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Odors coming from kitchen sink could mean trouble

May 18th, 2012
by Carl Weaver.
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If you love to cook, the kitchen is your domain. You should be the perfect person to know that area should be one of the cleanest parts of your home. It is a sanitary area where food is prepared so it is only natural to expect that everything in the kitchen is clean, including the smell. Odors coming from the kitchen sink it usually the result of food build up in the garbage disposal or sink.

There should only be two kinds of smells in the kitchen—soap and freshly prepared food. This is the sign that the one who cooks for the family thinks of the health and well-being of the people he or she prepares food for. But what is one fine day; you suddenly have odors coming from the kitchen sink? Oh you know that this is a major NO-NO. It has to be dealt with fast or your health and safety will be compromised.

It is almost like a switch turned on that when you smell something foul in the kitchen. It has to be eliminated immediately because this is where the food and drinks are prepared for the household. One small mistake and you will end up in the hospital. To find out the source of the disarming and irritating smells is vital primarily because of health. Odors comming from the kitchen sink tell you that there is definitely something wrong with your septic system.

The following are the possible causes of those fouls odors:

1. Lack of beneficial bacteria in the sink drain
The undesirable odors that come from your kitchen sink could indicate that there is a significant lack of beneficial bacteria in the pipeline. The bacteria that are naturally found in your drain die off and grease will clump up in the p- or s-trap of the pipelines and drain lines. These clumps start to smell and produce strong odors because of anti-bacterial products commonly used is households. When you turn on the faucet and water runs into your drains, the fats, oils and greases are loosened and rise with the water. This brings about the terrible odors. Beneficial bacteria should be added to a system on a regular basis to ensure digestion and a healthy kitchen sink.

2. Particles of food
You are very familiar with the smell of rotting food in the fridge, right? The same smell is given off by the bits of food that escaped the sink filter and goes down the drain. Even if you make sure that there are no big food particles left on the dishes before you wash them, minute pieces still remain. Of course, beneficial bacteria break them down, thereby decomposing food particles. If you have a garbage disposal unit installed, you may have larger food pieces trapped in the drain or in the disposal unit itself. You should maintain your garbage disposal unit to prevent the odors. Baking soda and vinegar can be used to get rid of the smell and after that, run lots of water through the drain to wash the loosened particles away.

3. Mildew and mold
Mildew and mold can also cause odors in your kitchen sink. These are formed along the drain edges, bases of fixtures, and faucets. Those sinks that you leave unused could grow mildew and mold in their drains. If this is the case, you should acquire the assistance of a professional because mold is a health hazard. If mold and mildew odore continue, we advise at you call a local mold and remediation company for further evaluation.

4. Wastewater backup
And then there is the backing up of wastewater in the sink drains that definitely gives off foul odors from the kitchen sink. This may be an indication that your septic system is failing (drain field flooding/failure, septic tank is full and unplumbed, large blockages). You should contact a septic professional to evaluate you system and pump if required.

This is not a matter that should be taken lightly. In extreme cases, household’s health and life threatening illnesses could be at stake.

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Leaking septic system help

May 17th, 2012
by Carl Weaver.
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Part of being a homeowner is to face occasional septic system problems. One of the most common is the case of leaks in the septic system. Septic system leaks can be in the tank or out of the tank. There is no special place where this occurs. Leaks can happen anywhere in the system. Read on and find out why leaks happen:

1. Leaks can happen when a pipe isn’t sealed in a specific spot. Most old septic tanks didn’t have any sealants applied to the mating joints. Those who installed them just poured concrete around the septic pipe that enters the septic tank. This even makes troubleshooting difficult. In modern septic tank systems, the joining pipes that are installed at sharp angles have rubber gaskets that do not seal properly.

2. Heavy vehicles can crush septic system drain lines causing leakage and toxic smells and odors.

3. Damaged pipes can cause leaks. This damage can comprise the effluent pipes and the septic pipes. When the effluent pipes are damaged, the effluent can be forced to the surface leashing into groundwater instead of flowing into the drain field or tank.

4. The septic cleanout port or cover can cause leaks because they may not be well-secured.

5. Rust on a metal or steel septic tank can be a source of leaks in and out of the tank. In the 80’s many septic tanks were fabricated from steel.

6. A crack in the septic tank (concrete) also allows leaks in or out of the tank causing systems to leak raw sewage to the surface.

A leak out of your septic tank happens when the tank acquires a hole or a perforation, no matter what material it is made from. When the tank is leaking, you can be sure that the effluent is not treated properly because it doesn’t reach the drain field where final digesting or treatment takes place.

When your septic tank is leaky, problems like dye test and septic loading test are bound to fail. These tests are supposed to check the septic system and drain field’s condition. How are you going to test it if the effluent does not reach the entire area of the system? This can happen if your septic system has not been used for a while and the liquid in the septic tank is extremely low. So if you move into a house that has a leaking septic tank, it is most likely that the drain field doesn’t function. But remember that even if the septic system is unused, it still produces sludge and scum that still accumulates at the bottom of the tank and may require further inspection or additional pumping. A leak into your septic tank happens if surface runoffs or groundwater seep into the pipes or the tank itself. When this occurs, wastewater is carried into the septic tank from the outside of the system.

If there is an opening that allows the extra water load to enter the tank, then the risk of water overload is most likely to happen, thus lowers the bacterial treatment or decomposition level in the tank itself. This untreated wastewater is then pushed out into your drain field. If there is too much water that enters the tank too fast, this can prevent the solid wastes from immediately settling causing solid waste to flow into the drain field causing sludge buildup. If this occurrence is sustained, then it will only be a matter of time until the drain field stops functioning.

To resolve leaks is to find them and repair the system. The pipes or the tank itself may be in need of immediate repairs or replacement already. You may want to ask a septic professional to help you with finding the most advantageous solution to this dilemma. If you are going to have your septic tank or septic pipes repaired or replaced, you have to minimize the use of the system for a while. This means REALLY minimize the use of water. The tank needs to be emptied when being repaired and the pipes need to be less taxed to completely seal. So you really have to do your part in lessening your water use. Make sure that the tank and the pipes are completely cleaned and cleared of the blockages and the sludge that contributed to the worsening of the problem.

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Do laundry detergents or soaps harm cesspools?

May 16th, 2012
by Carl Weaver.
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Keeping your household running smoothly is the goal of everyone. There will be things that you have to do to keep things in order such as cleaning. One of the most repetitive things to do in the home is washing laundry. Everyday, every member of the family wears clothing. Multiply the number of clothes by the number of days in a week and you’ll have a truckload of laundry waiting for you.

It is definitely a great ease for the modern household to have a washing machine and dryer to help accomplish the laundry chore. Imagine if the entire load of dirty clothes would be hand-washed, including the bath towels and the bed sheets, how will you be able to do anything else? One question comes to mind and that is, do laundry soaps and detergents harm cesspools and septic systems? Laundry soap and detergents are specially formulated to aid in efficiently removing dirt and stains from your everyday clothes.

Given that you have to do laundry almost every day, the question becomes, would soaps and laundry detergents harm your cesspool? Many of these products are already modified to be multi-purpose so as to enable the homemaker to save money by not buying separate products to accomplish the job of washing laundry. Most of the laundry detergents are “enriched” with other chemicals that target the common laundry issues at the same time.

At normal usage levels, laundry soaps and detergents do not harm the cesspool with their concentration and volume. This is because the laundry detergents and soaps become very dilute by the time they reach the cesspool. With this, they do not harm the bacterial population when they are dumped at very small quantities or at very low concentrations. But when the environment impact is brought into the picture, it is a whole different story. The anti-bacterial additives, sodium, surfactants, and phosphates present in detergents reach the groundwater the possibility of environmental issues such as eutrophication can be a factor and should be considered.

There are times when you have to add bleach as you wash your laundry. The amount really depends on the amount of clothes you have to wash and the toughness of the stains that you have to eliminate. Bleach is a chemical that doesn’t harm the cesspool, provided that it is in normal amounts only. In very large amounts, the bleach will definitely cause a problem in the cesspool. So if you have to use excessive amounts of bleach, use sodium percarbonate or oxygen bleach as an alternative.

Sodium percarbonate is an active ingredient in newly released laundry detergents. It is nitrogen-and phosphorous-free so it would be considered a safe laundry detergent for cesspools, septic tank and for the surrounding environment as well. When you use it, it releases sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide when it dissolves in water helping to break down tough soil and stain.

In regular laundry detergents, sodium is usually present. This reacts with the soil and clay that surrounds the cesspool especially when it is used excessively. The sodium, soil and clay bind together and form blockages. When the surrounding soil clogs, the wastewater will back up into the house or flood the cesspool creating cesspool backups and soft areas in your yard. So you really have to watch your usage of laundry detergents because when it comes to your cesspool, anything in excess can be bad.

To prevent the potential failure of a cesspool, drywells or grey water system can be installed for the laundry wastewater to collect in. This way, the cesspool is safe from any potential chemical or foreign body that would harm the entire flow of the system. Installing a grey water system has to be discussed with a septic professional or your local sewer inspector so that the system is compliant with all local building codes.

When it comes to maintaining a cesspool, every decision you make can be vital. It can be a make or break deal when choosing laundry detergents or soaps. You can never tell what your favorite brand of laundry detergent can do to your cesspool system, sometimes, more harm than good. Read the product label before using laundry products. It is best that you update your detergents and soaps with the latest “septic safe” products. Never just stick to your old anti bacterial, sodium product until you run out, if your current soap or laundry detergents harm the cesspool, the results can be devastating the home owner costing thousands to repair the system.

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Can Tree Roots Block or Clog Cesspits

Mar 29th, 2012
by Carl Weaver.
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People who know you personally and professionally have always known you to be very curious. This level of curiosity has often led you to trouble as a child and as a young man. But eventually, it has led you to a field of work wherein it has really helped you gain access to valuable information that very few people have done. As a reporter, you had that rare level of inquisitiveness that was never irritating unlike other professionals in your field. When you don’t have any assignments to work on, you blog. In your blog site, you had the freedom to discuss anything that you wanted. It was where you really expressed yourself and in the process, you have brought awareness to your followers.

That particular weekend, your septic expert was about to pay a visit to your cesspit. It was the scheduled pump out and treatment session. You realized at that time that you still haven’t discussed anything about the cesspit yet. And it was not a secret that so many homeowners that really needed to know more about their cesspit systems. The cesspit has always been the neglected part of the house but still remained to be one of the most indispensable ones because it is the component that treats and recycles your wastewater. The cesspit maintains that distance between you and the pathogens that the wastewater has. Since you have trees and plants in your yard, you asked your septic expert your nagging question: Can tree roots block or clog cesspits?

YES. Your septic expert told you that tree roots can indeed be very damaging and very invasive to your cesspit. As you may know, trees have root systems that serve as their mouth for taking in nutrients and their feet or hands to anchor them onto the substrate that they were planted on. As a living organism, the tree has to cope up with its nutrient demands by making its roots search for a steady source of nutrients. If the tree is planted above the cesspit, then it already has a direct access to a bottomless food source. The sewage that comes from your household is a rich mixture of organic nutrients that serves as a very lush source of fertilizer. The cesspit can be invaded by the finer parts of the root system. The small gaps and the side holes of the cesspit are easy entry points for the roots.

As a result, the root system penetrates deeper and deeper into the cesspit, it occupies the space that was only meant for the wastewater. Eventually, the wastewater that needs to be treated cannot enter the cesspit anymore. Instead, it just backs up into the house drains, sinks, and toilets or even overflows up onto the yard. Tree roots could even destroy or damage other components of the cesspit like the connecting pipe to the house. The invasive roots could make its way into the thin gaps of the pipes until these become big enough to produce leaks. If you have young trees planted over your cesspit, it is advisable to have them replanted somewhere that is far from the cesspit. It may just be placed at the periphery of the yard so that it won’t interfere with the cesspit’s functioning.

After the septic expert answered all your questions tree roots and the cesspit, you requested a photo of him to be taken showing that he was pleased with his work. It was definitely a very educational experience for you. You’re sure that many homeowners would be enlightened by the facts that you put together that day. It just took a few minutes for you to construct your article and post it afterwards. The next day, you received positive feedback and requests that you post more informative blogs like that one about the cesspit.

Your curiosity has once again brought positive results. It really pays to crave for knowledge. And all you should do is be responsible enough to know how to help disseminate it properly.

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Organic Raised Mound Additives and Treatments

Mar 7th, 2012
by Carl Weaver.
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You never knew that there would be so much hype when you purchased your own home. Everything just has to be done a certain way so that you and your family may greatly benefit from a fully functional home or a well-oiled machine, so to speak. One of the greatest priorities that you should have is the care for your raised mound system and since organic is all over the news theses days, lets see how that applies to you and your new system.

At the design phase of the septic system, you never expected for it to wind up being a raised mound. Your septic expert explained that your water table was very high that was why you had to opt for a raised mound as your septic system. Even if your landscape design was already finalized, you asked your architect to adapt the design to the raised mound system. It wasn’t an easy thing to do but through the skilled people that surrounded you, you were able to have a raised mound that looked inconspicuous in the landscaping.

When everything was already built, installed, and finalized, your septic expert told you that you should keep your raised mound in tip-top shape. It is just like a conventional septic system but more sensitive. As you know, a raised mound is exposed to the elements. It is above the surface, unlike the usual septic system. It has to be covered by a construction cloth before the thin topsoil is placed. This is to prevent the raised mound system from freezing over when winter comes. The raised mound also has a tank that collects the wastewater from your house. Inside the tank, the solid waste material is degraded by the anaerobic bacteria. Sludge is them produced. To prevent the sludge from clogging the sand filter and the soil absorption system, the tank has to be pumped and cleaned on a regular basis. To help you do this, additives and treatments should be administered into your raised mound.

For years, it has been debated if the ideal additives and treatments applied should either be organic, inorganic, or biological. You are already familiar with the inorganic ones that are composed of harsh acids and bases that oftentimes leave a trail of corrosion in our raised mound system. Biological additives and treatments are seen as favorable to the system and to the environment as well because of the non-pathogenic bacteria that are added into the tank. Organic additives and treatments for your raised mound are your baking soda, yeast, and vinegar.

Baking soda is an organic additive that is good at maintaining a neutral environment for the bacterial population. This allows the bacteria to thrive and perform efficiently. Yeast makes the bacteria in the tank perform well and makes an ideal deodorizer in raised mounds that are not used that often. Vinegar is a great substitute for caustic soda treatments. Caustic soda can be pretty harsh and is known to kill off the bacteria present in the tank. Organic and biological additives are known to be your raised mound’s health tonic because of the benefits that they yield. But even if organic additives and treatments are advantageous, not all raised mound owners use them mainly because not all of them are environment-friendly. When you pour the organic additives into your toilets and drains, the results and the amount you use depend on the running condition of your raised mound. It can also save you a lot if you choose to use these organic additives because you could just find them in your cupboard or fridge.

The lifespan of your raised mound is very important. That is why you decided to use the organic additives to help in the care and maintenance of your system. Just make sure that you keep your septic professional informed. You have to know the real deal by trying these organic substances to clean your raised mound. Learn how to observe and keep track of your usage so that you may be well-guided. Doing so will help you become a raised mound owner that enjoys a smooth running wastewater treatment facility for decades.

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Average Cost to have Lateral Lines Pumped

Feb 15th, 2012
by Carl Weaver.
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The septic system is a very vital part of your household basically because it is responsible for helping in the cleanliness of your living environment. It is important for you to maintain your septic systems flow capability because it can cause your home to become immersed not only in a pool of sewage but in a pool of replacement bills. One way to deter or eliminate unexpected problems is to have your lateral lines inspected, and if needed, pumped from time to time.

Having your lateral lines pumped and cleaned regularly can be a very good practice. It is a means of making sure that the septic systems drainage areas are clear of solid waste materials that could be very harmful to the performance of the entire system, especially when those solids reach the leach field. As a responsible homeowner, you should make sure that you do your part in the maintenance of your septic system.

Sludge or the undigested solid wastes always settle at the bottom of the septic tank. You should make sure that the sludge is pumped out of the tank at two to four-year intervals for most people. Of course, this depends on the size of the tank and on how you actually use the septic system. As you know, if the solid waste is not eliminated regularly, this will flow to the leach field and this will be the main cause of your septic system’s failure. Using a lot of your run-of-the-mill household cleaning chemicals is already a very harmful thing to your septic system and you should be extra careful not to dump insecticides, paint thinners, solvents, and grease into your house drains to avoid harming the bacteria and the leach field. If your household uses a garbage disposal unit, you may need to have your system pumped out more often than a system without.

The cost of having the lateral lines pumped depends on your location and the size of your tank. The baseline cost is about 200 USD. The service personnel will also need to check the septic tank baffles to see if there are any unnoticed damages. You should let them know that you want this done before you call them for the job. The distribution box will also be tested by running water into it. This way, the leach field could also be assessed. If the septic tank is up to 1000 gallons, then it would be highly probably for your bill to reach 300 USD. This fee is applicable if the septic tank is already located, the access port is already opened up, and is readily accessible. If the septic tank still needs to be found by the pumping contractor, then you would have to pay 350 to 400 USD more. Part of the payment that you give goes to how the pumped out septage will be disposed of. Obviously, the septage needs to be dumped or disposed of at a site where sanitation is optimal. This is to make sure that the people, animals, and plants living in that area will not be harmed in any way, else, call another company who is more environmentally concerned.

You should set aside the money for the pumping so that when the turning point comes again, you will already have the money to remove the sludge out of your septic tank. It is a very small price compared to the replacement of you entire septic system should it fail, which can cost roughly 5,000 to 50,000 depending on where you live and other factors.. Remember that it is a big difference of having to spend only a few hundred dollars every few years compared the exorbitant costs of replacement.

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Cesspool Clogs

Jan 25th, 2012
by Carl Weaver.
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Congratulations on your new home. You have waited and saved up for years before you have finally reached your goal. It’s everybody’s dream to have a land title and a home to build upon it. Of course, in order for you to have a fully functional home, you should have a wastewater treatment facility, especially when you cannot access the sewer system in your town or city. Your home just so happens to have a cesspool. And now, all you have to do is maintain and care for it and learn how to deal with clogging which may happen from time to time.

A cesspool is just like your septic system. The only difference is that it doesn’t have an outflow tube that allows the effluent to be distributed. The cesspool has a tank with holes at the sides and at the bottom. These are what allow the effluent to be distributed to the drain field to undergo further purification before the surrounding area uses it again. The cesspool is a well known alternative to a sewer system that has a tank with the same bacterial population that breaks down the solid wastes that enter with the wastewater. When the solid wastes are digested, the effluent seeps out slowly into the drain field.

One of the primary things that you should know about your cesspool is that cesspools clog. Your household is bound to use a lot of detergents and cleaning solutions. When you use these substances, there is nowhere for them to go than into your drains and toilets. And when they enter your drains and toilets, these substances go straight into your cesspool. What you don’t know is that when you deposit these cleaning solutions into the cesspool, the bacterial population becomes depleted. When this happens, the solid wastes are not digested well. As a result, the sludge accumulates too much. This would most probably enter the drain field and cause cesspool clogs. The sludge only gets too overwhelming when you do not pump out and clean your cesspool periodically. The sludge and gunk, with nothing to break them down, goes with the flow of the effluent to the surrounding drain field. This motion is made faster by excessive water use in your household.

There are times when the cesspool clogs are caused by several materials and substances that you dump into the drains and toilets. Some of the common clogs are food scraps, hair balls, paper, soap scum, toilet paper, oils, and grease. Woody plants and trees could also clog up your cesspool. There can be a lot of reasons why your cesspool can be clogged up, when you encounter them, you should:

1. If you suspect your cesspool to be clog, try to find the sewer lines. Inspect them for the presence of invasive roots. When you see that this is the case, the pipes should be totally replaced and the plants/trees should be cleared away from the area of your cesspool
2. You should remove any organic buildup causing the clog. These are the impacted wastes within the cesspool that are too thick for the wastewater to penetrate. You should pump out your cesspool when the accumulated waste is no more than 1 foot away from the baffle.
3. Make it a point to lessen the water load in your home. This may also be worsened by heavy rainfall. If this is the case, divide your laundry into several days instead and close up any leaks in or out of your cesspool system.

Make sure that the cesspool undergoes proper maintenance. It would be less costly for you to maintain your cesspool than have it replaced because of its failure to function. So as a responsible cesspool owner, set aside a periodic budget to accomplish your obligations. If you know that your plumbing skills are not developed or honed enough, it is better for you to hire a septic professional to assess the plumbing problems that may cause cesspool clogs. Use a filter in your sinks and drains as well.

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How Failing Lateral Lines can be Restored

Jan 6th, 2012
by Carl Weaver.
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Maybe you’re already familiar with the various components of your septic system. One major component is the leachfield, drainfield, absorption bed, seepage field, or disposal field. It can also be referred to as the combined lateral lines of your septic system. This is where the wastewater of your household is dispersed into for the final treatment before it is returned to the surrounding environment. The absorption or percolation rate is a characteristic of the drainfield that is treated with great significance since this is the main action of the lateral line itself. The better the drainage, the better the system.

Conventional lateral lines are directed by the pull of gravity. They are composed of perforated pipes embedded in the graveled trenches. The d-box equally distributes the effluent through the lateral lines or lateral drainpipes that exit thought the gravel layer. This is where the biomat (tar-like substance) filters the effluent before it reaches the surrounding area. The lateral lines of the drainfield are like the arms of the septic system that allow the effluent to be uniformly returned into the surrounding environment. With the use of the lateral lines, the treated effluent can again be used. If the lateral lines get clogged and fail, it is only expected for the wastewater to go back into your home or pool on the surface of the drainfield.

When a drainfield fails, the failure of the lateral lines can be a major factor to consider and thisis not a scenario that is anticipated by any homeowner. But even if the lateral lines fail, there are several methods that can help restore it. Please note; the following methods of lateral line restoration is not a panacea for the failure of your drainfield. If your septic system is poorly installed, if the water table if very high, if the field is too small, or if the soil has a poor percolation rate, the said methods will only help as far as the systems ability will allow.

1. Jetting
This method is done if there is an overflow in the septic tank because its baffles are damaged or if it wasn’t pumped out regularly. This removes the solid waste accumulation in the lateral lines.

2. Additive
As you know, there are many chemical or biological additives to be considered. Better ask the help of a septic professional in the application of the additives to make sure that it is used optimally and will yield favorable results. It may take weeks or months before this method shows results in some systems and working with the additive is sometimes required. One of the main reasons why lateral lines fail is the sulfide buildup in the drainfield. Sulfides impede the biomat’s porosity, absorb the available oxygen, and clog the soil and gravel layers that surround the lateral lines. There are certain biological additives that can be used to restore drainage by digesting the biomat itself, reducing the effect of the sulfides as well. As a result, the aerobic bacteria proliferate much better and entire drainfield returns to normal function.

3. Aeration
Mechanical aeration is said to be an effective way or maintaining the lateral lines once they have been restored through biological methods. This process helps in the restoration of drainfield flow by inducing a soil fracture that creates new pathways for drainage. Aeration should be considered as a follow up to bacteria treatments since the aeration itself is not very effective at handling grease and fats.

4. Replacement
Usually, the drainfield can be of full service for 20 to 30 years, or more. If your drainfield is already this old, then you should already consider having it replaced if it is structurally damaged or beyond repair. Additives can only bring about results provided the system is not damaged or collapsed. It’s more practical to repair or replace a broken system then to try to restore it through remediation.

It can be a very demanding task to look after the lateral lines of your drainfield. But if your want your drainfield to serve you for decades, you should see to it that you accomplish the task. Seek the assistance of the septic professional so that you may be oriented on how the lateral lines work. There might be some latest maintenance tips that you could apply as well. Be vigilant and you will have an efficient septic system in general.

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Why Raised Mound Systems Smell?

Dec 27th, 2011
by Carl Weaver.
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If you are a homeowner that has a raised mound or sand mound system installed as your septic system, then you know that it is generally a fuss-free type. But even so, you still need to have it maintained and cared for regularly as part of your responsibility since periodically the system may develop smells or moisture conditions.

As you know, the raised mound system has perforated pipelines that are similar to those that are installed in the drainfield or leach field system. These lines permit the wastewater to pass through and enter downwards into the surrounding area that comprises the field of your mound. This field is equipped with enzymes and bacteria that play a role in determining the performance of the raised mound system. The bacteria breakdown the waste products and if your system has low bacterial population, the waste remains incompletely digested. When undigested residue remains, these fine substances may clog up the gravel and the soil in the mound system.

Why do raised mound systems smell? Well, when the bacterial population is lowered, the partially digested waste products give off distinct odors from the gas they produce. These smells rarely seep through the mound that is why you do not smell them that often. However, when the gas pressure reaches a certain high level, they are pushed up and out of the mound and back up into your house. There are also times when heavy rainfall can pour out floodwater onto your yard. This surface water will eventually penetrate the topsoil and into the mound system. If the solid wastes are not digested very well, the clogging will make your system hold in more water than it could and prevent the wastewater from being treated. This will result in the backing up of the wastewater and the odors into your house and yard. On occasion, you will experience wafting odors that pass in any type of septic system, including the raised mound system but there are ways to lessen this experience.

There are some things that you can do to prevent the frequency of the raised mound odors that you have. First, you can reduce the water that you use because this can affect the internal pressure that your raised mound has. You could cut your shower time and divide your laundry schedules so that the wash day won’t be too heavy a load on the system. Doing this will lessen the water load into your raised mound system and will give the bacteria enough time to act on the waste materials that reach them. Make sure that you also check your raised mound system for leaks. This can ensure that no untreated wastewater will go into unwanted places in your property and even contribute to the overflow of the system. This will also lessen the blow of the floodwater that settles in your yard and reaches your raised mound system which will allow you to have less expense in taking care of the components of the system. As a responsible homeowner, you should also choose household cleaning products that do not harm bacteria. There are several of them in the market already that do not compromise performance for being “green”. By being vigilant in your choice, you will be able to maintain the bacterial population that act as the main digesters of the raised mound system.

Consider the fact that your mound system is “alive” with bacteria and this living entity needs regular care and attention. Be sure to add in some beneficial additives that help you regain the bacterial population that the household cleaners have depleted significantly. These additives should contain high concentrate bacteria so by adding more bacteria into the system, you regain the balance in your raised mound digestive environment. Maintaining the system will dramatically reduce the raised mound smells that you get because of the improvement in the efficiency and rate of solid waste digestion.

For the most part, it is really up to you to make sure that your raised mound system is working efficiently. It is the only way you can prevent the odors from conquering your yard, your home, and your life.

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Are Septic System Fumes Dangerous or Hazardous

Dec 22nd, 2011
by Carl Weaver.
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Do you smell that? Septic system fumes are wafting through your house again and you know that this is not a normal thing for you and your family to experience. To wake up smelling like you’re inside the toilet or your drain is not a healthy way to live. First of all, your house is supposed to be a sanctuary where you could have all the rest and stress release that you can get. But when you breathe in septic system fumes everyday, all you’ll live to know about are stress and aggravation.

So far, all the frequent sniffing of septic system fumes hasn’t struck your family’s health evidently. This makes you wonder if septic system fumes are indeed hazardous. There is only one obvious answer to that—YES.

Septic system fumes are wicked blends of various gases that really pose as detriments to your health and safety. First, there’s methane, which can cause an explosion when ignited and even asphyxiation when inhaled in excessive amounts. Sulfide gas is one of the septic system fumes that irritate your nasal passages because it does smell like rotten eggs. Airborne bacteria is also present in the septic system fumes that you inhale. This causes detrimental respiratory infections like sinus infections. Spores of mold could also be carried by septic system fumes that could cause harm to your home and to your respiration as well.

But how could you possibly know where these odors come from? Here are some of the common places in your house where septic system odors spew out:

1. Leaks in sewer piping joints
Of course, it is a given that if the sewer pipe joints have leaks or are not even attached to the floor, ceiling, or wall, you will have septic odors floating about. This can be determined by pressure testing.

2. Leaks in electrical conduits
The electrical conduits in your home may be pathways for the septic gases into your very own home straight from the pumping station.

3. Heaters and ACs
Your own heaters and air conditioners can be sources of foul septic odors because of the blowers and air ducts. These features tend to pick up the smells and move them throughout the house. If your sewer pipes have leaks or if your house has defective toilets, surely, you will experience the unwanted septic system odors everyday.

4. Leaks in toilet seals
When your toilet has a bad seal (not properly installed on the floor)then it can be leaking smelly gases or sewage at its base.

5. Leaks in septic pipes
If there are leaks in the septic pipes, then you will definitely get septic system odors for breakfast until dinner. The leaks are caused by rust, mechanical damage, improperly installed vents, missing vents, and pipe corrosion.

6. Failures in septic system
If your septic system fails, the sewer gases leak outside and the wastewater backs up. This could be anywhere in or out of your house and it could be very embarrassing and off-putting if it reeks at the front yard.

7. Punctures in sewer piping
Sewer pipes should be properly sealed but there are times when a stray nail from unplanned or unplanned constructions or installations can puncture them, giving way for the septic odors to crawl out.

8. Marsh or swamp gas
As you know, marsh or swamp gases are very detrimental because of the methane. It is very toxic and flammable. But there are some buildings and houses that have sewage lines that divert the gases from the marshes or swamps. This has to be attended to immediately.

9. Odors in drains
When the water traps in the drains are not installed correctly or if there is a blockage somewhere, then the septic fumes will waft through your house like there’s no tomorrow.

It can be very upsetting to have all these in your home without you even knowing about it. But calm down. You could very well find a cure to the septic system fumes that bother and harm you once you look at the root cause.

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