When there’s cold weather and bad odors, you will probably need some septic system maintenance done at your Loudoun County VA home.
Septic smells are caused by sewer gas, a mixture of poisonous and nonpoisonous gases including ammonia, methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide. These gases are produced when waste materials decompose in your septic system. If your system is working properly, you shouldn’t smell gases in your basement or anyplace else. Smells that only detected during cold weather can be due to one or more problems.
For example, during extremely cold temperatures – like the ones we’ve recently experienced – ice can develop around the plumbing vent and block it. And that means that sewer gases will be directed right back into your home. To avoid this problem, have the plumbing vent checked during the winter.
A frozen septic system can also cause bad smells, but in that case you will also have toilets, sinks, and tubs backing up into the house. A quick way to rule out a frozen septic system is to check the septic tank – if you see that snow or ice is melting around the septic tank, you probably don’t have a melting system.
A partial blockage, sluggish drainfield or a septic tank that needs pumping can also cause sewage odors, but these causes aren’t necessarily related to the cold weather.
No matter the cause of the sewer odors, if you or family members have any signs of gas poisoning, please call 911 or seek medical attention immediately. Sewer odors can be a sign of something serious going on with your septic system, so it’s best to have an expert in septic system maintenance come out to your Loudoun County VA home.
For more information on septic system maintenance in Loudoun County VA, or for septic tank inspection services, contact Loudoun County VA ‘s leading septic system experts at SES today. Serving all of Loudoun County VA, our professionals at SES Mid Atlantic, LLC are trusted and knowledgeable experts in their field.