How To Stop Septic Tank Smell

Here is how to stop your septic tank from smelling.

Part of the wastewater treatment is its breakdown. All this happens in the septic tank. While this is a very important process, some gases and odors are released as by-products.

Odors or smells are the key focus of this article.

The odor coming from a septic tank isn’t pretty at all! This strong odor is primarily produced by hydrogen sulfide gas which smells like a rotten egg. Apart from the unpleasant smell, there’s a possibility of exposure to dangerous gases too.

If you’re currently experiencing such a situation, your best bet will be to find ways to stop the smell.

GUIDE: Dealing With Toilet Sewer Smells

By design, a septic tank shouldn’t leak odors indiscriminately. Vents are installed for this purpose to properly channel out odors and gases.

A problem arises when septic tank odors are perceived.

When Septic Tank Smells Become Unacceptable

Septic tank smells will always be present within the tank.

However, it becomes a problem when you begin to perceive the same in your bathroom, basement, or around your drain field. This isn’t supposed to be so and signals a problem.

In dealing with septic tank smells, it’s important to look at the source. There could be issues with the tank that needs to be fixed. There are many reasons why you perceive such smells.

These and more will be discussed shortly.

Reasons For Septic Tank Smells

To better control septic tank smells, information on possible reasons is necessary. Now, there are smells perceived indoors, those outside or near the tank, drain field smells, as well as those in other areas of your home.

Septic tank smells perceived indoors could be due to a dried water barrier or odor trap.

Other possible reasons include clogging of a plumbing vent, loose cleanout access plug, leakage or holes on plumbing joint, and improperly sealed ejector sump pump basket.

Dried out toilet wax seals could also lead to indoor septic tank smells.

Septic tank smells perceived outdoors could be due to several factors.

These include leaking manhole covers as well as displaced (or improperly sealed) risers. Faulty seals or fasteners for plastic manhole covers may cause septic tank smells to leak out.

Do you perceive septic tank odors around your drain field? It may be due to broken or crushed septic system pipes.

If your property is situated within a wooded low-lying area, there may be issues with sufficient winds. It’s common knowledge that sufficient winds blowing across an area help remove septic tank smells hanging in the air. Plumbing vents pipes may not be high enough to remove septic tank smells.

Imbalance in tank chemistry is also a possible reason why you’re having awful septic tank odors. Having identified the most common causes, it’s necessary to also find ways to contain them.

The next section contains ways to resolve all septic tank smell issues.

6 Ways To Stop Septic Tank Smells

Septic tank smells can be stopped through the adoption of several measures.

When properly implemented, these measures help make your home surroundings more tolerable. Some of the most effective strategies include extending your plumbing vent pipe further up.

Others include the installation of a carbon filter to plumbing vent tops, running a few flushes to restore the dried-out water barrier, and calling a plumber to inspect and fix your cleanout access plug.

Other solutions include clearing out clogged vents and replacing dried-out wax seals.

Septic tank manholes and risers need to be securely covered. These provisions help keep septic tank odors from escaping. Let’s take a look at these remedies for stopping septic tank smells.

• Extending Plumbing Vent Pipes

Plumbing vent pipes are critical components of a septic system that serve as escape points for septic tank odors and gases. When these are too low or displaced, there’s a likelihood of smells hanging in the air.

This is an uncomfortable situation that can be addressed by extending your plumbing vent pipes further out.

Doing so allows for more efficient dispersal of odors.

• Installation of Carbon Filter

Activated carbon filters are products designed to neutralize or remove offensive septic tank odors such as hydrogen sulfide. This happens as such gases exit the sewer vents.

Carbon filters are usually installed at the top of the plumbing vent.

• Running a Few Flushes

If you’ve been absent for a significant period of time, chances are that the water barriers designed to block out gas and odors will be dried out. This causes your home to smell awful. Thankfully, this problem can be resolved easily.

All you need to do is run a few flushes across all toilets.

This helps restore the water barrier and keep out the bad odors. You may want to open up the windows to clear out existing smells too.

• Calling a Plumber

Quite a lot of the smell-related issues people have with septic tanks are caused by faulty plumbing.

Fixing such problems is best done by trained technicians. Plumbers play a key role in fixing all such problems. You’ll need to find a reliable plumber for your plumbing needs.

• Clearing Out Clogged Vents

Septic tank vents play a crucial role in the proper escape of gases and odors. However, this provision is likely to get clogged. This situation could be due to frost or as a result of birds building a nest etc.

In the case of clogs due to frost, the vent should return to normal functioning when it thaws. On the other hand, blockage to the vent due to Toilets will need to be removed for this to be possible.

An experienced plumber will get the job done much effectively.

• Properly Securing Septic Manholes and Risers

Every septic manhole comes with a cover. These include concrete and plastic.

Without being securely shut, septic tank smells are likely to escape. The best way to stop that from happening involves securing such manholes. In other words, lids must be properly placed.

These are ways on preventing septic tank smells from permeating your surroundings. Some of these strategies can be implemented when the problem develops as well as before it develops (preventive measures).

The help or advice of an expert septic technician will go a long way to keep your system working efficiently.