Here's my problem. We are on a septic. Whenever we discharge a large amount of water, say, through the washer, shower or bathtub - primarily the washer - it creates a severe, noxious odor, which originates at the opposite end of the house from the washer. We've had five different plumbers trying to determine the source of the odor. None have succeeded. They've examined the P-traps, run snakes through the roof vents (twice), re-routed some of the plumbing underneath the house (we're on a crawl space) and activated a smoke bomb. They all give up perplexed. I've spoken with city waste water personnel who are as perplexed as the plumbers. When opening the clean-out to the septic, there is no odor whatever coming from the clean-out, and no odor outside the house. We've lived in the house 22 years and had no odor problem until recently. If you can determine the source of this problem, you're a genius. I will pay for services.

Thank you,

Virgil Hensley
virg@sbcglobal.net

Is the septic on the side of the house where the odor occurs? Is there a bathroom there?
Is it a 1-story house? In what room(s) do you get the odor?
Any differences with respect to time of day, hot/cold weather, wet/dry weather?
When the septic cleanout was checked for odor, was it at a time when the odor was strong in the house?
Has the septic system been pumped in the last several months?
Can you attempt to describe the odor? Like dead animal or rotten cabbage or ...

[This message has been edited by rpxlpx (edited February 11, 2003).]

Thank you for your quick reply rpxlpx. Yes, our septic is on the side where the odor occurs. Yes, there is a bathroom there on both the lower and upper floors. The house is two-story. The odor seems to occur in the closet that houses the hot water tank and one of our central units for heating and AC on the lower floor. This closet is near the bathroom nerest the septic. I've noticed that the odor seems to be worse on a rainy day. The septic has not been pumped recently. The odor smells like the local sewage treatment plant. We have eight roof vents. As I was sniffing them yesterday, I came to one that emitted a HOT upward odor. I ran a garden hose with nozel down the vent, causing the stool below it to clog. I uncloged the stool and after running the washer, the smell was less than mormal This is a different bathroom than previiously described and is upstairs. The washer is at the opposite end of the house from the septic where the odor originates and is strongest.

Did you ever determine what was causing the house odor? I have a similar situation. Thanks, Vern

I think the vent terminal should be increased to 4"