Septic Fun

[gemini5362]

If the smell did not start until after they roto rooted the root out I would call and ask if they cleaned the lines back towards the house. There is a chance that they broke through something cleaning those out. I would probably call them back and tell them to bring a camera and see what they broke

 

[mffarmall]

I had my septic go down. Had to dig it up and repair part. But I did get a new tractor out of the wife to do it.

 

[fireplum]

Been plumbing for 25 years, park the tractor,
Been some interesting answers,open all the windows,You should be able to locate smell right off,
I would bet you have a bad seal on toilet,or dry trap or open pro vent,
pull the toilet & check your seal, good luck

 

[Marlowe]

What is an open pro vent? I see you agree with me to park the tractor, unless you can figure out how to use one to pull a toilet.

 

[mffarmall]

I like the toilet idea. I have seen a few pipes that were broken outside the house and really caused some problems. There is a spot in many toilets for waste to get under and around then sit. If you are not sure about the plumber then talk to him about the smell. From there, talk to neighbors they probably have had same problems. Sometimes they use the same builders. We have a T outside the house so we can open the line and stick a router into it. Do you have PVC or metal pipes?

Call other plummers. I like the ones that are small. Usually there wife is their business partner and they like to talk shop. They can give you ideas that would not be typical.

 

[mffarmall]

Another thought, if it's an old out, sometimes it can be a pipe that backed up into the wall. Or it might be the washer. They back up on the ground and under them.

I had to dig up my whole system during the summer. It was a really fun time. At the end of the summer I knew more about my system then I really wanted too.

 

[tornadowatchranch]

Last year we had an outside break with the smell in the house. It was where the pipe went through our foundation had broken 2 inches outside. Most of the "fluid" continued on to the tank but some of it went down to the drain tile and the smell came from the sump pump. It was diagnosed over the phone from a very experienced septic man. Take off the clean out in your basement and look out towards the tank. We could see the break clearly. Just make sure no one flushes while it is open!

 

[EddieWalker]

If all your lines drain, then it's not the septic tank or leach field. If they didn't drain, that would be a totally different issue.

Like mentioned so many times already, you have a leak in your pipes or seals. Since you haven't noticed a leak, that doesn't mean you don't have one. Is the house on a slab or pier and beam? If pier and beam, you need to do an inspection under the house. It's not fun, but it will tell you allot if there's a leak.

Pinpointing the source of the odor will take some time. I'd open every window and close every door. Then go room by room to determine where the smell is the strongest. Some old vent pipes are cast iron and will leak between the seals. There is no fluid in them, just air. If it's a good sized crack, you will smell it in the wall. Fixing it can be a real pain to get to, but it really doesn't matter, you have to do it.

Don't forget the attic. It's not unheard of for a vent pipe to join other vent pipes from the wall and then become just one pipe as it goes through the roof. Where they join could be the cause of the smell. This might also explain it if the smell is all over the house and not just in one spot. Especially if there is little insulation in the attic.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[mffarmall]

$%^^ happens in the tiolet. So I still think starting there is the best. But also check under the washer.

 

[6sunset6]

Could be a dead mouse also.

 

[mffarmall]

Had a dead mouse once. It can get bad. But it passes after a few days. Not saying that it's not. But it's a different smell then body waste.

 

[mffarmall]

Could it be a rat!! They are all over Cal. Mostly in law offices but some times in wall.

 

[rtdiggr]

I think we have heard from everybody except KIOTOACRES is he still around?

Shane

 

[AKfish]

Yup... it sure would be nice to hear what the problem was and if he got everything workin' again!

AKfish

 

[PILOON]

You say 'cold weather'.
How cold?
Stack vent frosted over?
I have seen stack vents frost up 'till they choke" up, hence the tiniest break (that never caused odours) really act up as the siphoning effect is cancelled out.

Usually 4 " is standard fo a vent.

A heavy snow load on a roof can also bury the vent!
In fact a system can actually have more than one break (air leak) but with a strong siphoning from the stack vent you'd never know they were there until the vent frosts up.

If that proves to be the cause, pour hot water down the vent (from the roof) to thaw away the choking frost blockage.
I have seen that as a problem more than a few times.

In your case since a recent pumping was done you'd not have the warm fumes (gases) from a perkulating system as the bacteria level is somewhat lower than normal.

 

[mffarmall]

I think that he said that he cleared all the vents and water was added to all P traps.

 

[Renze]

Had a dead mouse once. It can get bad. But it passes after a few days. Not saying that it's not. But it's a different smell then body waste.

Last spring i had a dead mouse odouring from somewhere in my bedroom. I taped off some holes in the wall, behind the light switch. I tried to look everywhere, but no mouse.

Untill i couldnt sleep anymore from the mouse stink irritating my throat. Then i turned the whole bedroom upside down. When i lifted a two seat couch off the floor to inspect thoroughly, did a step back to watch over the couch in my arms to the floor where it sat, i felt something under my foot....

I put the couch back, KNOWING on what i just stepped...

I found the mouse lying close to a leg of the table besides my bed, halfway hidden under the table cloth that hangs allmost to the floor...

I removed the mouse, and sprayed half a bottle of ADIDAS sports deodorant on the spot where the mouse has been rotting for a week or more...

Everytime i smell this ADIDAS deodorant, i my eyeballs pop into surveillance mode, thinking where the dead mouse might be...
Because both odours were overwhelmingly present at the same time, in my subconsciousness, this smell is connected to the smell of dead mice. I had no other option than to throw away this deodorant, because the smell just remembers me of dead mice anytime during the day...

 

[EddieWalker]

Renze,

Great story!!!! I don't mean to take pleasure in your pain, but you made me laugh at how you suffered and will now be traumatized for life when you smell that brand of deodorant.

Eddie

 

[Lasgambler]

Been plumbing for 25 years, park the tractor,
Been some interesting answers,open all the windows,You should be able to locate smell right off,
I would bet you have a bad seal on toilet,or dry trap or open pro vent,
pull the toilet & check your seal, good luck

I don't recall if they just moved into the home or not. Some of the homes I build have a floor drain in the recessed laundry. One had a Japanese style wet bathroom with a floor drain. 'Very important to keep traps filled with water.

Fireplum, Now I have heard another name for a Mechanical vent. (Pro Vent, Perth Vent). I wander what other names they are called in diff. parts of the country? Terry

 

[Highbeam]

You funny Europians. If someone tried to throw a 50lb weiner pig into my septic tank I would throw a fit. That's BBQ.

The first turd is all the bacteria that your tank needs.


A dead piglet, sheesh.