Many of us do not know if a septic tank exists in our house until there is a problem and it stops functioning. It’s an undeniable fact that the septic system is a very important part of any house which takes all of the waste material from the home and removes it efficiently in such a way that it does not affect people living in the home or surroundings.
The septic tank in your house often goes unnoticed during everyday life, but it sometimes can make its foul-odorous existence known to everyone living in the vicinity. There are normally three basic things that can cause the tank to smell really bad. These include:
- Damaged Seals or Liners
A faulty gasket or seal along one of the drainage pipes is a possible cause of odors coming from your septic tank. This situation normally arises near the base of the lavatory and can easily be detected by the getting a whiff of odor around the area.
- Dry Drains
One of the most common reasons of odorous septic tank is having a dry drain that causes the tank to smell foully in the home and yard. Almost every drain includes a trap that is attached somewhere along the pipe. It’s a basically au-shaped piece of the pipe which is filled with liquid, and prevents gases from flowing through. If the water dries up because of any reason, it can lead the gases to reach your house. In most cases, certain situations take place in those are as or bathrooms where the draining system is not used on a frequent basis. While it is a very common septic problem, the solution is simply running adequate amount of water through the dry drain. This will help the trap refill and prevent odious gases from leaking into your house.
- Vent Stack Related Issues
Another possible reason for your odorous septic tank is one of the vent stack problems. The tank produces certain gases that are normally released through vent stack – a connected pipe extended over your house’s roof. If this component becomes congested with debris, it will not allow gases to travel through the pipe, causing them to force back down into your home. The simple solution to this problem is manually removing the debris from the opening of the vent stack. In some cases, the vent stack releasing the gases can still blow the gases back into your house because of a strong wind. Raising the height of your vent stack can be one of the ways to fix this problem and prevent foul odors from coming into your house.
Some of the most common reasons for a septic system to malfunction include using more amounts of liquid than the system can handle, flushing down large solids such as sanitary pads or diapers, using toxic products to clean the drain field, and throwing too much solid food particles into the kitchenette bowl. Odors can be a sign of malfunctioning of one of the components of your septic tank system. Aside from regular inspection and cleaning, using basic care can be handy to keep the system running in an efficient manner. Unless you are a handy person, it is probably best to call professional septic tank services to get your tank checked and perform required repairs to keep up its long-term functionality.