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Wet crawl space unsafe to enter (C) Daniel Friedman Sewer Line Leaks & Odors
Diagnose and Cure Sewer Gas Smells Due to Sewer Line Leaks or Septic Tank Problems

Drain & sewer line leak & odor diagnosis & repair:

How to prevent or cure sewer gas odors from septic systems, building plumbing, & other causes. Sewer gas smell diagnosis - plumbing checklist. Septic gas smell diagnosis - septic system checklist

This article describes how to diagnose, find, and cure odors in buildings including septic or sewage or sewer gas smells or "gas odors" in buildings.

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- Daniel Friedman, Publisher/Editor/Author - See WHO ARE WE?

Septic System or Sewer Piping Blockage or Failure Can Produce Sewer or Septic Gases Outdoors OR Indoors

Photograph of septic dye breaking out on the surface of a yard during septic testing and inspection

Our sewer gas odor diagnosis discussed here focuses on homes with a private onsite septic tank but including tips for owners whose home is connected to a sewer system as well. What makes the smell in sewer gas? Sewer gases are more than an obnoxious odor.

Readers should be sure to also

see SEWER GAS ODORS.

Watch Out: Because sewer gas contains methane gas (CH4) there is a risk of an explosion hazard or even fatal asphyxiation.

Sewer gases also probably contain hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) In addition some writers opine that there are possible health hazards from sewer gas exposure, such as a bacterial infection of the sinuses (which can occur due to any sinus irritation).

Depending on the sewer gas source and other factors such as humidity and building and weather conditions, mold spores may also be present in sewer gases.

Sewer gas odors that can occur when a drain or septic system are partly blocked or sluggish.

Inspect the septic system for evidence of failure: our photo shows green septic dye in the yard during a septic loading and dye test.

If the sewer or gas odor or smell is strongest outside, and if you rule out an unusual site shape or wind blowing odors down from your plumbing vent system, your septic system may be failing.

Sewage odors may be noticed from a failing drainfield even if at the moment you don't see a wet or soggy area which shows actual sewage effluent on the yard surface.

If this is the case you may want to request a septic system inspection as well as a tank pumpout and inspection afterwards.

Also see SEWER GAS ODORS in COLD / WET WEATHER for additional odor tracing and cure advice for odors occurring during wet or cold weather.

This Australian septic system advice was paraphrased/near-quoted from advice given by Adelaide Hills Council, Australia.

In some areas such as South Australia, aerobic wastewater treatment is used to treat effluent to a sufficient level of sanitation that it can be used for irrigation within the property - in other words it is dispersed on the soil for the purpose of both disposal and for irrigation.


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Continue reading  at SEWAGE BACKUP, WHAT TO DO or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see SEWER LINE LEAKS & ODORS FAQs - questions & answers posted originally at the end of this page.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

Suggested citation for this web page

SEWER LINE LEAKS & ODORS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to PLUMBING SYSTEMS

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