plumbing question

ken werner

Member
Messages
3,377
Location
Central NY State
Well, sort of plumbing. We live in the country and have a septic system. The toilets have vent pipes through the roof. Depending on how the wind blows we can get quite a whiff of ....

I understand there is some kind of cap valve that goes on the vent pipe and reduces odors.

Can someone tell me what it is and what it's called? Any advice as to use? Or any other solutions to the problem?

Thanks,
Ken
 
We're on septic, and the only time I've ever had a whiff of it, was when I was on the roof running a snake down the vent in an attempt to clear a clog. But I was about 2' from the vent. Never smelled it on the ground unless the cleanout cap was off. I'll be interested to see if someone has heard of this cap. Jim.
 
Same here. Live with septic many years, never got a whiff. You might think about looking to other problems. Your 'whiff' might be a symptom of a problem elsewhere. Another thought, your vent pipe might be too short and getting downdrafts off the roof. One of mine is 12" high, the other 18".
 
Oh yeah...living on this hill I can get a good whiff of septic smell, but outside the house and not inside though.

I noticed it only happens on days when the wind is really cranking and when we use a lot of water...say when we do extra laundry for the day or wash the tractor or something. Interestingly enough it happens when we have parties and whatnot too like our Annual Redneck Luau. The bathroom is used by so many people and of course on this hill the wind always blows so it can be embarrassing.

So far I have just lived with it. Now for us its just when we are outside. We never smell anything inside. If that is your case GET IT FIXED NOW. Those smells can really make you sick.

And the reason for the constant winds...

Farm_and_Foliage.JPG
 
Last edited:
We just replaced our drain field it was in the way for a new drive way. The installer said the drain lines evaporate up is where most of the water goes, he didn't say if the smell came with it but they had the be so deep. How old it the drain field and when was the last time it was pumped?
Bob
 
This can be normal with a septic system Ken, ours is only a couple years old and we see the same thing. Depends on wind and weather. Still a good idea to pump every 5 years or so, depends on how perky your soil is. I know people out here that go 10 years or more, sandy soil and you can get away with that.
 
I think it is working just fine in that case. I think its just the vent pipe doing what it is supposed to do. It would be great if you could vent it to someplace that would be better suited (like your worst enemy) but the piping has to stop at some point so its just going to smell.

My theory is (and this is just a theory) that more waste is being driven into the tank in a greater rate then can be digested by enzimes and the like. Kind of like how a well working compost pile does not smell but one that is off on browns and greens smells terrible. Anyway I think that smell goes up the vent pipe and then the heavy air or wind pushes it down to the ground on certain days. Anyway I think that is what happens.

As for my septic system, I know its designed right because I installed it. I live on a 6% grade and live on top of a gravel bank. Our soil is called Gravely Loam to a depth of 52 inches. Its great for potatoes because it drains so well...hence the reason why we had a potato farm for so many years. That means it drains well too. Fortunately my leach field is only 20 feet square because of this soil, but I pump my tank every 5 years because that 150 bucks is CHEAP insurance.
 
Travis said, in part, ".......I pump my tank every 5 years because that 150 bucks is CHEAP insurance."
"$150.00 bucks?" :eek:
Around here they charge $400.00 to $500.00 and recommended every two years. I'm going to stay with a five year schedule now that only two of us live here.
 
Ken:

All I know about septic tanks is that my folks had such a system while I grew up, they are a pain, and that from here on out my idea of the ideal house is to pick the point still on municipal water and sewage but beyond which there is no longer municipal water and sewage. :rofl:

Is it possible that you need to recharge the bacteria happily growing there? Even if this is not the case, as a brewer, I know that adding more yeast to a working ferment won't hurt the fermentation, so adding the proper, erm, human fecal material eaters to the pot even if there's already an active culture shouldn't hurt.

Next question, did the periodic smells start last summer with the big flooding in our area? I think we got a crack in our basement floor around that time due to the dramatic increase in hydrostatic pressure. I hope you don't have a cracked tank.

Again, these are just brainstorm ideas - like I said, my only experience with septic systems is that I don't want to deal with them. Good luck!
 
my only experience with septic systems is that I don't want to deal with them.

I really don't think rural sewer systems are that expensive or a problem. I admit that I have a smell when we use a lot of water and the weather is windy or gloomy. The number of times I am working outside or enjoying a picnic and these combinations come together is very small...maybe a few times a year.

But your post got me to thinking, what does my well and septic system cost me a year.

Well my septic cost $1500 to install, while my well cost another $3000 to drill (290 feet deep) and a $1000 bucks to get the pump and hardware to get water into the house. Add in another $300 bucks for 2 pumpings and you get $5800. Now divide that by 15 years of life here and you average 387 bucks a year or 32 bucks a month. I don't think that is bad.

The well has never needed any work done to it, and except for two pumpings, the septic tank hasn't either. All in all I think rural systems work very well.

By the way the cost of well drilling and septic systems has not gone up much. On our summer home we just paid 4 grand for a new leach field and septic tank, and a new well cost 3 grand. The last leach field needed to be replaced because it was built in the 1950's.

Mark I am not picking on you, your post just gave me the motivation to crunch the numbers.
 
Would it be rude to mention that my quarterly bill for water and sewer combined is $60-70?

And my experiences might have had something to do with my dad not wanting to spend money ever - sometimes it's a worth a nickel of maintenance now to save a few bucks of repair tomorrow. Hmmm... a couple pence now to save a few quid later? :rofl:
 
Last edited:
I kind of wondered what a water bill was for city folk. That isn't too bad. I thought it would be a lot more. Now I was going to come back with a smart alec comment about how my nice view was free, but then I got to thinking, with all that wind, and Maine's cold temps, my great view probably cots me plenty. Maybe I should run the numbers on that!! :) :)

Nahhhh, that probably would scare me!!

I gotta say my view of this country is limited. I have been to 48 states, 4 countries and all via the railroad. I have only had two addresses...945 East Thorndike Road and 930 East Thorndike Road. Don't let the difference in numbers confuse you, the two houses were only 500 yards apart! Anyway I'll take the country life even if I have to pay for it. My Daughter certainly won't get run over learning to ride her bike on this road...

Country_Road2.JPG


Farm_and_Foliage.JPG
 
The town near us charges about $60.00 a month for combined water/sewer. My house, with well and septic, of course, doesn't have those charges. We are all electric with a ground source Water Furnace. (I do have a propane fireplace for back-up heat) Our levelized electric bill is $120.00 a month. I have never smelled our vents and our yard doesn't get soggy or smelly over the drain field. Me back in town? Feet first, maybe but that's the only way.
 
Top