sciguy2902
New Member
I have been in a 30 yr old home for the last 6 years and recently notice a sewer smell in the bathrooms. The septic tank is near a garden and has mint plants growing on top of the tank. My wife and I pulled weeds and thinned out the mint plants and that evening both toilets smelled of sewer gas. They were fine after one flush. About a week and a half later I noticed the smell as I started to shower, definitely coming from the drain. It has been several days with no further incident. Is this cause for alarm? Could we have disturbed something around the septic tank that caused the odors? Could it settle down on its own since we have had no trouble for 6 yrs?
I am even more puzzled by what I found when I checked the vent stack exiting the roof... there wasn't one! I went into the attic and discovered that the vent is covered by the tin roof. The original roof was asphalt shingles which the previous owner covered with tin when the old roof wore out. It looks like the vent pipes for the sewer and the gray water system were cut flush with the asphalt and the tin roof laid over the opening. It has worked fine for 6 yrs so should I mess with it? Could this have something to do with the odors?
I am even more puzzled by what I found when I checked the vent stack exiting the roof... there wasn't one! I went into the attic and discovered that the vent is covered by the tin roof. The original roof was asphalt shingles which the previous owner covered with tin when the old roof wore out. It looks like the vent pipes for the sewer and the gray water system were cut flush with the asphalt and the tin roof laid over the opening. It has worked fine for 6 yrs so should I mess with it? Could this have something to do with the odors?