So my dirty, disgusting home job is done. We have a solid waste extractor pump in our basement. Its main job is to eject the water from our clothes washer into the sewer, but it also handles the duties from the basement bathroom (which does not get used much). Anyway, to the casual observer it looks like a sump pump. It has a steel top, 19 inches in diameter, that is likely original from the house (45 years old) and has been slowly rusting away. Mrs datlas is worried about radon gas etc. and also it looks pretty ugly and lets some yucky smells into the laundry room.

So I bought a new plastic cap from Home Depot and after a couple hours of frustration I was able to replace it. What a mess!