zl700 - It's been 4 days since we dug out the sopping wet soil and exposed this drain pipe. We have been using all sinks, bathrooms, dishwasher, & laundry. There has been absolutely no water showing up anywhere in that hole. We have also had the backyard sprinkler system turned off for the past 3 weeks. This dining room is adjacent to our backyard that's mostly grass with a row of boxwood plants near the wall. Your suggestion to flood the outside area is excellent! We'll use the hose & sprinklers. It will be interesting to see what happens when we turn the sprinklers back on. The sprinkler system (installed many years ago by DH) includes pipes & risers along the area by the wall for the boxwood plants. There's also a hose/spigot connection there on that wall as well. I forgot to mention..along with finding the large chunk of concrete, there is a piece of wood (looks like a 2 x 4) lodged below the drain pipe. We don't know why that's there. This area must have been a dumping site during construction & stuff just got left there?

How long have you had this smell? Did it just start or have you had this smell since Mid March after completed renovation? Is there a gas intake to heat water? Is there a problem with garbage disposal? Is the smell plastic, chemical or rotten food like? Does it smell like rotten eggs? I ask this odd question because of a program on NPR about drywall from China having sulfer. Sulfer destroys copper. It also emits a horrific rotten egg smell. Some drywall from China has sulfer in it's makeup causing serious illness in children. Here are some articles. ~boxerpups http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101037056 http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/03/24/chinese.drywall/ By Jason Hanna CNN (CNN) -- Strontium sulfide, a material that can emit corrosive gases in moist air, was found at trace levels in testing of Chinese-made drywall, the Florida Department of Health said.The drywall samples gave off a sulfurous odor when heated, and in at least one case, sulfide gases corroded copper coils in an air conditioner of a Florida home containing Chinese drywall, said the department, which commissioned the study. But more testing is needed to determine whether strontium sulfide was causing the odor and contributing to the corrosion, the department said. And more tests are required to determine whether the drywall poses a threat to human health -- a process that probably will take at least several months, state toxicologist Dr. David Krause told reporters Monday. "It's very hard to predict when we'll have the answers [relating to possible health hazards]. ... We're moving as quickly as possible," Krause said. Concerns about Chinese-made drywall, which is suspected by some homeowners of ruining appliances and causing health problems, emerged in Florida last year but have transcended state lines, with class-action lawsuits alleging it has caused problems in at least three states: Florida, Louisiana and Alabama. The Florida Department of Health has received about 150 complaints, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says it is investigating the Florida allegations. Homeowners' lawsuits against certain manufacturers and suppliers contend the drywall has caused them to suffer health problems such as headaches and sore throats, and left them facing huge repair expenses. The drywall is alleged to emit sulfur-based gases that smell of rotten eggs and corrode piping and wiring, causing electronics and appliances to fail. The Florida Department of Health said complaints there generally involve homes built between 2004 and 2007, around the time a building boom and post-hurricane reconstruction caused a U.S. drywall shortage and spurred builders to use imports. (there is more to this story at the link.) Here is a link that might be useful: Drywall has material that can emit corrosive gas

Our builder was originally going to fill in the "hole" for the poured foundation part of the front porch (that was going to have flagstone set in mortar and a concrete bed), so as said to put in a door into the basement, add some steel bridge decking and give us a room. We ended up putting out HVAC system in there and it's pretty good for wine too! (almost) FREE SPACE - how often does that happen?

Mr. Fudd, How novel, you say that I assume... but you only suspect. ( If anything, I am at least fair.) The Uniform Plumbing code snippet was obtained from the internet. So is now the internet providing misinformation? (I can't post something I can't obtain, again if you have this magical proof of what you're saying is true, where is it?) If people are afraid of misinformation, why should they listen to you and other non-professionals of this board with no proof in what you post? Where is this the Head Quarters of this board located? Why am I able to access it? You have the ability to post your information that proves what you say is true. Don't you? Is my standing as a Professional Member of this board any more favorable to me than to you? (In your ability to post information?) Didn't the OP here, post pictures describing his situation? What is preventing you Mr. Fudd or anyone else for that matter... posting your PROOF of what you say is ACCURATE. Yet it is you claiming that I am posting misinformation? So please post your proof, for the whole world to see. --------------- The way I see it, it's a two way street. We have a single website forum board dealing with everyone coming to it even though things like climate, design and plethora of other differences via location. With that said in terms of someone calling me because they live in or near my service area of Katy, Texas (far west suburb of Houston). I'll use a fishing analogy to answer this with.... 'You can NOT catch a fish, without going fishing can you?' I am always looking for a new AC customer, maybe it's the silent reader of this board who dislikes the politics and theatrics of those that frequent it. It matters not one bit of how or where they find me. Only that they find me. I've gotten calls all across the USA, BEFORE I became active on this board. Assumptions / Suspicions are useless. I do not troubleshoot or 'diagnose' AC systems over the phone. HVAC is a 'in person' service business. I come to you, provided you live within my service area.