Septic smell

Terry

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• Aug 20, 2005

• #1

Terry, we have a constant low level septic smell which comes out of our heating vents, but there are times when the smell is so strong it smells as if there is an open septic tank. There is no rhyme or reason why this smell gets so bad. We are at our whits end . Thank you

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Plumber1

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• Aug 20, 2005

• #2

smell

Look for a dead animal or a rotton potato.
Probably not a sewer problem....

 

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• Aug 20, 2005

• #3

We have had our vents cleaned.No dead animals.The smell is always underlying throughout the house.But when the smell is really bad it seems that running water makes it much worse ie.draining a tub,running shower,flushing a toilet in the upstairs two bathrooms.And the smell is much more relevant in the upstairs bedrooms when the smell is really bad.

 

Plumber1

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• Aug 20, 2005

• #4

Do you have a crawl space?
Do you have any fixtures that you don't use that may be the water seal has evaperated??

 

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• Aug 20, 2005

• #5

We have a attic.We use all our fixtures.

 

Dunbar Plumbing

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• Aug 21, 2005

• #6

Do a smoke test on your plumbing DWV system to find the location of the leak. Second guessing won't find the problem until you identify the area that is leaking.

 

Kristi

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• Aug 21, 2005

• #7

Do you have a septic tank? Does it need to be pumped? Look to see if there's anything in the vicinity of your incoming air causing it? A floor drain that needs a primer? Smelling upstairs the most, could you have a vent that is terminating in the attic space rather than out the roof? Aha! I bet that's it. It sounds like you have some investigating to do in order to figure this one out, no matter what.

 

Last edited: Aug 21, 2005

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• Aug 22, 2005

• #8

We are on city sewer and we do not have a floor drain in the basement. Also the smell is maybe not heavier on the upstairs we just had the vents closed on the main floor. When we open windows in the house, the smell is gone. Could this be an a/c issue?