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Interestingly enough- this topic just came up on a new pool build thread.

Septic riser cover ideas

Hey everyone my pool construction is underway. Gunite was just done today. I have two septic tanks side by side. The far left tank has a septic pump and already a riser installed (green lid) in the photo. The septic company wants to install two more risers onto the right tank. However these...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

I hope something in that thread is helpful to you.

Maddie :flower:
 
I received car help on here once, so I would say bombs away for any questions related to your backyard stink pickle containment system.
 
Hi and thx all - read the other thread and my queries are more venting/chemical :)

New septic tank (single unit 1000 galls taking all household waste) and has been running from new for a family of 3 for about 6 weeks, and all seems pretty good - waste in, 'water' out soak away etc. etc.
No additives or starter packs, just us and the water in the tank.

The system has two vents 100mm (4") and air can pass freely from one end of system to other.
- one on the arrival side which not only which brings all the goodness to the tank but also vents freely to fresh air right up high at roof level,
- and the other (on the exit side) temporarily is hidden in a garden hedge......could stay there, doesn't give any trouble.
The roof level vent has been giving off some really good strong odours, which by nature of the house can be smelt inside (via open windows) and in a raised garden close by.
(This vent/down pipe, total H about 9m, is inside the house and thus heated, so i'm guessing natural convection will tend to draw smelly air from septic tank up and out?)

So first question is can I put a one way air 'valve' on this vent so air can be drawn into system towards tank, but no smell released? I guess i can, but what may be side effects? (other than the hedge vent venting)

Do happy septic tanks smell big time? and always?
Have to say our tank seems to be mellowing in a good way, and the vicious cheesy (as in cheese cheese) odours seems to be lessening.......about right?

So for a long and happy relationship with one's septic tank what are the frequent/occasional tasks to be undertaken?

I've read about monitoring pH, and yoghurt treats!

Any help much appreciated
 
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md,

Your system sounds quite different from the typical design in the US. In most states we have a rule for a minimum of two chambers that are in series and flow effluent water from the first to the second. Also, many have a smaller tank that takes the kitchen waste and is often referred to as a grease trap. Grease traps are pumped out periodically (every couple of years depending on the load). This way greasy waste never makes it to the other tanks and the drain field where it can cause plugging and other problems. Chambers are normally buried with removable lids 1-3' below the surface depending on the slope of the system down to the drain field. All of the units I've installed used prefabricated concrete tanks but newer units are also made of fiberglass. There are no vents from any of the chambers. Normal plumbing vents are in place to the roof. Do you have a drain field?

In the systems I'm familiar with odor is never present at the house unless something has gone wrong such as an obstruction between the chambers and the drain field. There are several commercial enzyme and dehydrated bacteria "starter" packs but I never have used them or needed them. I don't think they would hurt anything but I just never had the need. As you can imagine working on these systems is unpleasant. So my motto was if it's not broken don't fix it. Only thing I did was hire a vacuum service every 2 years to pump the grease trap and do the rest of the system every 5-10 years. I wish I could be of more help but I don't think your design is very similar to the ones I'm familiar with.

Chris
 
Chris - many thanks for your comments.
I think our systems are in fact quite similar, my single tank (some kind of plastic) does have two chambers for liquids/solids :oops: but air can circulate above the water line. When tank is more than 10m from the dwelling we need to put in a grease trap too - i'm closer, so straight in. Tank does its job and then excess 'water' heads out to drain field.
As for the vents, the waste delivery pipe vents back through the house to the roof (primary air).....where the smell is escaping; air is free to circulate from primary, through tank to secondary vent (the hedge) tapped off the exit to drain field.
I would seem to have inadvertently created an air flow though the system and the high primary vent is emitting a noticeable quantity of nasty fumes (the secondary vent is supposed to terminate at roof level too, but that is a technical challenge - pipe route - so is much lower) maybe that is not helping.
How much gas does a happy tank produce? because i think my problem is more just unfortunate air flow rather than the product of a bubbling tank.
Hence my idea to block the primary exit...?
Do your tanks emit any kind of odour from vents?

patrick
 
My tank has one vent on the roof. No odors and have never experienced a tank where there is odor present from the vent, although do not work in the industry. I would say something is not correct or the system is blocked. Have you had it serviced and inspected? The only probably I have ever witnessed from a septic system is blocked drain field. The tanks would fill with nowhere to go but out the lid. Gross!
 

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Patrick,

There are no vents from my tanks. The tanks have a level in them and sludge layer at the bottom. Water flows from the tanks to the drain field. Absolutely no odor at the house. The biological system inside the tanks are anaerobic. As somebody pointed out earlier the only times there is any odor at all is when there's an obstruction that causes water levels in the tank to rise above the lid. That's a real mess and I've never had that happen but neighbors have. I've never seen a septic system where the inlet line has a vent pipe that runs back to the house. Not saying it's wrong just never seen this type of design. Who did your system design? Here's what my tank piping looks like except the tanks are farther apart and each has a cover instead of an inspection pipe:

1602254459843.png

Chris
 
I know nothing about septic, but I read that it is newly installed and you have a vent pipe that goes up to your roof. Could that pipe be leaking somewhere before the gas reaches the intended exit on your roof?
 
I'm no expert plumber but whenever I've seen or heard of smells, its usually the house vent pipe either not installed properly or blocked/clogged. If the system is having trouble getting fresh air from the roof, a toilet flush has the power to suck the water out of the P-traps on some/all of the sinks/baths which then allows the septic gasses to flow back into the house.

Run all your sinks/tubs and washing machine to refill the P-traps. If the smell goes away you likely have a vent pipe issue.
 
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The vent pipe is not technically part of the septic (I think). But your house waste lines going to the tank have a vent. Air behind water or it won't flow. Or something like that. The second vent the OP is talking about, I've never experienced. Morning dipper, do you have the septic plans? Or have a building authority you can go and get a copy? Might help you or someone else to help you.
 
I've seen all kinds of screw ups on new houses. Either an improper vent installed inside the attic, or not enough outside vents per 'zone' (or whatever they call it). Moreso on an older home but could be on a new one too a bird/mouse could have made a nest in the vent pipe rendering it useless.
 
thanks all for your input.
The house is old but the plumbing right through to and including tank, all new, Drain field existing and working. All pipe falls, bathroom connections good, tank install as per local code, except secondary air venting in the hedge - it should go back to roof level. See diagram.
There is no blockage or waste malfunction, the issue is nasty smells getting into house, and as I am new to septic tanks (not plumbing in general) I was looking for some feedback - and TFP has to be one of the best places for that. thank you TFP
OK so we found a missing bung in a drain in bathroom 1, so no more smell from there.
The 'primary air' vent doubles as regular air input for free falling waste ( so as not to suck out the P traps or siphons), but this vent which originally was free to air was sending out a lot of odour which via open windows was getting back into house, so I put and 'air valve' on the vent - air in only (for free falling waste.)
So things are better......but how much 'gas' does a septic tank generate? From what I read here not much, so why was the vent venting so much?...and now with a hat on it could be mildly pressurised.
The secondary vent is by comparison is very well behaved, hardly a whiff.

Patrick
 

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md,

Glad we could help at least somewhat. Thanks for the sketch and background. The vent on your roof is normal plumbing design for toilet and sink drains. You have this for a city sewer or a septic tank. There's a water gas trap in each fixture that flows to the sewage line and it's typically vented to the roof down stream of the trap with a vent cap. The primary reason for the water trap is to prevent gas from seeping into the house since it can be explosive. If the traps and pipe are properly installed you should have no odor in the house. Is this the vent you were referring to? On the vent that you show in the hedge I've never seen one of those. As to the amount of gas that's normal, I really don't know. Just can tell you there's not enough from my systems to cause over pressure without the vents and I don't smell any odor even above ground around the tanks.

Hope this helps.

Chris
 
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