Septic Fun

[KiotiAcres]

Been trying to help my parents trouble-shoot a septic issue. Wondered if anyone here might have some ideas.

Since the weather turned cold here in Northern California, they've been getting septic odor in the house. Recently their septic backed up into the house. The tank was pumped, and about a week later the indoor septic order increased dramatically.

No before I dig up their leach field and septic with my Kioti (tractor content), I want to see if anyone has any ideas. The following has been checked:
- Sludge side of tank is now empty, liquid side is full and is flowing to junction box and to leach lines. Leach lines are at least functional.
- All P-Traps have water in them and are functioning.
- All vents to roof have been cleared, both with a snake and with a hose
- Bacteria (and brewer's yeast) was flushed into septic to promote bacterial growth.
- Smell is not mild or moderate. It's extreme, nearly eye-watering.

Any ideas/thoughts before we rip the whole thing out?

 

[dirtworksequip]

Is it possible that when it backed up into the house that the sewage water is now in traps and the odor is coming from there? What was the cause of the back up?

Sincerely, Dirt

 

[2manyrocks]

Broken pipes, vents or fittings inside the house?

 

[KiotiAcres]

All good points. The original backup was caused by a large root that took over the line from the septic tank to the distribution box. That line was replaced.

We've checked all the pluming and vent lines that were accessible. They're moving on to checking the ones behind walls, etc. to check them.

They've run fresh water through all the vents and drains to clear out any backed up sewage.

 

[RadarTech]

Since it was pumped and you have the smell here are a few ideas..

1. Rotor root the line from the house all the way to the tank..
This "should" ensure that everything is clear all the way out..
I have been told that in cold weather "stuff" can become slow to move..
2. Check all the T-s, wonder if there is a vent valve that got filled..
I have one under my kitchen sink and was told that if we ever had a
backup to ensure that it is clear..

Have you added any Rid-Ex? or as a friend suggested-- ButterMilk?

Both need alot of water to back flush...

If you are on a GOOD well-- let lots of water flow thru all sinks and toilets..enough to clear the pipes from that point to the next drain-
City Water may make this expensive..
BUT you can't use too much or it will flood the drain field...

Let us know what happens..

Later,
J

 

[tommu56]

Can you add a curb trap?
Some towns require a curb trap, a trap and vent before the building so the fumes don't come in side.

it might help if you are diggin it woulden't be to hard to add.

tom

 

[kolmstead]

I'm a bit puzzled by your comments about the septic tank. On the ones I've looked at, there are two chambers; inlet and outlet. Most of the sludge stays in the inlet chamber. The second chamber is fed from the top of the first chamber. It outputs (mostly) water to the leach field.

After pumping, there's no output to the leach field until both chambers refill. All fluid must pass through both chambers. There's too much solid material in the first chamber to permit feeding any kind of leach field.

Is there any chance that the odor is natural gas or propane odorant instead of sewer gas? A friend's RV started stinking and it took over a month for us to discover that he had bumped one burner valve enough to cause a slow, steady leak. Cold weather made the problem worse; the windows were all closed.

-Karl

 

[Scooby074]

Im a little confused on the style of tank you are using as it sound different than what we use here. Our tanks have baffels before the output to the field to prevent solids from plugging up the perferations in the field pipe. The fluid level is the same from one end to the other. Solids drop out in the first chamber after it leaves the house.

If your getting smells in the house id check your venting. It is possible for vents to freeze, especially if not installed correctly.
How is the flow from the drains? Do the tubs/sinks drain fast?
Are you sure that the previous backup in the house was adequately cleaned up? (ie Bleach / disinfectants?)
Also if you had problems with a tree its reasonable to assume that you may have more issues in the leach field with plugging from roots or silt.A plugged field (ie old or full of silt)can cause sewage to go to the surface instead of down through the gravel into the ground. This could cause smells in the house, especially in the summer with windows open.

Is it possible to have someone put a camera down and check your drains from the house out to the field? It may save some time and digging.

 

[Marlowe]

If it's strong enough to make your eyes water you've got a leak somewhere. I'd treat it like a new install and do a pressure test. I'm betting they have a broken line somewhere. The last thing I'd expect is the tank or the drain field. That smell simply cannot get back into the house without a problem with the piping inside or under the house, assuming of course that the system was properly designed and installed to begin with. Is it possible they have a free standing island in the kitchen with a sink in it? That's a common location for a check valve vent. If it sticks open you can get fumes back inside the house. Good luck with it but park the tractor.

 

[john_bud]

I'm surprised that the Peoples Republic of California would allow you to do that yourself. Some places get down right grumpy when non-certified people mess with septic. If you do take a crack at it, you may want to ensure that you are legally able to do so BEFORE they clamp on the leg irons.

jb

 

[2manyrocks]

Agree with Marlowe. Doesn't appear to be a tractor project yet. About the last place I want to dig is in a used septic field.

 

[gemini5362]

everyone is mentioning vents. It seems to me that I remember a vent for the dishwasher by itself is it possible that is where the problem is. I might would take and open all the doors and windows in my house if you can stand that with the temperature put a fan in each room to try and pull fresh air into the house and maybe see if you can narrow down which room the smell is coming from.

 

[Renze]

To ensure proper bacterial growth there are some basic rules that have worked for us:

- use only pot cleaning chemicals that dont kill the biological breakdown
- throw some chicken or a dead piglet in the solids pit to ensure that proper bacterias are put in. Not only the cadaver has these bacterias, also it makes a "naval base" from which they can take over the pit.
- make sure that the pit can get oxygen. My neighbour worked at a civil contractor and took one of these poured concrete pit heads with a cast iron lid from a city sewer project to replace the old brick tower, connecting the pit to the field level in his driveway.
Within a year he had sewer problems, he drilled a lot of holes in this steel lid, and i brought him a dead piglet of about 50 pounds. That did the trick for him. He doesnt have problems anymore now.

 

[AKfish]

Yeah.. I've had ALOT of fun with septic systems over the years... they never fail in the summer! Always "**** the bed" in the dead of winter!

I believe you've got a leach field problem. Obviously, not as bad as the root backing everything up into the house but you're (your folk's..) not getting the normal dispersal of the effluent thru the leach field and vapors are migrating back thru the lines and tank and into the house.

Most installs have a vertical inspection tube on the leach lines. You can pull the cap and look into the line and/or measure the liquid level within the leach field. Many pumping services will assess the liquid level for the respective leach lines and give you a height number. If the level is high -- that particular section of the leach field is not working very well and will likely need to be replaced (field is closing off or the line is obstructed; roots, etc.) or repaired soon.

Nonetheless, whenever I start getting strong odors thru the septic (really noticable after 3-4 loads of laundry and my youngest son's 2-3rd shower for the day) I know that I'm gonna have to either extend on the leach lines or plumb in a new branch line - soon.

Best of luck.

AKfish

 

[Renze]

A story from relatives in Canada:

Family had a broken sewer pipe in the crawl space under the house. Result was that crawlspace unvoluntarilty became sewer pit. Took a lot of time and vomit to clean up the mess in the crawlspace. I think they threw sawdust in there to absorb the moisture and kill the stink, before they actually sent people with shovels in there.

 

[Terhune]

This may sound stupid but it fixed my problem. The wax collar on the bottom of my commode DID NOT have the rubber lip on the bottom of the wax collar that would fit into the sewer pipe in my floor. I guess the guy that installed it a few years back used the wrong collar. I replaced the wax collar with the correct type and have not had the problem again. It was so bad that I had to keep the bathroom door closed. Hope this is the problem due to being a cheap fix.

 

[EMS503]

I had a similar problem as Terhune had, My fix was the same but also had to caulk around the base of the toilet. No more odor. I would start in the room where the odor was the strongest and work out from there. Hopefully a simple fix.

 

[CaptPat]

A story from relatives in Canada:

Family had a broken sewer pipe in the crawl space under the house. Result was that crawlspace unvoluntarilty became sewer pit. Took a lot of time and vomit to clean up the mess in the crawlspace. I think they threw sawdust in there to absorb the moisture and kill the stink, before they actually sent people with shovels in there.

Happened to my BIL too In this case it was the drain line from a toilet, for a long time they attributed the smell to irritable bowels until the smell like to drove them out of the house.

 

[dodge man]

I don't see how it can be a septic problem. The system could be messed up but unless it's backing up in the house, the bad smell should stay outside. Somehow the smell is getting in the house. Alot of good suggestions from other posters. It about has to be a missing trap, broken pipe, bad toliet seal or some similar issue.

 

[Kays Supply]

What are the sewer and vent pipes made of? I have seen copper vent lines that were eaten out on the top side from the sewer gas and water. They combine to make H2S04. After many years you can see day light through them. A sewer smoker could find your leak also. I have even put a smoke bomb in a bucket and suck the smoke up and blow it down a vent pipe on the roof. If the break is bad it will show up. The toilet wax is also a good start.