nice topic this one!
Every now and then (every few weeks, more in summer when its warm), the cellar at our shop STINKS for a few hours. It wouldn't be so bad if it stayed in the cellar, but the smell gets onto the shop floor. It is strongest at the top of the cellar steps (above the back door), and by the back door in the cellar, strangely, since there is no smell at all outside.
Now these 2 areas have 2 things in common.
1. A goods lift. This lift goes between the cellar and the shop floor level. The shaft goes down about a foot below the cellar floor (i have seen it open when the engineer was there). Its a modern lift - 3 years old, and afaict, the lift pit is fully concrete lined.
2. The metal steps. If you can imagine it, the lift door is opposite the back door in the cellar (4-5 foot between them), they face each other, and above the back door next to the lift, the steps start, but you cant get under the steps - there's a wall blocking it off next to the back door.
Here's what im thinking. This building has been modified and knocked about so many times in the past. Near the back door there is a clay stub where a soil stack used to be, but it is properly sealed up, you can see it has been filled with concrete. So not guilty. What if there is another stack capped off stack under there steps, and it is causing the smell? (the steps are quite badly contructed, a rush job, so very permeable to smells and water etc, though nothing could have been dropped down there)
We had a maintenance man out a few weeks ago to inspect the drains, and he lifted the manhole outside and everything was fine as far as we could tell. There were 2 branches off this manhole - one to the stack that we use 2 storeys up, and one to the bunged up stack by the back door. There's another manhole a few feet further down the hill that we didn't lift, i think it would be worth a try. The maintenance man said the kebab shops and chippies could be to blame because of throwing fat in the drains etc, but the drains go down a steep hill, it couldn't cause that much trouble surely?
Would a quick phone call to Yorkshire Water do any good? Since they own the drains outside our property, I'd think its their responsibility, but thinking on, im not sure if it is actually our property - its like a very wide pavement and we keep our bins there and park delivery lorries there etc. I suppose it depends if there is a problem.
I am at my wits end. its putting customers off!!! like i said it only happens every few weeks and at random, but its always afternoon time, and it smells of raw sewage. Theres no saying its even a sewer problem, it could be something in the shop!!! (all our drains run externally) What could cause this intermittent smell? Any advice helpful! attached is a plan of the drains which could be on our property!
Every now and then (every few weeks, more in summer when its warm), the cellar at our shop STINKS for a few hours. It wouldn't be so bad if it stayed in the cellar, but the smell gets onto the shop floor. It is strongest at the top of the cellar steps (above the back door), and by the back door in the cellar, strangely, since there is no smell at all outside.
Now these 2 areas have 2 things in common.
1. A goods lift. This lift goes between the cellar and the shop floor level. The shaft goes down about a foot below the cellar floor (i have seen it open when the engineer was there). Its a modern lift - 3 years old, and afaict, the lift pit is fully concrete lined.
2. The metal steps. If you can imagine it, the lift door is opposite the back door in the cellar (4-5 foot between them), they face each other, and above the back door next to the lift, the steps start, but you cant get under the steps - there's a wall blocking it off next to the back door.
Here's what im thinking. This building has been modified and knocked about so many times in the past. Near the back door there is a clay stub where a soil stack used to be, but it is properly sealed up, you can see it has been filled with concrete. So not guilty. What if there is another stack capped off stack under there steps, and it is causing the smell? (the steps are quite badly contructed, a rush job, so very permeable to smells and water etc, though nothing could have been dropped down there)
We had a maintenance man out a few weeks ago to inspect the drains, and he lifted the manhole outside and everything was fine as far as we could tell. There were 2 branches off this manhole - one to the stack that we use 2 storeys up, and one to the bunged up stack by the back door. There's another manhole a few feet further down the hill that we didn't lift, i think it would be worth a try. The maintenance man said the kebab shops and chippies could be to blame because of throwing fat in the drains etc, but the drains go down a steep hill, it couldn't cause that much trouble surely?
Would a quick phone call to Yorkshire Water do any good? Since they own the drains outside our property, I'd think its their responsibility, but thinking on, im not sure if it is actually our property - its like a very wide pavement and we keep our bins there and park delivery lorries there etc. I suppose it depends if there is a problem.
I am at my wits end. its putting customers off!!! like i said it only happens every few weeks and at random, but its always afternoon time, and it smells of raw sewage. Theres no saying its even a sewer problem, it could be something in the shop!!! (all our drains run externally) What could cause this intermittent smell? Any advice helpful! attached is a plan of the drains which could be on our property!
