Posted: 12/20/2004 4:31:01 PM EDT
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There is a septic smell coming up in one end of my gf's house, and we has a guy come out and snake out a slow draining drain last year, which helped to reduce the problem at the time, but it never really solved the problem at the time, and it is getting worse. Does anyone have any idea what the problem could be, or any suggestions? |
+1 - There should be a field line coming into the house w/ a cap on it somewhere. Open the cap (it's safe) and shine a flashlight down it. If you have standing water in the overflow, it's time to pump the tank. Buttermilk flushed down the toilet will help replenish the bacteria used to break down the solids. |
Won't that stuff kill the bacteria in the tank? I would think so. I would call someone and have them look at the system and see what may be the problem. Could be several things. Is the drain field perking? Is the elbow coming out of the back of the tank and into the drain field intact and working? You may also want to check the vent pipe out of the house and make sure that is not why the smell is coming into the house. |
If it was a city sewer problem, he would have named the thread SEWER PROBLEM. But since he said it was a SEPTIC PROBLEM, I think it would be pretty safe to assume he has a septic tank.  Probably needs to be pumped out. |
A plumber told me once to flush a gallon of spoiled milk down the toilet once a a week. He said to go buy a gallon of milk and set it somewhere dark and warm and let it ferment for a week. Then flush it down the toilet and buy another gallon of milk and let it set for another week and then flush it down the toilet... He said that if all septic tank owners would religiously do this once a week and keep doing it, his tank pumping business would go belly-up. Something to do with the enzymes that break down the solids. Giving the enzymes the spoiled milk was like feeding spinache to Popeye or so he said. |