Septic Tank Backup Smell

Your septic tank has the potential to develop odor that can be released into your surroundings.

Septic tank backup smell.

An odor inside typically does not mean that your septic tank needs to be pumped but are more often an indication of a plumbing problem. As a homeowner it s important to be able to identify the cause and know what to do about the problem. Sewer gases formed in the septic tank can return to a building interior by backing up from the septic tank inlet baffle and pipe to the building drain waste vent piping. The ph levels in these gases are too acidic for the microorganisms in the tank to digest the organic matter causing the tank to smell.

If you smell a strong sewage odor outside your home or building your septic tank or faulty sewer line or a neighbor s is likely to blame. Smelly septic tanks are a result of the presence of gases in the system including hydrogen sulfide carbon dioxide and methane. If water is backing up when you run the washing machine or worse yet sewage has backed up into the house it s time to call for help. Heavy air days produce odors which are more noticeable than light air days.

Blockages at the tank range from very costly a failing drainfield to less costly a blocked or damaged sewer line between the septic tank and the distribution box. Inside the building sewer gas rotten egg or methane smells may be observed. More times than not the sewage will just begin to back up into the house when the septic tank is full. It will affect the quality of a person s life if the odor starts seeping into the house.

Weather can also play a part. The odor stems from a highly acidic ph level in the tank. Bacteria thrive in the septic tank and digest the organic matter. This particular sign of a full septic tank can be astronomically expensive as a homeowner.

When the septic tank reaches an overflow capacity gravity then drains the liquid out to the disposal field. One is simple and works on gravity draining your waste out to the tank. All you need to tell that something is wrong with the septic tank is a good sense of smell. Usually hydrogen sulfide and methane gases are released.

This problem happens when gases that are supposed to escape get redirected back into the house. Why would a septic tank smell. Sewage backup not every full septic tank is nice enough to give you the warning of slow or sluggish drains. The location of a sewage smell can be a big clue about its source.

Septic tanks use a vent pipe or stink pipe to stabilize pressure within your house s plumbing system. The smell of sewage is never a good thing but it can be especially disturbing when the smell is coming from your own septic tank. A blockage at the septic tank can cause sewer gases to back up into the building. Septic tank odor is a common problem in septic tanks.

Sewage backups are one of the worse symptoms of a failing septic system.