I recently had a plumbing emergency in my own home. The main drain pipe under the basement floor got clogged with toilet paper. The culprit is a newer low-flush toilet in a basement bathroom. I ...

Yes, you'll have to excavate, and you might have to break up your basement floor, but you won't regret it. Even if the drain looks good, I would check it again in two or three years.

Check for a cleanout plug inside the floor drain to get rid of a sewer smell in bathroom or laundry room. Remove the grate that covers the opening and make sure there's a plug inside the drain bowl.