Is it Normal for Smells to Come from Your Septic Tank?
The whole idea behind a septic tank is that it safely treats your waste and keeps it out of sight, out of mind—and hopefully, out of your nose. If you’ve noticed a foul smell from your septic tank in El Centro, CA, it’s time to call a septic contractor.
A well-maintained tank should never smell bad. If you’re noticing foul odors and have kept up on your maintenance, there could be a variety of reasons it’s happening. Alternatively, it could be time to pump your tank. Read on to learn what’s causing smells around your septic system.
Inside your home
Foul odor inside your home could indicate a plumbing issue. First, check your drain traps. If they’re dried out, the septic gases can travel up the drains and into your home. Try pouring water into your drain traps to solve the issue.
If that doesn’t solve the problem, you may have a blocked roof plumbing vent, a toilet seal in need of replacing or issues with your ejector sump pump seal. You may also be dealing with a loose cleanout access plug in your sinks or drains. These issues may require plumbing services.
In the leach field
Smells coming from your leach field indicate that there may be an issue with the pipes or drainage. The leach field absorbs effluent (wastewater), where helpful bacteria digest any organic material to treat the water. Then the water is absorbed into the groundwater supply.
Problems with odors mean that too much waste is leaking into the drainfield, and isn’t being treated appropriately. Call a septic contractor right away. There could be several problems at play: the pipes could be cracked or crushed, or roots could be causing a blockage.
Before you call your septic contractor, look to see if there are any areas of pooling water or especially green grass. That could mean sewage is present, which is a health risk for you, your family and any animals in the area.
Over the tank
Smells coming from your tank might be the easiest fix of all. Before you call your septic contractor, look to see if all the manhole covers are securely in place. Replace the covers, if necessary. If the smells persist, there could be a problem with the seal. This can be temporarily solved with weatherstripping until you can get professional repairs done.
Whatever the cause of your septic tank smell in El Centro, keeping up with your septic tank maintenance is a must. Be sure to call your contractor right away. Although it could be a minor issue, it’s equally likely that it’s a health and safety issue. That’s in addition to simply being an unpleasant thing to deal with in your own home!
When you need help with septic tank pumping and maintenance, Sharps Sanitation can help. We have over 55 years of experience helping the El Centro area managing their septic systems. Call today to get started.
Categorised in: septic tank