ricknbeth
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Hi,
I recently started getting sewer gas bubbling through the P traps in the kitchen and a bath sink. I am guessing that it's because the septic field is not handling the water as this only occurs when we use the washing machine and run many loads back to back and put a lot of water in the system.
I rebuilt the house maybe eight years ago now and replaced 100% of the plumbing - all the way to the tanks. The work was inspected and met code. The tanks have been pumped regularly and passed inspection each time. Other than this issue, everything still functions as expected.
There are two septic tanks that drain into a common field and my problem occurs when the washer drains into tank #1 and forces air/gas through tank #2 and bubbles through the bath and kitchen traps. There is nothing common between the tanks on the house side of each tank so the only path to get from the washer drain to the bubbling drains is through the field side of the tanks. I snaked the roof vent for tank #2 and it appears to be clear. I do not have any problems - no slow drains or anything at any other time. Even once the washer is done, I don't have any backups and can use all fixtures without issue. That's not to say the field is not slow but it seems to get by.
I guess this makes sense if the field is on its last leg and it gets a lot of water but I am puzzled as to why the air does not vent through the roof vent but instead bubbles through two P traps. Could the force be strong enough that it is venting through the roof vent but also the P traps?
Both the bubbling drains are vented with a studor vent. The kitchen sink is in an island and the bath sink is on an outside wall and due to the way the foundation was built, a pipe could not be run in that wall. There is a roof vent nearby for the toilet and tub.
The tanks and field are over 40 years old and I am sure are full of roots as there are large trees close to the field.
Any thoughts? Any suggestions as to what I can do to deal with this until spring (we are in Michigan)? I did put a cleanout between each tank and the house and they are not very deep so I am sure I can do something there if needed - a temporary vent or something until spring.
Thanks,
Rick
I recently started getting sewer gas bubbling through the P traps in the kitchen and a bath sink. I am guessing that it's because the septic field is not handling the water as this only occurs when we use the washing machine and run many loads back to back and put a lot of water in the system.
I rebuilt the house maybe eight years ago now and replaced 100% of the plumbing - all the way to the tanks. The work was inspected and met code. The tanks have been pumped regularly and passed inspection each time. Other than this issue, everything still functions as expected.
There are two septic tanks that drain into a common field and my problem occurs when the washer drains into tank #1 and forces air/gas through tank #2 and bubbles through the bath and kitchen traps. There is nothing common between the tanks on the house side of each tank so the only path to get from the washer drain to the bubbling drains is through the field side of the tanks. I snaked the roof vent for tank #2 and it appears to be clear. I do not have any problems - no slow drains or anything at any other time. Even once the washer is done, I don't have any backups and can use all fixtures without issue. That's not to say the field is not slow but it seems to get by.
I guess this makes sense if the field is on its last leg and it gets a lot of water but I am puzzled as to why the air does not vent through the roof vent but instead bubbles through two P traps. Could the force be strong enough that it is venting through the roof vent but also the P traps?
Both the bubbling drains are vented with a studor vent. The kitchen sink is in an island and the bath sink is on an outside wall and due to the way the foundation was built, a pipe could not be run in that wall. There is a roof vent nearby for the toilet and tub.
The tanks and field are over 40 years old and I am sure are full of roots as there are large trees close to the field.
Any thoughts? Any suggestions as to what I can do to deal with this until spring (we are in Michigan)? I did put a cleanout between each tank and the house and they are not very deep so I am sure I can do something there if needed - a temporary vent or something until spring.
Thanks,
Rick