Septic Tank, Bathroom

[DandyMedi]

There is a terribly noxious odor that fills my house coming from the bathroom , around the toilet. But the smell only last from about 8:45am to 10 am and only after its been very cold the following night. the smell isn't constant it comes and goes, but gets stronger when it comes back and them just stops at around 10 am . I live in trailer with a septic tank in the backyard, had it drained less than 2 years ago, there is a pump in the tank that is supposed to drain it but it doesn't appear to be working, but it was before. the smell is coming from inside the house, the outside ironically doesn't smell at all. is there an at home solution that would work, I am no expert by any means but I believe the extension cord isn't working anymore, i think, after 10 am the smell returns back outside. Help! PLEASE!

 

[BrotherBart]

Probably not the case with yours. But when that started happening here it was a drain trap in a seldom used bathtub drying out and letting septic fumes into the room. Running the water in the tub for a few seconds every few weeks cured it.

 

[heat seeker]

Might be the wax ring under the toilet is bad. You have to pull the toilet up to see, and then you have to replace it anyway. If it's been leaking, the floor may be rotted around the toilet base.

 

[BrotherBart]

And always burning dry wood in your toilet will also solve the problem.

(Yes I am having a little fun with somebody that signs up on a woodburning site to get toilet odor advice.)

 

[firefighterjake]

And always burning dry wood in your toilet will also solve the problem.

(Yes I am having a little fun with somebody that signs up on a woodburning site to get toilet odor advice.)

Thought that was a bit odd myself . . . first post made to a wood burning site was about about a septic odor issue.

 

[xman23]

Save your wood. Burn off the methane gases and heat the house.

 

[lml999]

Thought that was a bit odd myself . . . first post made to a wood burning site was about about a septic odor issue.

Ahem. Most people who don't hold membership to hearth.com would think more than the OP's post was a bit odd.

"So, you hang out on an internet forum posting about burning/chopping/scavenging wood? That's odd. Why don't you just turn up the thermostat."

I don't know, posting about smelling a foul odor coming from the bathroom every morning would have taken me in a different direction....probably to call my doctor.

Anyway, DandyMedi, welcome aboard. We are all a bit odd here, and proud of it!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

That is a bit odd. He must sense were generally full of it.

My guess is he will find a wonderful product that solves it... And post a link to it!

 

[vinny11950]

We like pictures. Get us pictures of the odor so we can better help you.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I can make a guess as to the source of the odor, but posting pics of it on a family friendly board could give me a vacation.

 

[vinny11950]

family friendly board

Bunch of guys with pyro tendencies

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Lucky for us, it's flammable too! Lol

 

[WiscWoody]

Probably not the case with yours. But when that started happening here it was a drain trap in a seldom used bathtub drying out and letting septic fumes into the room. Running the water in the tub for a few seconds every few weeks cured it.

You can water-cap the trap like Brother B said and if it is a dry trap of a seldom to never used tub you can put some RV antifreeze in the trap as it doesn't evaporate as fast as water does. If a trap is dry sometimes you won't smell them depending on how the wind is blowing around your tank vent outside.

 

[Highbeam]

I'm guessing wax ring under toilet, the new neoprene ones look cool, or an unused bathtub trap is dry.

Septic tanks are supposed to stay full. The inlet elevation matches the outlet elevation so that your sewage has time to hang out in the tank and separate.

Another common place for odors, usually outside, is the main plumbing stack. The fumes from the septic tank are free to rise out of the big roof vent and possibly fall to ground level where you can smell them. Nothing you can do about that.

 

[lml999]

Bunch of guys with pyro tendencies

First step is admitting you have a problem.

Of course, as long as my conflagrations remain in confined spaces (wood stove, fire pit, etc), I'm not defining my pyro tendency as a problem, just a distraction.

 

[kennyp2339]

I will seldom use this fraise "we believe you and we don't need pics"