Recent sewer & septic gas & odor questions & answers help troubleshoot sewer or septic smells.

This sewer gas smell article series describes how to get rid of or cure odors in buildings including septic or sewage or sewer gas smells or "gas odors" in buildings with a focus on homes with a private onsite septic tank but including tips for owners whose home is connected to a sewer system as well.

Septic System Gase & Odor FAQs-2

These questions & answers about curing septic system odors, smells, gases, backdrafting were posted originally at SEPTIC SYSTEM ODOR CURES - be sure to see the diagnostic advice given there.

On 2018-11-18 by (mod) - find the odor source

To eliminate an odor we need to find its source.

Try ODOR DIAGNOSIS SIX STEPS https://inspectapedia.com/odor_diagnosis/Odor_Diagnosis_Steps.php and try the odor log sheet that we suggest as that can help narrow down the odor cause.

On 2018-11-18 by Leslie - hair permanent odors

considering the dryer runs simultaneously I am thinking it is not methane. Any ideas on how I might remedy the problem? The septic was cleaned out about 3 months ago and all sewage pipes inside my home were replaced 3 years ago.

On 2018-11-18 by (mod) - odor similar to when a woman gets a hair permanent - when I do laundry

Anon

I can't make a safe, reliable guess about the safety of an odor by e-text. However IF the odor you smell is sewer gas entering the home, that's potentially dangerous as it contains explosive methane (actual hazard depends on the amount and concentration and building ventilation) and possibly pathogens.

On 2018-11-18 by Anonymous

The smell I am experiencing has an odor similar to when a woman gets a hair permanent. It is produced when I do laundry.

I am on a septic which is located on the side of the house and the laundry is nearest to the septic. My home is 60-70 feet in length, has the laundry at the end nearest the septic, a bathroom in the middle and a bathroom at the end furthest from the septic. There is only one vent at the middle of the house.
Is this gas dangerous? Any suggestions?

On 2018-11-15 by (mod) - hall bath toilet just starting smelling like septic gas

perhaps flushing the toilet is drawing the water seal out of the trap for your laundry washing machine. If that's happening sewer gases would be easily coming out of the laundry drain.

On 2018-11-15 by Melodie M SCHWAM

My hall bath toilet just starting smelling like septic gas 4 days ago. Its a new toilet installed 4 months ago...no odor until this week. We had the washer/dryer moved upstairs from the basement a month after that. I noticed the odor this week after I washed a load of clothes, but all of this has been in place for months.

I had my handy man come out and change the seal today on the new toilet. The smell is still as strong if not stronger than it was this morning. It gets worse when I run water or flush the only other toilet in the house. There is no rocking, or leaking and this just happened all of a sudden.

Do you have any suggestions we could try? I am desperate to fix this before next week

On 2018-11-13 by (mod) -

Mox

My best advice, better organized than I could make up anew off-the-cuff, is in the article SEPTIC SYSTEM ODOR CURES where discuss tracking down the septic odor first to get an idea of its cause - that will dictate the cure.

On 2018-11-13 by Mox

How to get ride of the septic block smell in and around the house...

On 2018-11-08 by (mod) - track sewer odors to their cause

We need to track the odor back to its source like a drain or toilet

Then we will be able to specify the repa it r.

On 2018-11-07 by Anonymous

how do u stop the bad odor coming into your house we done cleaned the septic tank

On 2018-11-02 by (mod) - how to prevent septic tank smell when not in use

Dhina

If your septic tank has a safe and sound cover over it that's properly sealed, and if the tank isn't in use, it should not be producing a smell.

If the tank is to be permanently abandoned then it should be opened, pumped out, and filled with rubble to avoid a safety hazard.

DO NOT try to dump chemicals into a septic tank to "kill off" or "deactivate" sludge if the tank is to be re-used as you risk killing necessary bacteria needed to digest the waste.

On 2018-11-02 by dhinakaran mathu

how to prevent the septic tank smell & if we are not using the asit means how to destructive the sluge in septic tank you have any other chemical

On 2018-10-12 by (mod) - really bad sewer gas smell with new septic tank installed

Bonnie

Because there are not just cost but health and safety worries about sewer gas, I suggest asking for on-site help from an experienced plumber or home inspector who will track down the strongest odor location and look for common sources such as a piping leak, improper venting, even a sewage backup or spill.

On 2018-10-12 by Bonnie

Our home is on a slab. Just had a new septic tank installed.

Have re placed toilet ring, check vent to outside it's open but sewer gas is so bad about to run us out of our home
. We have been out so much money and could use some advise as to what we can try. Thanks

On 2018-09-14 by (mod) - smells at septic tank when wastewater enters - use an odor removing chemical?

On 2018-09-03 by (mod) -

Khope,

Septic tank additives and treatments for ordinary septic systems and tanks are not necessary, many are ineffective and are even illegal to use in many jurisdictions because of environmental harm.

If odors are coming from your septic tank I suspect there is a problem such as a blockage in the drainfield system, abnormal sewage level in the tank, a septic tank leak, or a plumbing system venting problem that needs to be diagnosed and repaired by an experienced plumber or septic contractor.

No treatment or chemical is going to fix one of those conditions.

On 2018-09-03 by Khope

Which chemical used to remove odor in septic tank?

On 2018-06-17 by Anonymous

Only smells at tank when waste water goes in

On 2018-06-14 by (mod) - septic odor in upstairs bathroom

If you replace a toilet wax ring seal, and clean the surrounding surfaces in the bathroom, just a few minutes of fresh air ventilation should be sufficient for the septic smell to be gone. If you've done those things on the septic odor persists then the source is somewhere else.

On 2018-06-1 by Angie

We have a septic odar in our upstairs bedroom & bathroom. Septic system is working fine so we were told to change the seal. How long before the septic gas smell goes away. It’s not a constant smell, just an odar here & there.

On 2018-05-06 by (mod) - backwater valve does not prevent septic tank smells

No, Ron.

On 2018-05-06 by Ron

Will a back water valve prevent sewer smell from septic tanks

On 2018-05-02 by (mod) - bad odors from septic tank when we use the shower

Check the plumbing vent system first, then check to see if the septic tank sewage levels are above the outlet baffle - a sign of septic drainfield or piping blockage or failure .

On 2018-05-01 by Mary

When using shower a ordor come from my septic tank out side and inside what do i do.

On 2018-01-09 by (mod) - Wolverine Activated Carbon Septic Tank Filters.

Re-posting

Simple Solutions Distributing said:
May I suggest the Wolverine Activated Carbon Septic Tank Filters. With multiple models to work with, the Wolverine plumbing vent filter will remove hydrogen sulfide from the air stream and the odor will be eliminated. Having an odor coming from your vent stack is not a concern.

We find that most frequently the problem has to do with obstacles changing the air current around the house, forcing the air down toward the ground.

Editor's note:
Thanks to Simple Solutions for the suggestion. Contact us by email and we can probably find a suitable place to cite your company explicitly.

Perhaps at FILTERS SEPTIC & GREYWATER https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Septic_Filters_Install_Maintain.php

On 2017-11-02 by (mod) - septic odors when it rains hard or in cold weather

Sherry

please see the advice we give for septic odors that occur during what weather found at this article

https://inspectapedia.com/odor_diagnosis/Sewer_Odors_Cold_Weather.php

I would check first to see if the septic tank is being flooded by surface runoff when it rains.

On 2017-11-02 by Sherry

When it rains hard we have septic odors flood our home it is so bad we have to go outside what can we do?

We have had several plummers and Septic people look an no one can find where it is coming from

On 2017-11-01 by (mod) - septic effluent smells bad

Mehar,

it's normal for septic effluent to smell like sewage.

However if you are actually seeing the septic affluence leaking out of your septic tank and onto the ground surface or into the surrounding soil then the system needs further investigation and repair. Such leakage would be unsanitary and also risks a sewage backup into the building

On 2017-11-01 y Md Mehar Ali

Bad smell is coming out with water from the outlet of septic tank

On 2017-10-11 by (mod) - The OdorHog (TM) is a ($60. U.S.) add-on carbon (charcoal) filter

Readers:

The OdorHog (TM) is a ($60. U.S.) add-on carbon (charcoal) filter placed top a plumbing vent above the rooftop.

This product is intended to reduce outdoor sewer gas odors that are traced to that source. The OdorHog is not intended for and will do nothing to correct an indoor sewer gas odor problem and in fact if the indoor sewer gas odor is due to a constricted plumbing vent the hog, adding the restriction afforded by the charcoal filter, could make that problem worse - at least in theory.

The effective cure for indoor sewer smells is to find the source and fix that problem. The source ranges over a variety of possibilities from a loose toilet or crushed toilet wax ring seal to defective or obstructed or leaky indoor plumbing vent piping to a blocked sewer line or a failing septic system.

Starting with the simplest, checking for a dry trap such as at a floor drain or an unused shower or sink whose trap water seal has evaporated. (Mineral oil can prevent that recurrence at unused drains).

See SEPTIC / SEWER ODOR SOURCE TABLE at https://inspectapedia.com/odor_diagnosis/Septic_Odor_Sources.php for a helpful list of things to check.

For odors traced to a septic tank (where mild odors are common and even normal) we look for an open (and UNSAFE) septic tank cover, leaks at the tank or drainfield, or a failing drainfield. Sometimes an outdoor vent is added and elevated but that’s rarely necessary. An inspection of the septic tank and D-box can give evidence that the system is backing up, failing, not draining.

If the septic system is an aerobic one, post-treatment disinfection and maintenance of an aerator or spray system could be what’s needed to fix an odor problem.

More arm-waving speculation on my part would probably not be as helpful as a read thorugh the troubleshooting articles in this series where we give more detail.

On 2017-10-11 by David

@Lisa Kaplan,
Has it gotten better? We have an awful smell from the vent stack as well and put on an odor hog but now the smell seems to come in the house.

Did you guys find a solution? We are having the same problem in a bathroom?

On 2017-09-30 by hcepartyentertainment

We have extremely bad small around septic tank area. We have had it pumped out, put a solution for smelling septic tanks but still can't get rid of smell. We live on 2 acres and have a great water tank about 10-15 metres away from septic However I feel there is nothing coming out of overflow hose.

We have just put a granny flat on our property and had to move storm water drains and other pipes in our yard.

Can anyone advise what we could do to fix this problem. It's been continuously smelling for months now. Our plumber can't work out why this is happening either but I'm not sure I have faith in him knowing what he talking about.

On 2017-09-17 by (mod) - don't add bacteria to a septic tank: never needed

Lisa:

The sewer stack vent smell problem you describe is one that a number of readers have reported. Often the problem is traced to specific site conditions, prevailing wind direction, roof slope, microclimate - all things difficult to affect.

Extending the stack upwards and installing a wind-operated vane type cap that keeps the stack opening pointing downwind can help.

Adding bacteria to the septic tank is
- never a suitable long term remedy
- doesn't distinguish between the fact that it's normal for a septic tank to smell and abnormal for those gases to discharge into occupied spaces
- makes money for the additive companies
- is not recommended by any scholarly research nor expert on septic system design and function (with exceptions of some special additives or disinfectants on some aerobic septic system designs) - see SEPTIC TREATMENTS & CHEMICALS https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Septic_Tank_Treatments.php

A look into the septic system for normal levels in the tank and in the D-box would be in order as would an extra check that there is no sewage effluent leaking into the yard surface.

For other readers, the Odor Hog is a septic vent cap and charcoal-vent filter sold by Odor Hog, a Tucson AZ company, website https://odorhog.com

My OPINION is that the ability of the drain vent stack pipe cap provided by the company might itself be an important aid in reducing the effects of wind on downdraft problems in some DWV systems.

Building owners/occupants who experience drain problems such as noises, slow drains, or trap siphonage are generally advised to check for a blockage in the vent system as one of the steps in debugging those problems. If a drain vent pipe filter slows or blocks the venting of sewer gases that might contribute to the problem - something easy enough to verify by temporarily removing the vent cap and filter.


Ian,

I would look for

- improper drain trap or venting
- a dead animal in walls or ceiling

On 2017-09-15 by Lisa Kaplan

We had a new septic system put in a month ago.

The gases coming out of the vent stack on the roof are horrific and smelling up the yard. We purchased an odorhog and that has helped slightly. Our installer said that once the bacteria in the tank get going the smell should go away. Do you agree? If yes... how long does this usually take?

On 2017-09-14 by Ian

New purchased house in the country, march 2017, there has been an increasing sick smell coming from the laundry room, so bad now we have had to seal off the room and use a fan to suck the air out of the room through a window. still a heavy odor outside the room and outside the house. what do we do?

...

Continue reading  at SEPTIC SYSTEM ODOR CURES or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• SEPTIC SYSTEM ODOR CURES
• SEPTIC / SEWER ODOR SOURCE TABLE
• ODORS GASES SMELLS, DIAGNOSIS & CURE - home
• SEWER GAS ODORS - home

Suggested citation for this web page

SEPTIC ODOR FAQs-2 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 BUILDING ODOR DIAGNOSIS & CURE

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