cast iron pipe in the attic which is two feet from the whole house fan. In attic the old Cast iron pipe looks like it has a filling and a nail that has a rectangle top. Can I buy smoke in a can and test it out. Thanks
If you have the knowledge to spot that why you don’t do it yourself? Anyway you should only Hire a well established company , fully licensed and bonded .don’t cheap out , that way you can let the do their thing with piece of mind and you know... not be a total douche watching over their shoulders.
When people love what they do and work from the heart within their profession, only good things can come from being driven to do it well and the tenacity to not stop until it's correct. And...holy cow, I couldn't believe my eyes when they disclosed the problem. All I could think of was could that have started a fire? Well done!
I wish yall could help me Ive had this issue for a whole year Ive had plumbers come and the issue stop for a bit but then come back with a vengeance to the point my kids and I are getting sick. I dont know what to do anymore and have constant migraines
I am having this sewer smell issue and as and the landlord keeps suggesting that I use bleach and hot water. I've tried all home remedies and still when I come home after being out for two hours, I smell sewage. UGH so frustrating. What should I do?
Had a sewerage smell in our house as well , it’s turned out the pipes were blocked for quite some time as the toilet itself wasn’t flushing properly , a plumber had to unblock the main pipes underground , the owner didn’t want to do anything it he had to once it wasn’t working finally got results.
We have been living with sewer smell in the house for over a year, gets worse at night where I wake up nauseous. We have called 10 or more plumbers and they look, move stuff and don't find the source. Smoke testing did not work. We don't know what to do. The City came by they checked city sewer and was clean, they told us is inside your bathroom. But each plumber we paid from $800 to $1400 each. Now we are trying to make up the money paid so we can keep calling more plumbers. What should we do? I'm in Miami, Florida.
Well I stay at apartment and me and my wife can smell a sewer smell through the whole apartment we have done everything we have taken the kitchen sink the plumbing a loose and clean it we have done the same thing to the restroom plumbing underneath the sink and then after that we have done the baking soda and vinegar with the hot water what else should I do
I.I'm going through this issue as we speak. 98 year old house with old galvanized In some places that disintegrated. Step 2 is the smoke test tomorrow. Very expensive but necessary. Fingers 🤞. Great video guys.
I saw this once on a main 4 inch drain line where GA power was putting in the main power and they drilled through the pipe. The downstairs was unoccupied and the poo from the upstairs apartment came out downstairs for months! had to dig the whole yard up to fix it. And new floors of course.
Wow great work! It is so unbelievable that electricians would be so careless and inept!! He must live here in FL where that sort of thing happens often! Where are you all located?
Your comment made me LOL so hard! I too have been at the mercy of our inept "electricians" and so called "plumbers". They're a JOKE here in Fl. I've had sewer gas issues in both of the places I've rented since I moved here. They're both BRAND NEW construction places. Neither leak was resolved. I broke my lease on the first place and moved out. I'm still suffering in the second one, but ready to move. At this point, I'm literally looking to move out of the state as I can't seem to find any housing without a sewer gas leak. I also had serious electrical issues in the second place for months. Property management companies are worthless here, and there's no agencies to force them to fix things. Sewer gas is apparently an acceptable problem to have in this state.
guys I need someone who can determine what my odor issues in the mobile home are....I hire people and they do this or that andit continues.....please help
I have a sewer smell in my home as well. I had my grinder pump sealed and I still smell it. Our home is only 2 years old so not sure why I’m having this issue already. If possible could you provide some insight on what type of professional to call for this?
For the 1st we’re starting to have this same problem. Other than having new commodes put in all bathrooms 3-4 yrs ago, nothing has been remodeled. Im curious how much a “test” like this costs?
3Dec20 0639 Hmm .. very nail biting .. even watching all the way from New Zealand. Hard to believe that electrical contractor would put wiring through a sewer pipe. Probably not hard to identify the contractor?
Hello twin brothers I'd like to know if you could recommend a reputable plumber located in the Dallas Fort Worth, TX area, who could do a smoke test and find where the smell is coming from in my house? I have the same problem my AC smells like sewer. Thank you
Ohhhhh my gawd ! I've never seen such a thing ! Romex electrical wiring purposely threaded through a sewer pipe ? Knucklehead electrician on the loose 🤣 . Send in the Twins to the rescue !
The electrician probly thought ....Well the wire is insulated so lets run it through the sewage pipe even though there is plenty of space above and below the pipe to run the wire .
We are getting Sewer smell in back bedroom, When 2nd floor turns on their Exhaust fans. Including smells of some type of feeling of an irritant in the air, Aug 24,2023.
Let me tell you what happened next. The state health inspector shows up. They talk to Skip. He says he's got a sump pump problem. They leave.The guy's got a sewer problem. He says he'll look after it. Everything's okay, right? Wrong. A couple hours later there's smoke pouring out of the windows of Skip's house. The firemen go in. Know what they find? Skip's family, dead. Murdered. by Skip, weeks earlier with an ice pick.Yeah, the guy killed his whole family. With an ice pick, Yeah, just put 'em in the cool basement, covered 'em up with a sheet and went back to makin' treats for the townsfolk. Only Skip didn't count on there being a big heat wave that summer. You know what all those people were smelling on Elm, whew weeeee. Skip's family's bodies, decomposing in the summer heat. Apparently, one day Skip made one-too- many lemon phosphates. El snappo.
I have a similar problem. My AC is sucking sewer gas from inside the walls and distributivo it throughout the house. I guess we have to start with a smoke test, huh? I’m pretty sure it’s a leak of a sewer vent pipe related to one particular sink. Every time I use the sink, the house smells.
@@BlackButterflyy1 The plumber came and did a smoke test and the smoke came pouring out of a closet. We opened up the wall and found the sewer vent had never been connected to the vent pipe on the roof. Unbelievable! 20 years of smelling that shit in the house bc some dumb builder didn't connect the pipe. Anyway, it took an hour to fix and $425. Done! House is fresh as a field of flowers now!
I've been trying to figure out why my house is a bit stinky at certain times (rainy... night more... no I don't have a septic tank... smelly drains, unused plumbing, water marks... so it's a mystery still). Anyway... I've begun watching your videos now because they are very entertaining and interesting/educational too!! Thanks.
That's way bizarre to find an electrical wire through the sewer pipe. Wowsers now I'm very intrigued to finding where the smell is coming out of my home as well
Wow...OMG. Could a hole near the old flange of a toilet cause a toxic smell in your house even with a new toilet and wax seal? Shouldn't the wax seal on the flange block all sewer gas?
Lord knows I wish I could afford y’all. My house is just a smelly mess and it’s driving me crazy. I bought this house in the worst market and wish I would’ve waited.. 😩
I think what happened is the electrician carelessly just started drilling, then tied his wire onto the end of the bit/ feeder,then pulled wire through. Our poor customer having to breathe sewer odor for 20 years because of this.
LEARNED HARD WAY DONT GET A HOUSE JUST BECAUSE CHEAP N HAS ALOT LAND. MOST LIKELY WAS UNLICENSED HOUSE FLIPPER WHO DID A TON REMODELING WRONGLY N IF HAD GOTTEN ALL THE PERMITS N INSPECTATIONS REQUIRED TO SATISFY THE STATE REQUIREMT BOARD OR HOUSING STANDARDS DEPT IM NOT AGAINST DIY ONLY IF, YOU KNOW WHAT YR DOING IF WASNT FDOT MOVE REPLACEMENT WE WOULD HAVE UP CREEK WITHOUT PADDLE 1) THEY BUILT BACK PORCH OVER THE SEPTIC SYSTEM WITHOUT PROPERLY HAVING DRAIN ACCESS HOLE, NO PERMIT, ELECTRICAL NO PERMIT PLUMBING NO PERMIT, ALOT KITCHEN CABINET DOORS, DOOR HINGES PUT ON BACKWARDS , 2 NON PERMITTED ADDITIONS TO BACKSIDE OF MANUFACTURED HOME THEN HURRICANE DAMAGED SOME OTHERS AREAS N ISSUES N TOOK 3 ELECTRIANS TO FIND THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY LOOSE NEUTRAL OUTSIDE OF HOUSE , THAT FRIED $3000 TO 5000 WORTH OF APPLIANCES, TV, STOVE, OVEN, FRIDGE , WATER SOFTNER , N PARTS OF HVAC FURNACE SYSTEM N WATER PUMP SYSTEM N THE COUNTRY N REQUIRED NEW MASTER ELECTRICAL BOX TO HAVE TO BE PUT IN OUTSIDE, WHEN RETIRED ON SMALL SSN CHECK ITS HARD GET THINGS REPAIRED OR REPLACED ALL AT ONCE, OR ESPEC HAVE SOMEONE ELSE DO IT
Wow! Impressive! Most plumbers are LAZY and will NOT go the extra mile. They just want that easy money. I'm going thru that myself rightnow. On to my 3rd plumber trying to locate where the smell is coming from.
The electrician drilled a hole into the sewer pipe and put an electrical wire through the sewer pipe, they said. I also wish they would go into more detail about the _fix_ . I guess they removed the wire from the pipe and covered the holes made by the electrician so smells would not come out.
I wish we had persistent, honest and hard working plumbers where we live. Horrible raw sewage smell in our bathroom right now and smoke test showed no break in system. Was told that there was nothing that could be done since test did not show a break in system. They did not test extensively, use cameras etc.
This is what we smell more than 3 months now after electricians went to my attic and rewired my 2 bedrooms. Now smells like chemical especially when it rains. I need you guys so desperately 😢 Im a single mom of 2 kids and elderly mom to take care of.
Mines coming from the sink and furnace vents while heats on. 🤢 I completely forgot when we had an inspection done they said we needed a knew wax seal 😒 I didn't know that could cause a smell.
You 2 are Masters of all trades….WoW, unbelievable the amount of effort you put in to solving this odour issue!💩🤢 What a horrible discovery though! Oops…🙄😬 Whoever did this probably didn’t have a license!🤔 Wonderful work and a great video….becoming wiser and wiser the more videos you post.😀 Blessings and love send from Canada 🙏🏼♥️👋🏼🇨🇦
I have been fighting a sulfuric smell for two years at house we bought , so far I’ve found clay clean outs exposed under the new additions that have been added on to our house. I dont understand how people have lived here for 20 years like this.
I used to watch detective and mystery movies when i was young. Now these videos are much more interesting and entertaining knowing it is all real.
Love this amazing feedback! 🙏🙏
Great video, and good to see people with knowledge and experience solving a problem like this. I'm watching from overseas (Channel Islands) after moving in to a 320 year old cottage and finding a horrible smell in the bathroom coming from a fairly large open hole in the ground where heating pipes come through from the other side of the house. I thought it might be sewage, but maybe it's bacteria in the soil, or dead rodents buried under there by the previous owner (there was a mouse trap in the pit, and rat and mouse droppings around the house). I'll get to the bottom of it, but it's inspiring to see how you guys investigate these things. Best wishes to you guys.
how the heck did the wire get thru the easte pipe.. i can understand the drill going through the waste pipe.. but inserting the wire.. what ... blindly ? thru both sides of the waste pipe ? what are the odds ?
Great job guys, very thorough in pinpointing the problem. Great to see people passionate about their work.
I finally found the video that explains what I’ve been going through the last 2 1/2 months! I’ve had several AC guys out here no one can give me an answer on where this sewage smell is coming from but the upstairs neighbors have been doing major renovations! I guess I need a plumber! Thanks guys!
Your welcome Sue! Good luck 👍
The face sheild gets me everytime 🤣🤣🤣
Bummer, I was waiting to see the repair on the pipe with the wire going through it!
Me too
Me too!
i seen some weird crap over the years but this is HOLY SMOKES BATMAN that was insane .. and yes would have loved to seen this repair
No Electrician would feed electrical wire through a waste pipe. That dummy drilled through the pipe himself.
I dunno man,…. Some lazy ass electricians out there who don’t give poop.
The homeowner totally put that electrical line through the pipe
I am a plumber and had a door bell wire run thru waste stack, but only would smell when it rain because they where on septic system.
rain water over drain fields push smell back into house.
crazy. they would call fire dept everytime it rained enough to cover the ground.
it was between two sealed off TGI joist. harder to locate
Great video guys... Thanks, I think we're dealing with something similar in an old commercial townhouse we have in Washington DC, that's been 'remodeled' a number of times over the past 40 years we've owned it.. And we've so far been unable to locate the source of a sewer gas problem.. So next step is the video, then smoke test. Strange however, that the odors are inconsistent.
Some days, no odor. Other days, our ground floor tenants complain of strong odor mid-day and between 5-6 PM. Today a plumber suggested it could be b/c of peak times at the carry out restaurant in the lowest (basement) level, and lots of water going down the drains -- causing a backdraft of sewer gas, being picked up by the mid-level air-handler installed in the ceiling, and likely pulling air from between the walls and a broken vent or drilled drain pipe. We'll see!
Thanks so much for sharing this story! We hope you get the bottom of this.
Please get back to us as to what you found.
@@TwinHomeExperts Hey guys, we ** FINALLY ** got to the bottom of this, and I think it's one for the record books! This is after 4 months of intense searching, with as many twists and turns as a 'Whodunnit' murder-mystery and in fact it's been a 20 year problem according to one of our longest renting tenants... First I have to thank you guys for your videos because after having numerous plumbing 'experts' and other professionals on the property, it was one of your tips that lead us closer to finding it. All of the others were dead-wrong, despite their fancy video technology, amateur smoke pellet tests, and wasting tons of time hunting down P traps, replacing 2 toilet wax rings, and nearly jack hammering out a lower level carry out restaurant's bathroom because one plumber said their main line plumbing was all wrong... Well all the 'pros' were all wrong, dead-wrong and in the end it was a 15 minute $15 repair --- It just took thousands of dollars to get to the point of where we could find it.. I'll put together a video and/or overview report if you're interested and if it will help people -- I have to say this was one of the hardest challenges in my life to figure out, and we were nearly ready to give up. So glad it's been solved, and now all the building tenants can breath a sigh of sewer-gas free relief!!!
@@BrettFogle how did you end up finding the source of the smell and what was the problem? As I have the same issue, where a few apartments keep on having sewage smell occasionally.
@@BrettFogle Please enlighten us Brett!! I'm very glad you found the source!
@@SGluck-um5xd Sorry have been very busy with some new life directions.
I'd like to do a full documentation of this, with pictures but will need some time. The phone I used during this project just died but I believe the photos are on Google Cloud.
Here's the short version:
- Our family has had 2 commercial townhouses for 30 years, so they're old.
- Years ago, our family video rental store took over both sides of the main floor.
- Subsequently the sides were sealed up and separated again.
- A new main floor tenant, a bike repair shop started complaining of sewer gas smells coming out of the air vents, but only at certain times of the day.
- We determined this coincided with when the rooftop restaurant exhaust fans turned on at around 11 AM.
- Multiple 'experts' came and gave opinions. Most were directed at the newer restaurant that opened below a year ago.
- We cleaned out sewer lines, did smoke tests, tore through drywall, and ceramic tiles, and nearly jackhammered up the basement floor to re-run sewer lines.
- But it didn't add up.
- The original theory was that the rooftop vans were pulling sewer gasses out of the sewer and/or the restaurant lines.
But the restaurant wasn't having the smell.
- So I came up with a different theory, that they smell was in fact coming from the 3rd floor tenant somehow, and being pulled down into the main level ceiling.
- Further smell testing in the drop ceiling indicated this could be it. So we cut out 20' drywall ceiling to find the 'leak' -- but it was not found.
- We tried spraying expanding foam, and re-insulating the ceiling. But that also did not work.
- I could not see past the drop ceiling because of the AC ductwork there. So we determined to remove 18' of metal ducts.
- We still could not locate the source.
- After hours after the construction team had left, I decided to run a thin camera up the wall between the floorboards to see if I could see anything.
- We had determined where the smell was the worst, coming down through the ceiling at this point, between where the buildings had been separated.
- The first Two sections showed nothing.
- Out of desperation and nearly ready to give up, I tried one more time. The next section over (floor board joists are 16" apart).... There it was.
- Approximately 16" inches up from the true ceiling / upper floor board and in side a wall was what looked like a piece of PVC vent pipe with a rag or other material stuffed into it a long time ago.
- A bit farther up, the camera showed what looked like it could be a broken PVC elbow pipe as well but wasn't clear.
- But this was exactly 14' from the backwall of the building, and 16" from the floor.
- So after months and thousands of dollars spent on unnecessary plumbing repairs, pipe videos, smoke tests, drywall demolition and hunting...
- I was able to pinpoint the location, cut 2 5" x 5" holes in the upper floor tenant's wall to expose and repair the problem for under $10 in materials.
- Best I could tell, this area was the kitchen area of the home decades ago, and when the remodeling team tried to cap one of the sink vent pipes, they stuffed a rag into the open end, possibly to properly cap it later on, but never did.
- The 2nd issue was a broken PVC elbow that looked very old, and likely cracked from the weight / pressure of a 3 story tall building vent stack.
- But that was it!
I'll upload some pictures when I can soon...
- But wait, you ask? Why didn't the upper floor tenant ever smell the sewage gases?
- That's what didn't make sense from the start. However, what was happening was that when the restaurant vent fans turned on, they were sucking a lot of air from the commercial kitchen's 3 floors down, creating a lot of negative pressure.
- The air needed to come from somewhere, so it was sucking air from the walls and every crack or open air source it could find, from the entire building.
- This explains why the sewage gases were only noticeable during these periods of negative pressure, effectively 'sucking' sewage gases out of the vent stack, up and out into the walls, where it was being pulled back down into the main floor ceiling and walls.
- Later I learned that it was actually a 20 year old intermittent problem that previous tenants gave up on..
- Ultimately solved for under $20 and under 20 minutes of PVC and drywall repair... It was knowing where to look that was the HARD and EXPENSIVE part!!!
Really hope this helps some of you out there... If you're not sure where to look, really look at old plans, and where an old vent stack tie-in could have been re-plumbed or broken over the years.
In this case... Occam's Razor was right.
"The simplest explanation is usually the best one"
These guys are awesome, I can relate to their persistence, I just don’t have the equipment. Hopefully my smells go away, I have done so much upgrading to eliminate the smell and sadly I’ve had several contractors out and I’ve been the one come up with the solutions. Great video
It's crazy to see how many people think this was done on purpose by the electrician. This is totally an accident. The electricians have really long drill bits that they are able to drill through several joists at a time. This keeps them from having to remove all the drywall when running a single line for adding can lights during a remodel. At any rate, they drilled through it not even noticing. Then attach the wire to the bit and pulled it back through the holes. They never even knew there was a problem. And yes, the homeowner could have done this. But probably a handyman doing a remodel job if I had to guess.
This answered all my questions. Thank you lol
Doesn't matter if it's on purpose or not. You shouldn't just blindly drill through walls. You could hit sewage pipes, ductwork, WATERLINES, electrical lines, etc.
@@liamwelsh5565 Exactly. In fact incompetence is even worse. At least the 'cowboy electrician' would have known the source of the problem if it had been deliberate.
The home owner is a face shield wearing surfer dude. As liberal as it gets. I doubt he does any remodeling.
How do you accidentally drill a hole into and then run an electrical wire thru a sewer pipe if you are a professional?
Loved watching this video. We have identical twin boys too. You guys are funny and fantastic at the same time. Excellent work in locating the issue!
Usually its a bad plumber destroying framework of a home. Now it's an electrician undermining a plumber
Why would an electrician drill through an ABS waste pipe rather than go around it. It would have been interesting to see where that wire went.
Strange they went through all this detail of the set up and then skipped the details of the pipe and wire???
I wouldn’t exclude the homeowner as a person of interest as the culprit.
Yeah, bill certainly called it. 🤔🤔
100% bill did it
He clearly used the vent as conduit.
Hey, you guys are great!
I’ve got the same problem now.
Don’t know exactly where to pinpoint it but my whole house stinks after Covid.
That’s pretty hazardous gases.
Some days are worse than others.
The 7 dislikes are from the electrical crew 🤣
Great job! I have the same issue right now and its in a new construction development. There's a black pipe with a cover in the garage (sewer line?) and the garage smells. Now the inside of my home smells. AC does smell too. Have warranty's plumber coming by to assess the issue.
I wish you two were in Oklahoma. Lord knows I need you guys at my house.
Just get us a plane ticket dear heart! 😀😀
Crazy how the return has a connection with a sewer pipe…Just wow.I’m a HVAC/R professional and that is a no no
Great job guys.
My issue is as follows, only when I have the whole house fan on that sits on my hallway ceiling do we smell a sewer smell. I have septic tank in my yard that has been pumped.
Still a smell when attic fan is on. I have also changed wax seal.
Only one bathroom in the home.
I also checked the cast iron vent pipe on the roof by pouring water down it. Not clogged with debris.
So my question is can a leak of air becoming out of the cast iron pipe in the attic which is two feet from the whole house fan. In attic the old Cast iron pipe looks like it has a filling and a nail that has a rectangle top. Can I buy smoke in a can and test it out.
Thanks
'Two heads are better than one' personified - Super sleuths!
OMG LOVED IT SHARING WITH ALL MY GROUPS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
Every time a trade comes to my home I watch them to make sure no short cuts and sloppy work , there good at that.
Sometimes that’s what it takes. 👍
If you have the knowledge to spot that why you don’t do it yourself? Anyway you should only Hire a well established company , fully licensed and bonded .don’t cheap out , that way you can let the do their thing with piece of mind and you know... not be a total douche watching over their shoulders.
When people love what they do and work from the heart within their profession, only good things can come from being driven to do it well and the tenacity to not stop until it's correct. And...holy cow, I couldn't believe my eyes when they disclosed the problem. All I could think of was could that have started a fire? Well done!
Bill is a double masker.......LMAO!
I wish yall could help me Ive had this issue for a whole year Ive had plumbers come and the issue stop for a bit but then come back with a vengeance to the point my kids and I are getting sick. I dont know what to do anymore and have constant migraines
Great job guys!!! I love your passion!
I am having this sewer smell issue and as and the landlord keeps suggesting that I use bleach and hot water. I've tried all home remedies and still when I come home after being out for two hours, I smell sewage. UGH so frustrating. What should I do?
Had a sewerage smell in our house as well , it’s turned out the pipes were blocked for quite some time as the toilet itself wasn’t flushing properly , a plumber had to unblock the main pipes underground , the owner didn’t want to do anything it he had to once it wasn’t working finally got results.
that’s crazy cause my landlord told me to do that how inconsiderate are they
We have been living with sewer smell in the house for over a year, gets worse at night where I wake up nauseous. We have called 10 or more plumbers and they look, move stuff and don't find the source. Smoke testing did not work.
We don't know what to do. The City came by they checked city sewer and was clean, they told us is inside your bathroom. But each plumber we paid from $800 to $1400 each. Now we are trying to make up the money paid so we can keep calling more plumbers. What should we do? I'm in Miami, Florida.
Well I stay at apartment and me and my wife can smell a sewer smell through the whole apartment we have done everything we have taken the kitchen sink the plumbing a loose and clean it we have done the same thing to the restroom plumbing underneath the sink and then after that we have done the baking soda and vinegar with the hot water what else should I do
I.I'm going through this issue as we speak. 98 year old house with old galvanized In some places that disintegrated. Step 2 is the smoke test tomorrow. Very expensive but necessary. Fingers 🤞. Great video guys.
Absolutely amazing find by you guys. Great job!
Great work guys!
I saw this once on a main 4 inch drain line where GA power was putting in the main power and they drilled through the pipe. The downstairs was unoccupied and the poo from the upstairs apartment came out downstairs for months! had to dig the whole yard up to fix it. And new floors of course.
Wow! Great share here.
Wow great work! It is so unbelievable that electricians would be so careless and inept!! He must live here in FL where that sort of thing happens often! Where are you all located?
Your comment made me LOL so hard! I too have been at the mercy of our inept "electricians" and so called "plumbers". They're a JOKE here in Fl. I've had sewer gas issues in both of the places I've rented since I moved here. They're both BRAND NEW construction places. Neither leak was resolved. I broke my lease on the first place and moved out. I'm still suffering in the second one, but ready to move. At this point, I'm literally looking to move out of the state as I can't seem to find any housing without a sewer gas leak. I also had serious electrical issues in the second place for months. Property management companies are worthless here, and there's no agencies to force them to fix things. Sewer gas is apparently an acceptable problem to have in this state.
What was the point of the wire in the pipe. Where did the wire go, and what was it used for ?
Where are you fabulous twins…do you guys do house calls in Texas?
guys I need someone who can determine what my odor issues in the mobile home are....I hire people and they do this or that andit continues.....please help
I have a sewer smell in my home as well. I had my grinder pump sealed and I still smell it. Our home is only 2 years old so not sure why I’m having this issue already. If possible could you provide some insight on what type of professional to call for this?
Get a good plumber they should be able to get it figured out
2 brains are better than one
Lol that homeowner is ready to perform some surgery
You two should have a tv show ASAP
Thank joe! We are in talks, but nothing as of yet. I will pass this on to the TV executives. 😄😄
For the 1st we’re starting to have this same problem. Other than having new commodes put in all bathrooms 3-4 yrs ago, nothing has been remodeled.
Im curious how much a “test” like this costs?
Oh my God fantastic how do I hire these guys I have a stinky smell in my house I cannot get rid of but now I will try the smoke test thank you
Same
How much would a test like this run with all your equipment camera and smoke machine
3Dec20 0639 Hmm .. very nail biting .. even watching all the way from New Zealand. Hard to believe that electrical contractor would put wiring through a sewer pipe. Probably not hard to identify the contractor?
Wow! New Zealand a place we want to go visit. Thank you for tuning in. There owner is going to contact the electrician about this for sure.
Hello twin brothers I'd like to know if you could recommend a reputable plumber located in the Dallas Fort Worth, TX area, who could do a smoke test and find where the smell is coming from in my house? I have the same problem my AC smells like sewer. Thank you
Ohhhhh my gawd ! I've never seen such a thing ! Romex electrical wiring purposely threaded through a sewer pipe ? Knucklehead electrician on the loose 🤣 . Send in the Twins to the rescue !
Crazy huh! This was a big find.
@@TwinHomeExperts the twins deliver . It's performance that counts . BOLD , DARING --> INNOVATIVE !
The electrician probly thought ....Well the wire is insulated so lets run it through the sewage pipe even though there is plenty of space above and below the pipe to run the wire .
I find this hard to beleive that a licensed electrician would do this.. amateur sparkie did this...
Our townhouse smell like sewer or wastewater and it's normally after a very hard rain and it's comes from the AC. It's so bad that it makes me sick.
We are getting Sewer smell in back bedroom, When 2nd floor turns on their Exhaust fans. Including smells of some type of feeling of an irritant in the air, Aug 24,2023.
Let me tell you what happened next. The state health inspector shows up. They talk to Skip. He says he's got a sump pump problem. They leave.The guy's got a sewer problem. He says he'll look after it. Everything's okay, right? Wrong. A couple hours later there's smoke pouring out of the windows of Skip's house. The firemen go in. Know what they find? Skip's family, dead. Murdered. by Skip, weeks earlier with an ice pick.Yeah, the guy killed his whole family. With an ice pick, Yeah, just put 'em in the cool basement, covered 'em up with a sheet and went back to makin' treats for the townsfolk. Only Skip didn't count on there being a big heat wave that summer. You know what all those people were smelling on Elm, whew weeeee. Skip's family's bodies, decomposing in the summer heat. Apparently, one day Skip made one-too- many lemon phosphates. El snappo.
I have a similar problem. My AC is sucking sewer gas from inside the walls and distributivo it throughout the house. I guess we have to start with a smoke test, huh? I’m pretty sure it’s a leak of a sewer vent pipe related to one particular sink. Every time I use the sink, the house smells.
Hello. How’d did you make out?
@@BlackButterflyy1 The plumber came and did a smoke test and the smoke came pouring out of a closet. We opened up the wall and found the sewer vent had never been connected to the vent pipe on the roof. Unbelievable! 20 years of smelling that shit in the house bc some dumb builder didn't connect the pipe. Anyway, it took an hour to fix and $425. Done! House is fresh as a field of flowers now!
Bill didn't have electrical work done.
Bill tried to do it himself.
I've been trying to figure out why my house is a bit stinky at certain times (rainy... night more... no I don't have a septic tank... smelly drains, unused plumbing, water marks... so it's a mystery still). Anyway... I've begun watching your videos now because they are very entertaining and interesting/educational too!! Thanks.
How do I find a company to do a service like you have done in my area what should I be looking for
The electrician needs to be sued, fined and have his license revoked. Unfucking, fucking believable
Where are you located.? I need someone...i am south of Houston Tx
Hilarious guys, that's what trouble shouting is all about. Two head is better than one.
Me three the twins are amazing!!! They are awesome at troubleshooting!! Watching other videos!! Keep up ur great work!
No it's your breath😂🤣😭
Can someone get sick from sewer gas?
Just had this done! found two pvc pipes wide open behind a wall and the smoke escaped above through the roof identify an opening in the roof.
These twins are so funny
Can a skunk type smell be indication of sewer line leak. ???
skunks will spray when the fecal smell is really strong., ask me how I know.
Ive been buyihng and selling houses for a long time. Ive seen some things. Never seen romex running through a san pipe.
Right!? This was a Crazy find.
That's way bizarre to find an electrical wire through the sewer pipe. Wowsers now I'm very intrigued to finding where the smell is coming out of my home as well
Wow...OMG. Could a hole near the old flange of a toilet cause a toxic smell in your house even with a new toilet and wax seal? Shouldn't the wax seal on the flange block all sewer gas?
I have the same question
Awesome Video!!!!
Lol, plot twist, Bill did the DYi electrical job…
Badass. From the foundation repair industry.
Fantastic job fellows, thanks for the informative video.. you guys Rock ..
Thank you 🙏
What was the bill to identify and fix the problem?
Thank you
You guys need an actual cable show. This is the first time I have seen this channel. I'm emailing A&E or something for ya's lol
how much did it cost for this search and repair?
Lord knows I wish I could afford y’all. My house is just a smelly mess and it’s driving me crazy. I bought this house in the worst market and wish I would’ve waited.. 😩
Hello. Did you get this figured out? I’m trying to pinpoint my smell too 😩
I wish that they could have a pro Bono program to help poor people with their problems!!!
What in the fudge.......how in the world does someone drill a hole through ABS AND THEN run a wire through it and think that's ok?
I think what happened is the electrician carelessly just started drilling, then tied his wire onto the end of the bit/ feeder,then pulled wire through. Our poor customer having to breathe sewer odor for 20 years because of this.
@@TwinHomeExperts "2 YEARS
LEARNED HARD WAY DONT GET A HOUSE JUST BECAUSE CHEAP N HAS ALOT LAND.
MOST LIKELY WAS UNLICENSED HOUSE FLIPPER WHO DID A TON REMODELING WRONGLY N IF HAD GOTTEN ALL THE PERMITS N INSPECTATIONS REQUIRED TO SATISFY THE STATE REQUIREMT BOARD OR HOUSING STANDARDS DEPT
IM NOT AGAINST DIY ONLY IF, YOU KNOW WHAT YR DOING
IF WASNT FDOT MOVE REPLACEMENT WE WOULD HAVE UP CREEK WITHOUT PADDLE
1) THEY BUILT BACK PORCH OVER THE SEPTIC SYSTEM WITHOUT PROPERLY HAVING DRAIN ACCESS HOLE, NO PERMIT, ELECTRICAL NO PERMIT
PLUMBING NO PERMIT, ALOT KITCHEN CABINET DOORS, DOOR HINGES PUT ON BACKWARDS , 2 NON PERMITTED ADDITIONS TO BACKSIDE OF MANUFACTURED HOME THEN HURRICANE DAMAGED SOME OTHERS AREAS N ISSUES N TOOK 3 ELECTRIANS TO FIND THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY LOOSE NEUTRAL OUTSIDE OF HOUSE , THAT FRIED $3000 TO 5000 WORTH OF APPLIANCES, TV, STOVE, OVEN, FRIDGE , WATER SOFTNER , N PARTS OF HVAC FURNACE SYSTEM N WATER PUMP SYSTEM N THE COUNTRY N REQUIRED NEW MASTER ELECTRICAL BOX TO HAVE TO BE PUT IN OUTSIDE, WHEN RETIRED ON SMALL SSN CHECK ITS HARD GET THINGS REPAIRED OR REPLACED ALL AT ONCE, OR ESPEC HAVE SOMEONE ELSE DO IT
I have come across an electrical Romex rn through pipe
Wow! Impressive! Most plumbers are LAZY and will NOT go the extra mile. They just want that easy money. I'm going thru that myself rightnow. On to my 3rd plumber trying to locate where the smell is coming from.
Another confusing answer? Or the video did not show very clearly. The electrical wire went around the sewer pipe or through the pipe?
The electrician drilled a hole into the sewer pipe and put an electrical wire through the sewer pipe, they said.
I also wish they would go into more detail about the _fix_ . I guess they removed the wire from the pipe and covered the holes made by the electrician so smells would not come out.
I wish we had persistent, honest and hard working plumbers where we live. Horrible raw sewage smell in our bathroom right now and smoke test showed no break in system. Was told that there was nothing that could be done since test did not show a break in system. They did not test extensively, use cameras etc.
Dr House of plumbers ....😂😂👍👍
I am a retired City Inspector. I’ve never seen an electrician (doubt he is one) drill through a pipe. That is stupidity to the extreme.
This is what we smell more than 3 months now after electricians went to my attic and rewired my 2 bedrooms. Now smells like chemical especially when it rains. I need you guys so desperately 😢 Im a single mom of 2 kids and elderly mom to take care of.
Wow the electrician caused all that problem/money for repairs. I wonder did the homeowner contact the electrical company/get compensated
OMG honestly some fucking ass actually did that !
I am not a fan of solicitors but that electrician HAS to be sued
I wish I could hire these guys in Vermont.
Hello from Slovakia!!
Watching this in 2023, the mask and face shield combo cracks me up.
Putting electricity wire through a sewer pipe. That has to be a breach of building codes.
Ya think ?!?!? . No code will say put an electrical line through a pipe no matter where you live .
Wow, how much did all this cost!
Mines coming from the sink and furnace vents while heats on. 🤢 I completely forgot when we had an inspection done they said we needed a knew wax seal 😒 I didn't know that could cause a smell.
You 2 are Masters of all trades….WoW, unbelievable the amount of effort you put in to solving this odour issue!💩🤢 What a horrible discovery though! Oops…🙄😬 Whoever did this probably didn’t have a license!🤔 Wonderful work and a great video….becoming wiser and wiser the more videos you post.😀 Blessings and love send from Canada 🙏🏼♥️👋🏼🇨🇦
You guys should be on tv. Mystery theater!
What would a diagnosis like this cost the customer ?...
It really depends on so many factors. Can range as low as 875.00 and as high as 10,000, thanks for watching !
This was one for Home Inspection Nightmares.
Oh, it had to be the space cadet with the mask and the faceshield.
I have been fighting a sulfuric smell for two years at house we bought , so far I’ve found clay clean outs exposed under the new additions that have been added on to our house. I dont understand how people have lived here for 20 years like this.
the face shield.... has been inhaling rat shit for a year... yes lets be scared of covid lol