Septic system odor is very irritating and unbearable. It has long been a problem of so many homeowners, especially those with septic tanks of obsolete or substandard design. The odors become stronger as the septic tank becomes full or if pressure begins due to slow drainage. Many of the septic systems installed prior to 1935 were very poorly made and, without proper care, gave out terrible toxic fumes and bacteria. It is very embarrassing to have a home reeking of septic system odors. Even if you keep a clean household, if the drains give out that obnoxious smell, guests and neighbors will think otherwise. Those who live in areas where they are hooked up to wastewater treatment plants are very fortunate as they don’t have to maintain their own septic tank and risk having regular bouts of odorous spells. The offensive odors from your septic system linger for a while until you finally address the main problem. You can find yourself temporarily resolving the issue by spraying deodorizers and air fresheners. Take a look at these septic system odor control techniques that could help you deal in your own home.
Indoors
When you have septic system odor issues in the home, don’t worry because this dilemma can be easy to tackle. This is mainly caused by a trap in your pipe or a dry drain that is often located in a sink or bathroom that is not often used. The “U”-shaped pipe there traps odors, especially when it is dry and there is no blockage of water between the odor from the septic system and the drain. If you want to remove the septic system odor inside your home, just turn on the faucet and run some water. Do this as a practice to prevent odors from coming out again.
Cleaning products
Using household cleaning products to flush the pipe lines between your home and the septic tank can help in getting rid of the septic system odor. You could consult with your local home store or online septic system stores for tips on what products you should use.
Outdoors
A technique that you could use in dealing with septic system odors outdoors is the extension of the vent to the topmost portion of the roof. This is quick and easy to do. You usually experience septic system odor outside the house because of the vent’s low position. It needs to be high enough for the wind to carry the fumes away from your area. Make use of a PVC pipe to increase the height of the vent stack to about three feet. Don’t forget to place charcoal filters over the extended vent so that the odors can be filtered before they get carried off into oblivion.
There are many causes of septic system odors that mainly arise from your own practice at home like dumping used oil and coffee grinds into the garbage disposal. This causes heavy clogs that make the water backup into your home. The clogging also causes the water to become stagnant and pool around your septic tank. This water collection damages the tank and gives way to septic system odors to spew out. You should also avoid planting trees around the area of your septic tank because the roots will eventually damage the pipelines and cause odors to escape. If you already did everything possible to get rid of the septic system odors and nothing worked, it would be advised to seek the assistance of professionals and let them skillfully handle the matter.
While these are just a few broad reasons why a septic system may give off odors, keep in mind that any system with odor conditions is an early warning sign that something is wrong internally and the system should be inspected and treated accordingly. Once septic system odors appear, pressures build within the system which causes interference with the normal decomposition process. Once this begins, a snowball effect occurs and the system steadily declines.