What Causes Septic Tank Odor in Your House?

Homeowners in Kansas City should never ignore septic tank odor or sewer smell. Odors like the smell of sewer gas, methane gas, rotten egg smell, hydrogen sulfide, or foul odors in general when it comes to your septic system and septic tank. The problem isn’t just the stench, but also a health issue. There are loads of bacteria and viruses in home wastewater, plus nitrogen and phosphorus that can seriously harm the environment, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. If septic tank smells in yard areas are noticed, contact a 24-hour plumber to find issues such as a clogged drain or sewer line,  to ensure there is proper venting, or anything worse.

Plumbing problems like these can start small with a simple foul odor, odd house smells, an occasional gurgle; even a minor but consistent odor problem. When these start, it is important for homeowners to take action to ensure there is no clogging in their plumbing systems, especially drain lines and drain pipes. There are DIY steps you can take, but when it comes to septic tank odors, you may look to hire a professional plumber to address the situation.

Common Causes of Septic Tank Odors

The following are the main septic system odor triggers:

• Clogs: when your sewer system has a clogging issue, you may need professional drain cleaning, so an emergency plumber can stop toxic gases from getting inside the home. Contact your local residential or commercial plumbing service for immediate septic system service, and removal of the possible blockage.
• Full tanks: A tank can get too full or overflow if the pump stops working. This can also be accompanied by an overflow into your floor drain, causing a sewage backup (which of course is followed by an incredibly strong sewer gas odor). Emergency plumbing services can fix septic tank smells, restoring the normal flow of wastewater so there’s room for new inflow. Local plumbers can get on site quickly to get things back to normal.
• Blocked vents: Venting is key, and if a vent pipe is covered or has failed, this lack of plumbing vent can cause sewage gas to build up, which can create toxic and flammable environments indoors. A septic tank odor neutralizer won’t eliminate the risk, as the problem is not being caused by bacteria, but because the vent stack for the septic system has failed.

What Should You Do if You Smell Septic Tank Odors?

These all indicate a problem, but these issues can be prevented or resolved with a professional plumber’s assistance. Plumbing services such as inspections, septic tank pumping, part replacements, leak detection, and the removal of sludge can stop septic odor inside house areas and prevent new septic system smells from occurring.

Professional plumbers have access to tools and have experience in different methods to address these problems correctly. Sometimes it takes more than bleach and a wax ring to fix odor problems, or a new p-trap for the sink drain pipe, or making sure there’s no blockage for your washing machine drain line; any of these may fix the problem temporarily, but it can often take a pro to check every possibility and to confirm what truly needs done.

A-1 Sewer & Septic has been professional and quickly servicing the plumbing and septic system needs of Kansas City homeowners for decades, and our plumbers can tackle practically any need your plumbing system may have.

To get started and schedule for a thorough septic system inspection in Kansas City, call us at 913-631-5201.