Drainage & Septic Odor Issues

[MasterPlumbersKeymaster]

We’ve recently begun smelling a very strong sulfur/waste smell in our house. Toilet next to laundry facilities would sometimes back up when doing laundry, and drains all through the house were very slow. Had a septic guy come out and check to see if it needed to be pumped. Had a couple issues with some pipes that needed replacing, which was done. Determined septic didn’t need to be pumped. Drains are still slow, though not as slow. Smell is as strong as ever, and seems to only happen when running the shower or doing dishes. Checked vent pipe on roof, seemed okay, water from hose flowed through to septic…Toilet not backing up anymore…Any suggestions?? Someone actually mentioned a magnesium rod that could create a smell in our furnace. This is very potent though, not sure this would be the issue…

PLEASE HELP!
Erin

[Retired plbg1Participant]

If everything is ok then all I can tell you is dig up pipe and put in a trap, that would stop your sewer gas from getting into house.

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Art retired plbg

[John Aldrich1Participant]

Erin, exercise caution. Some jurisdictions prohibit the installation of whole house traps in the sewer pipelines.

To eliminate the possibility of a leak in the plumbing system, I recommend that you perform the Oil of Peppermint test. It is required that two people perform this test. One person is on the roof and pours about 2 ounces of Oil of Peppermint into the roof vent. The oil is followed by a gallon of hot water. The second person is in the house going from fixture to fixture to smell for the odor of peppermint. If that distinctive odor is detected then there is a leak at that fixture. It could be a dry trap at a little used floor drain or some other fixture that is seldom used. If you do find a dry trap in a floor drain, fill it with mineral oil.

[jeeny1Participant]

If you already have some suggestions from a gentleman then you should check it ones that whether magnesium rod is making that smell or it is something else. In that checking you can also get the actual reason of that smell. And call a plumber if required.

jeeny12008-01-23 17:25:29

[PLMBWizardzParticipant]

Retired plbg wrote:

If everything is ok then all I can tell you is dig up pipe and put in a trap, that would stop your sewer gas from getting into house. [IMG]http://www.masterplumbers.com/wwwboard/images/biggrin.gif”>

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Art retired plbg

Some jurisdictions? Hell in every code book i can find its illegal to install a p-trap in sewer main.

[Author]

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