John Aldrich1
DFM1, I am sure that the odors that you are smelling are not imaginary or we would not be having this conversation. As I have stated the foul odors are produced by anaerobic microbial digestion of organic matter (not necessarily fecal matter) in the sewage flowing into the sump pump pit. It is possible to temporarily mitigate the odor problem with the use of a disinfectant, but the odors will soon return when the disinfectant is pumped out of the sump pump pit or the disinfectant evaporates, and the naturally occurring bacteria repopulate, and continue to digest the organic matter in the pit.
A thorough cleaning of the sump pump pit is a good idea, but water jetting the drain pipes is probably a waste of time and money (a large pile of money) if there is no problem with the fixtures properly draining.
I suspect that a steel lid could be fabricated to cover the sump pump pit, and it would serve your purposes quite well. You could even drive a pickup truck over it if you desired. I would imagine that the cost of fabrication of a steel lid specifically designed to meet your needs would exceed $200. A plastic cover, commonly manufactured for this purpose, will also serve your needs quite well, and may cost as much as $20. Typically, plastic sump pump pit covers are installed on the sump pump pits in millions of new homes in this country every year. I doubt that very many steel covers are used.
Mr. Tieger could have provided a real service if he would have revealed the required size of the vent pipe. I suspect that each fixture connected to the sump pump pit is adequately served with its own vent, so the only fixture to be considered in this application is the sump pump itself. The vent pipe size installed on my 1/2hp. sump pump is 2 inches.
Harry and RJ, the purpose of this Bulletin Board is to answer questions, and assist those in need in solving Drainage and Sewerage problems. I am sure that DFM1 cares little about the pomposity of Sylvan Tieger. If you wish to contribute to the success of the Bulletin Board, and if you guys are plumbers, then why not positively respond to the inquiries posted and share your knowledge. Just ignore the rantings of guys like Sylvan. Many of Sylvan’s responses are very helpful. Nothing will be gained by engaging in name-calling and insults. 
» This message has been edited by John Aldrich on 15 November 2001
