Can anyone suggest trouble shooting for this problem: strong septic odors occur occasionally after higher use and certain temperatures.
We are building a new home in the adirondacks. The septic was completed about two summers ago (1250 gal holding tank). There are 4 full baths that are complete and working. The kitchen is not complete but the sink drain is capped. There are no odors in the house.
There are 3 vent pipes on the roof on the back side of the house (two bathrooms share one vent). All of the toilets and sinks are working fine (toilets flush properly, sinks drain properly).
Last weekend I had some buddies up for a couple days. four baths were in use. except for the once a day toilet use, showers were quick. the day after they left there were really strong septic odors by the front door and in front of the garage doors at about 8am. This has happened before when we had visitors (my wife and I don’t encounter odors when it it just us using the house).
The plumber claims his work is not the problem. The builder and septic guy say they installed the septic system correctly. I asked them to meet with me at the house this saturday.
Any ideas on what could be causing this problem and how we can correct it?
Thanks All!
Replies
City sewer in this locale
and on RARE occasion, we will get a sewer odor at our side door (leeward side ?-opposite the prevailing wind..............)
Usually early morning, might seem like heavy air too.
NW Ohio.
Is the smell around the location of the tank and drain field or near the house?
I'm guessing near the tank and/or field.
It could be a case of temporary system overload (considering the house guests), although we regularly have this many people, plus our tenants, with no problems and our tank is the same size as yours.
Is there an effluent filter at the exit of the tank, and if so, how often do you clean it? (I have to clean mine twice a year or else it can back up the tank.
Septic Odor
Scott, thanks for the reply. No, the smell is no where near the tank or field. Which is why I am suspecting that the odor is coming out of the roof vents and for some reason dropping down (wind, temp, pressure) around the front of the house.
I'm wondering if the piping in the house was not installed properly which is allowing the toilet flush to remain in the piping too long - therefore throwing out more odor that normal. I plan to do a test of the toilets this weekend (pour 5 gal bucket of water in the toilet to see if it is slow which might indicate a clog or venting problem.
The septic field and tank is brand new (had it installed two years ago and we only use it on average every other weekend).
I will ask about the effluent filter - not sure if I have one installed.
Thanks
Tom
The pipes that project through the roof are normal... they're called sewer vents, and yes, if you are nearby one they are smelly. But they shouldn't stink up the whole environment. How tall is your house and how far away from the vents are you when you are standing at the entry?
No one has "just" a septic
No one has "just" a septic tank anymore -- there's almost always a lift pump or some such involved. Is there an access lid to the septic tank? If so, did you lift the lid and look inside? Did you check around the septic tank and laterals to see if it was marshy?
>>>No one has "just" a septic
>>>No one has "just" a septic tank anymore -- there's almost always a lift pump or some such involved.
Really? Plenty of gravity here, and only one neighbor (out of 38) has a pump.
Good point though... if the system has a pump, there may be an issue with it.
But as I said, there are many people with new septic systems that don't realize they have an effluent filter, and that it needs to be cleaned regularly. It's not a pleasant job, but if you have a rod with a hook on the end, and a hose with nozzle ready, it only takes a few minutes.
Septic Odor
Dan, thanks for the info. I'm sure I don't have a lift pump (but will check). Yes, I have access to the tank from the lid on top (have to dig a little) and plan to check that this weekend.
The strange thing is that the odor is not coming from the area of the tank/field. Also the ground around that area is fine - solid and no odors.
I'm wondering if it has something to do with either the piping inside the house (not flushing fast enough and therefore building up more odor than normal and therefore throwing off more odor from vents); or it has to do with the atmospheric pressure and the location of the house (side of mountain, fairly dense forest at the back of the house - which might restrict venting upward easily???).
If you have any more thoughts, I'll all ears!
Thanks
Tom
What you're describing would not suggest to me that there's anything wrong with the indoor plumbing or the septic tank.
The plumbing vents on the roof are expected to be stinky at times. They have an unrestricted path all the way to the septic tank, and a private septic tank will tend to generate more smelly sewer gas than a municipal sewer because the tank holds and digests waste. It stinks.
I suspect that a combination of extra-smelly gas in the tank and the right (wrong?) atmospheric conditions caused the odor to waft your way, but that it will be a temporary problem.
Edit: If it persists, get on the roof at the time when it smells bad and see (smell, actually) if the odor is coming out the roof vents. If so, you could isolate the indoor plumbing from the septic system by installing a whole-house p-trap on the sewer line just outside the house, or just inside, if there's access via a crawl space. The trap would need a cleanout in case it ever got plugged.