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Author:
SteveA (IL)
Four months ago I moved into an older house with private well/septic (built in 1976) with my family and about a month ago we started smelling septic gas coming from the toilets every time we flushed.
We pumped the septic tank as the previous owner hadn't done so in 7 years (was single guy) but that hasn't improved it.
Called in a plumbing company who poked around, said the water flow down the toilet looked fine, noted there was the usual water in the drain in the basement laundry room floor. He didn't scope the vent to check for blockages because of 'liability', however I did on my own with a flashlight on a string. Did not see any blockages down to the bend in the vent pipe.
Plumbing company offered to smoke the pipes to check for leaks, but I declined for now because I didn't feel like shelling out $1300 without exhausting every other avenue first.
I have a feeling some baby wipes were being flushed down the toilet in the first couple of months we moved in. Could that be causing the gas odors? Any other ideas?
Edited 1 times.
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Author:
North Carolina Plumber (NC)
Baby wipes would not cause the odors. I'd check the wax seals first.
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Author:
SteveA (IL)
Would having one bad seal cause the odors in all the toilets?
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Author:
Wheelchair (IL)
Medical/Baby Wipes would cause blockages and restriction... but not the odor. When the tank was emptied... was it backflushed and inspected for internal damages?
Best Wishes
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Author:
Doug E. (CA)
can you draw a simple isometric of your plumbing from septic to house.
specifically interested in main lines and venting. Believe it or not
all plumbing is not done to code.
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Author:
SteveA (IL)
After further inspection and research, it appears it might be a build up of iron bacteria slime in the tanks. It's quite excessive, surprised I didn't think of it sooner. I'll scrub and disinfect the tanks this weekend. Will report the outcome.
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