sewer gas smell

[fprahl]

I recently purchased a 300 year old house in Massachusetts. There is a strong sewer gas smell in the attic which sometimes gets into the second floor - not always in the bathroom. I noticed the smell seemed to be coming up along the waste pipe. Also, on one rainy day following a large snow storm (the temperature was about 50 that day) the smell was evident throughout the house. The house was inspected in late summer of 2003 for the purchase, and at that time there was no smell either in the attic or in the house.

The waste pipes are very old and are cast iron. They were originally vented into the chimney. About six years ago, the previous owner (who said the the smell was there when he bought the house) hired a professional plumber to connect the waste pipe, sink and bathtub vents together with PVC pipe and then vent them through the roof. At that time the old vent hole in the chimney was patched.

One plumber recommended that I hire American Leak Detectors to come in and put smoke into the vent system to try to find the leak.

Does anyone out there have any other suggestions? I have visions of tearing out walls and still not finding the leak!

I'd be grateful for any help anyone could give me.

Thanks,

Fred Prahl

[bluemax]

NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT, SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE TORE
OUT. ONE OF THE PVC PIPES MAY NOT HAVE GLUED AT ALL AND COME LOOSE,
IF IT IS STILL SOME CAST IRON PIPE IN THERE IT COULD BE CRACKED OR
SPLIT, IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH OF A CRACK OR SPLIT FOR THAT SEWER GAS
TO ESCAPE. USING THE SMOKE IS NOT A BAD IDEA.

HOPES THIS HELPS !!

Bluemax