# My House smells like sewage after a shower!



## benwinch07 (Dec 30, 2015)

Hello, I live in a very old house that is on well and septic service. after about 5 years of living there, I started to notice a 'poo' smell primarily after I would run my shower. This isnt the only time the smell occurs though; my wife does this thing where she'll fill the bathroom sink up with warm water and sit on the counter with her feet in the water while she does her makeup. When she drains it, the smell occurs too. The shower and the sink each have their own traps, but I dont think the smell is coming from those particular drains.

The bathroom is directly above the spot in my basement where my well water enters the house. The main drain for my septic is also in this area, but it jogs off in another direction. The smell is strongest in that area of the basement, which is another reason I dont believe that its coming from the shower drain.

Here is what I have discovered/done.

-Upon first encountering the smell, I had my septic tank pumped. I had never had it done up to that point, but the guy said my tank looked fine and that the bacteria looked like it was doing its job. I should mention that I was with him the entire time and verified that he actually pumped my tank (he told some horror stories of less-than-honest people who'll pump half your tank so they'll have to come back sooner).

-That was toward the end of winter two years ago. Summer came and went and I thought the smell was gone. about the middle of winter last year the smell came back. Thinking that I had a septic tank problem again, I waited the winter out until the ground was soft enough to dig up my septic lid. I called my septic guy and he said that my tank shouldnt be full already and mentioned that when the ground freezes, tanks might not drain into leech fields properly (or something to that effect, I cant remember his exact words), and to see if the smell went away once the warm weather was permanent. 

-In the meantime I did some more research and discovered that wells have to be chlorinated once in a while and that I hadnt done this to mine yet. So I did a chlorine treatment according to several websites that all had the same instructions. By this time summer is in full effect and the smell has gone away.

This brings me to now. Winter is here, and every time we take a shower (or drain a full sink), the house smells like farts. I know that the smell originates in my basement and comes up through the plumbing access hole in my bathroom. I am at a loss on what to do.

Please help.


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## Flyas (Jan 6, 2017)

I seriously doubt the well is involved, but do you also have a sewage injector pit in the basement? They are necessary when the lowest bathroom is lower then the septic waste pipe. If its not sealed properly then stink could seep out


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## Flyas (Jan 6, 2017)

BTW if it was your well water you would be very sick by now but I also encourage you to keep shocking your well as a matter of regular maintenance


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## Flyas (Jan 6, 2017)

Or your vent stack might be clogged


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

It could literally be dozens of things. Traps could be getting the water sucked out of them, that is, if you have traps on all drains in your home. I've seen houses where the toilet or toilets weren't seated properly and there was enough of a gap between toilet and flange that sewer gas made its way into the bathroom. I've worked in homes that have septics and that sewer smell was just "there" depending on which way the wind was blowing. You're really going to have to check everything yourself (traps, clogged vents, etc.) unless you want to pay a plumbing company to do a thorough examination of the situation.


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## benwinch07 (Dec 30, 2015)

Gymschu said:


> It could literally be dozens of things. Traps could be getting the water sucked out of them, that is, if you have traps on all drains in your home. I've seen houses where the toilet or toilets weren't seated properly and there was enough of a gap between toilet and flange that sewer gas made its way into the bathroom. I've worked in homes that have septics and that sewer smell was just "there" depending on which way the wind was blowing. You're really going to have to check everything yourself (traps, clogged vents, etc.) unless you want to pay a plumbing company to do a thorough examination of the situation.


Both of my toilets are brand new with new wax seals, but the smell started before they were replaced. Ill have to look again for a vent stack, I had forgotten about those. I dont think I have one though. 

My waste pipe is below my lowest bathroom, and I dont think the traps are going dry. The smell is more predominant in the basement so dont think its coming up through the drains. 

Any ideas about why it only seems to happen in the winter?


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## benwinch07 (Dec 30, 2015)

My curiosity got the better of me and I got out of bed and went downstairs to look for a vent. Here is a picture of my plumbing. The two black pipes going to the left are my upstairs toilet and sink drain. The area to the right is where my bathroom is. My house had a single story addition built onto the side, which is where my kitchen and bathroom are. So the main part of the house has the basement and the addition has the crawl space. You can see where the shower drain ties into the Y fitting on the right. The big pipe then continues further and picks up my toilet and sink drain, as well as my kitchen sink drain even further down, and then out to my septic tank. The smell doesnt occur when washing dishes, I should mention. 

The black pipe at the top of the left Y fitting has a bung on the side of it that has a hose coming out of it which goes to my water softener. I never noticed it before. 

So thats what im working with. I dont see a vent. Ive been on the roof in the past and dont recall seeing a vent pipe either.


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## Flyas (Jan 6, 2017)

I can smell my neighbours septic in the winter. I believe its because there vent stack doesn't rise high enough OR its just the different air keeping the smell from rising higher than the roof line. I'm not sure why but Ive experienced it many times.


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## benwinch07 (Dec 30, 2015)

What stumps me is that this wasnt a problem until a couple years ago. The main part of my house is close to 80 years old, and the addition has to be 20 years or more. If I dont have a vent, and my traps arent drying out, what could have changed?


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## dd57chevy (Jun 21, 2015)

You really need to determine whether or not you _have_ a vent stack , & what _size_ it is .

You could be dealing with a _number_ of factors , but it's all _speculation_ at this point .


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## benwinch07 (Dec 30, 2015)

dd57chevy said:


> You really need to determine whether or not you _have_ a vent stack , & what _size_ it is .
> 
> You could be dealing with a _number_ of factors , but it's all _speculation_ at this point .


From what I am able to see, there is no vent stack. The picture from a few posts above is where 95% of my plumbing joins together, and I just cant see anything resembling a stack. I know for sure that theres not one sticking out of my roof, and the only path for piping to go up through my second story and to my roof would be where my upstairs drains are ran. And theres only the two pipes.


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## Flyas (Jan 6, 2017)

I don't know a lot about plumbing but can a toilet even flush without one??


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## benwinch07 (Dec 30, 2015)

Flyas said:


> I don't know a lot about plumbing but can a toilet even flush without one??


From my research, houses that don't have a vent stack are usually vented by way of the septic tank. If I understood what I read correctly. Which I may not have.


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## Flyas (Jan 6, 2017)

Well if you don't mind I will follow along. I hope you figure out the problem. I am very interested in the solution.


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## benwinch07 (Dec 30, 2015)

Flyas said:


> Well if you don't mind I will follow along. I hope you figure out the problem. I am very interested in the solution.


Please do!! And I hope so too  its the most embarrassing in the world when family stays over and takes a shower!


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## dd57chevy (Jun 21, 2015)

I had a....somewhat eccentric neighbor (JOA Trades , master of none) who had his roof re-shingled & _deliberately_ cut off & sealed the sewer vent opening in the roof . He simply let the open , cut off stack pipe vent into his attic ! _Not_ the optimal set-up !

E-P is the expert , but I _do_ know that an non-vented drain system can cause poor flushing , noises , clogs , _AND_ can suck the water out of the traps (resulting in sewer gas exposure).

At the risk of sounding like a [email protected]$$ , you _really_ need to take a peek in the attic & _see_ if there is a vent stack ......


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## MonsieurBon (Feb 14, 2016)

Our house with septic was built in 1930 and maintained by some really odd folk. Even with the other weird stuff they did there's still a vent stack over the bathroom and kitchen, and then the main pipe to the septic tank has its own huge 4" vent stack outside.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk


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## benwinch07 (Dec 30, 2015)

At the risk of sounding like a [email protected]$$ , you _really_ need to take a peek in the attic & _see_ if there is a vent stack ......[/QUOTE]

I will certainly do that, just to eliminate the possibility, but unless they tied into the drain pipe AT the upstairs sink to make the vent, then I don't see a way for there to be a vent up there, because the only piping that runs upstairs are the two drain pipes and the two supply lines. BUT I will still check, just in case.


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## benwinch07 (Dec 30, 2015)

Im willing to accept that venting is a plausible culprit. If I dont have a vent, it would make sense that when the ground is frozen then the soil is unable to vent the fumes at the septic tank. Thus causing my issue only in winter.

I have an idea to offer up: 

If I can verify that I dont have a vent stack, is it possible to add one? I'll reattach the picture of my piping for reference. 

I can tie into the drain line where they have converted the cast pipe to PVC. I imagine they make a rubber Y fitting that could replace the rubber coupler currently in use. From there I can run PVC about 5ft to the left to the edge of my chimney stack, and then through my wall to the outside and straight up the side of my chimney. 

Will this create a vent?

And if so, will this solve my problem? Can pvc be used as a vent? If so what size? The pipe would be up hill, so I dont forsee any sewage flowing into it.

Thoughts?


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## benwinch07 (Dec 30, 2015)

I forgot to mention, there are no gargling sounds coming from any of the drains and the flushing action is fine.


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## Flyas (Jan 6, 2017)

Sounds like you are getting closer to figuring it out. Someone said EP knows more. I'm new but I would imagine a lot of people are at their real jobs in the daytime and you may very well get more input in the evening


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

This may have been better off in the Plumbing forum where the Plumbers could "have at it." There's a ton of knowledgable guys over there who can lead you in the right direction. I never heard of the septic acting as venting for your plumbing, but, I'm not a plumber. I know I've had my vent clogged with debris which caused some issues so I replaced the metal vent stack with PVC and eliminated an issue. You may have to properly vent your plumbing to see if that eliminates the issue then move on to investigating other things that could be the cause. Seems very unusual for this to happen in the last couple years........something in that time frame must have changed to cause your current dilemna.


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## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

You can't tell if you have a vent stack from the basement, the attic is the best place to look for one, other than the roof. Bonus points for the attic, in case someone in the past doing roof work blocked it off.

A vent stack doesn't always stick up above the roof. In the mid-1900's they were often cut flush with the roof and flashed with a piece of lead. From the roof it would just look like a hole through the roof going straight down.


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## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

I've seen plenty of times where the anode rod goes bad in the hot water heater and gives off that sulphur/sewage smell.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

BayouRunner said:


> I've seen plenty of times where the anode rod goes bad in the hot water heater and gives off that sulphur/sewage smell.


Bayou.... That's interesting.... Do you know any more or what happens under what conditions.

Basically, I thought that was the purpose of the anode rod... to be used up.

Just Curious


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## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

I don't know the technical reason. I know the anode rods are designed to create a reaction inside the tank to prolong the life of tank. When you remove one of the rods that have the smelly tank the rods are covered with a gel like substance. The cure either to replace the rod or remove the rod, cut it off and reinstall just the plug end. The proper repair is to replace the rod but I have found (strictly my opinion) that on some units the smell comes back after a few months. On the ones that the smell came back we just removed the rods. It shortens tank life but who wants hot water that smells


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## WirelessG (Mar 22, 2009)

BayouRunner said:


> I've seen plenty of times where the anode rod goes bad in the hot water heater and gives off that sulphur/sewage smell.


This has happened to me before. To emphasize, what Bayou said, the key is typically if the hot water smells, but cold water doesn't. In the house I had with this problem, it was like a switch: hot water stink, cold water fine. If that is not the case, then it is likely something other than the heater.


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## benwinch07 (Dec 30, 2015)

This is really good info!! Come to think of it, if I flex my memory well enough, the smell may happen more when my wife takes showers and she likes to steam up the place. The hot water heater is on my list of things to replace when I make my way to the laundry room, so I will definitely be on the lookout to see if the smell changes. In the meantime I will check in the attic for a vent stack.


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## WirelessG (Mar 22, 2009)

Go turn a hot tap on now (or the shower) and see if it smells. If it does, you know the problem lies in the water. If it doesn't, then they problem lies elsewhere.


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## Brad_TX (Jan 16, 2017)

It sounds (smells) like septic tank gas to me. This same thing was happening to me when I took a shower upstairs in my house, and in my demo-state kitchen downstairs afterwards there was a prominent fart smell. Initially I thought it was the dog!  Lo and behold the drain line for my main kitchen sink had a 90 degree on it pointing down so the open end wasn't visible; I had missed it when taping the others shut.
It sounds like your vents are not working and the septic tank gas displaced by water grey water inflow has found the interior of your house through path of least resistance, maybe even bubbling up through the P traps. Also the line to your leach field may be clogged because that gas pressure should go there first.


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## Retired Builder (Jan 17, 2017)

All waste lines must be vented. Have a reputable plumber inspect your waste and vent assembly in your basement and at your fixtures. the photo you posted indicates new work, and this could be the problem.


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## TGMcCallie (Nov 12, 2011)

I have been following this post. Very interesting. Have you found the problem? I had a sewage smell in my house and found out that the plumbing had come loose and allowed all my waste from both baths to dump out under my floor. Had to get a sanitation clean up company to clean it up before a plumber could even fix it. Not saying this has anything to do with your problem.

It just sounds like sewage gas backfeeding through your plumbing. Plumbing to sewer or septic tank must have a vent pipe of some type in order to properly work.


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## benwinch07 (Dec 30, 2015)

Hi guys, Sorry to revive a dead thread, but I was able to solve this problem! 

The fix to this was completely inadvertent, but I came across it while remodeling my laundry room a few months ago. 











The pipe on the wall under the windows was the drain for the washer. It was the culprit. As you can see, theres a really short vertical run in the pipe before it goes over and down into the floor. A few years into owning my house I noticed that water would hit the joint and splash back up out of the pipe and had begun to rot the sill (see below). My fix for this was to tape the crap out of the opening so that water couldnt splash out.











This solution worked as far as the water was concerned, but I believe that was where my smell problem began. I had sealed off the natural vent and I was now pumping my drain dry, and this room was the very last stop before my septic tank so I think I opened up a direct line of gasses in the process.










This is the configuration I have now, after the remodel. I lengthened the vertical run of the drain line so that no splash could occur, and I also added a trap. I didnt get a picture, but behind the water heater the horizontal pipe ties into a vertical PVC pipe that goes below the floor and converts to the old galvanized pipe. On top of this vertical pipe I installed an 'Under counter vent valve' that I found through research. So far, 5 months later, no smell has occured. 

I hope my struggle and solution will help someone with the same problem. 

Thanks for all your support guys!


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## msabric (Nov 13, 2017)

I am having this problem also, did you figure it out?


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## benwinch07 (Dec 30, 2015)

msabric said:


> I am having this problem also, did you figure it out?



I did, but It may not be the solution to your problem. A Few posts up from this I described the solution and posted pictures.


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