Slabhome
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It is starting to look like the dream home is becoming the money pit. It started with an intermittent bad smell which might have been a dead rodent. It has progressed to a less intermittent smell and a sewer camera. The sewer camera showed what appeared to be cracks in several places in the upper side of the cast iron pipe. Also perhaps some roots intruding in places and some standing water in several sections. The young man running the camera said that jackhammering up the slab and replacing the bad sections was a solution. I'm not too excited about that solution. To exacerbate the problem, I think the drain lines are located underneath the ductwork, which is cast into the slab. Surely there must be some way of coating or repairing the inside of the line. I have found references to epoxy coating on the internet but no real concrete information. No one I have talked to here in Kansas seems familiar with it.
The home was built in 1972 and I believe the drain lines are cast iron pipe. A new septic tank and lateral field were installed within the last six months. I was told that sometimes it take awhile for things to "settle down" but we have had some heavy rain and surely enough time has passed for that to happen. I have filled all P traps. The smell seems worst in the early morning near sunrise and after a rain. I presume that gas from the septic system is traveling into the house and then either finding its way through a break in the venting system or through a crack in the sewer line to the ductwork and then into the house. I removed the cap from the line cleanout outside the house so any gas could just escape before entering the house. This seems to have helped although I think it is probably treating the symptoms and not the cause. A U-type trap between the house and the septic tank has been suggested, along with a fresh air vent but again, this seems to me to maybe be treating the symptoms.
Is there any help/hope or do I resign myself to more debt and a torn up house?
Thanks,
Jim
The home was built in 1972 and I believe the drain lines are cast iron pipe. A new septic tank and lateral field were installed within the last six months. I was told that sometimes it take awhile for things to "settle down" but we have had some heavy rain and surely enough time has passed for that to happen. I have filled all P traps. The smell seems worst in the early morning near sunrise and after a rain. I presume that gas from the septic system is traveling into the house and then either finding its way through a break in the venting system or through a crack in the sewer line to the ductwork and then into the house. I removed the cap from the line cleanout outside the house so any gas could just escape before entering the house. This seems to have helped although I think it is probably treating the symptoms and not the cause. A U-type trap between the house and the septic tank has been suggested, along with a fresh air vent but again, this seems to me to maybe be treating the symptoms.
Is there any help/hope or do I resign myself to more debt and a torn up house?
Thanks,
Jim