My house smells of #hit, help!
Discussion
As per the title really 
We had our septic tank emptied recently for the first time. A neighbours tank had backed up so though I should check mine, opened the lid and it was almost full
Now I know that septic tanks aren't really supposed to need emptying but what with all the toilet cleaners and bleach that goes down the drains it's not really a surprise that they don't work as well as they did 50 years ago...
Anyway, ever since, there has been a distinctive drain smell in the house
We've put drain unblocker down the bogs but it hasn't helped. There is no smell outside near the drains.
Any ideas?
We had our septic tank emptied recently for the first time. A neighbours tank had backed up so though I should check mine, opened the lid and it was almost full
Now I know that septic tanks aren't really supposed to need emptying but what with all the toilet cleaners and bleach that goes down the drains it's not really a surprise that they don't work as well as they did 50 years ago...
Anyway, ever since, there has been a distinctive drain smell in the house
We've put drain unblocker down the bogs but it hasn't helped. There is no smell outside near the drains.
Any ideas?
Edited by Lefty Two Drams on Monday 12th April 21:42
t to me to be honest.
Might be a sign of blocked sewage system. Noticed it for 3 or 4 days then found out neighbour (who shares sewage system) had been having problems and it had actually started pouring out of a manhole and all over back garden. Check the plans for the house and make sure the sewage is running into the main sewer system.
Lefty Two Drams said:
As per the title really
We had our septic tank emptied recently for the first time. A neighbours tank had backed up so though I should check mine, opened the lid and it was almost full
Now I know that septic tanks aren't really supposed to need emptying but what with all the toilet cleaners and bleach that goes down the drains it's not really a surprise that they don't work as well as they did 50 years ago...
Anyway, ever since, there has been a distinctive drain smell in the house
We've put drain unblocker down the bogs but it hasn't helped. There is no smell outside near the drains.
Any ideas?
ummm you mentioned that septic tanks don't really need emptying...... well they do. Normally every 6 months depending on size. "traditionally" when a tank was built it had to be inspected to be deemed fit, and when they had gone the builder would normally have placed a glass bottle in the side wall some where and would go back with a lump hammer and smash it (the bottle was concealed but by taking measurments its location is revealed). This was essentially to allow it to drain into the ground and you would not need to empty it as much as all the fluids would seep out.We had our septic tank emptied recently for the first time. A neighbours tank had backed up so though I should check mine, opened the lid and it was almost full
Now I know that septic tanks aren't really supposed to need emptying but what with all the toilet cleaners and bleach that goes down the drains it's not really a surprise that they don't work as well as they did 50 years ago...
Anyway, ever since, there has been a distinctive drain smell in the house
We've put drain unblocker down the bogs but it hasn't helped. There is no smell outside near the drains.
Any ideas?
Edited by Lefty Two Drams on Monday 12th April 21:42
I would jet wash your waste pipes under the man hole cover between your house and the tank. Other then that i would suggest looking into biological alternatives to reducing smells that might occur....
When you empty a septic tank you also empty all the anaerobic bacteria with it and it can take a while to build back up.
So basically you have a tank full of raw sewerage which will whiff a bit until the bacteria build up again and start doing the business.
In days gone by you used to be able to get a dosing agent that would promote the growth a bit quicker than nature itself, but I'm damned if I can remember what it was called.
So basically you have a tank full of raw sewerage which will whiff a bit until the bacteria build up again and start doing the business.
In days gone by you used to be able to get a dosing agent that would promote the growth a bit quicker than nature itself, but I'm damned if I can remember what it was called.
There's a lot to be said for cesspits and Blaster Bates...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOwven0Rt94&fea...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOwven0Rt94&fea...
GingerWizard said:
Lefty Two Drams said:
As per the title really
We had our septic tank emptied recently for the first time. A neighbours tank had backed up so though I should check mine, opened the lid and it was almost full
Now I know that septic tanks aren't really supposed to need emptying but what with all the toilet cleaners and bleach that goes down the drains it's not really a surprise that they don't work as well as they did 50 years ago...
Anyway, ever since, there has been a distinctive drain smell in the house
We've put drain unblocker down the bogs but it hasn't helped. There is no smell outside near the drains.
Any ideas?
ummm you mentioned that septic tanks don't really need emptying...... well they do. Normally every 6 months depending on size. "traditionally" when a tank was built it had to be inspected to be deemed fit, and when they had gone the builder would normally have placed a glass bottle in the side wall some where and would go back with a lump hammer and smash it (the bottle was concealed but by taking measurments its location is revealed). This was essentially to allow it to drain into the ground and you would not need to empty it as much as all the fluids would seep out.We had our septic tank emptied recently for the first time. A neighbours tank had backed up so though I should check mine, opened the lid and it was almost full
Now I know that septic tanks aren't really supposed to need emptying but what with all the toilet cleaners and bleach that goes down the drains it's not really a surprise that they don't work as well as they did 50 years ago...
Anyway, ever since, there has been a distinctive drain smell in the house
We've put drain unblocker down the bogs but it hasn't helped. There is no smell outside near the drains.
Any ideas?
Edited by Lefty Two Drams on Monday 12th April 21:42
I would jet wash your waste pipes under the man hole cover between your house and the tank. Other then that i would suggest looking into biological alternatives to reducing smells that might occur....
The idea used to be that you put a dead rabbit/fox/lamb whatever into the cesspit every six months or so to "get the bacteria going" and speed up the process again. Modern detergents and the like make them mcuh less efficent than they used to be.
I should have said that it was installed 3 years ago and is a modern onion-type of septic tank.
MOTORVATOR said:
When you empty a septic tank you also empty all the anaerobic bacteria with it and it can take a while to build back up.
So basically you have a tank full of raw sewerage which will whiff a bit until the bacteria build up again and start doing the business.
In days gone by you used to be able to get a dosing agent that would promote the growth a bit quicker than nature itself, but I'm damned if I can remember what it was called.
Well out here they throw in a dead dog. So basically you have a tank full of raw sewerage which will whiff a bit until the bacteria build up again and start doing the business.
In days gone by you used to be able to get a dosing agent that would promote the growth a bit quicker than nature itself, but I'm damned if I can remember what it was called.
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