If everything in a home is working properly, then all odors from a septic system should travel through a homes plumbing and be released out the vent stacks located on the roof. However, sometimes issues may arise that can cause those odors to be released inside the home. If you are dealing with this unpleasant experience then here are some potential problems that are causing the odors. If the problems are corrected, the odors should dissipate.

P-Traps are the first thing any homeowner should check. Every plumbing fixture has a p-trap such as showers, toilets, sinks, floor drains, etc. P-traps hold water in the ‘U’ shape to act as a barrier to the odors that are naturally caused by the mixture of waste being washed down the plumbing. If a fixture is seldom used then the water that should be in the p-trap to prevent septic odors from coming into a home will eventually evaporate. Any fixtures in the vecinity of the odor should have water ran through them to allow the p-traps to fill back up. Allow some time to pass to see if the odor begins to clear up. If the problem persists then further troubleshooting will be required.

The next easily overlooked problem are cleanout plugs. Make sure any cleanouts that are visible in the home have cleanout plugs securely in place. If any cleanout plugs have been removed and are not screwed back in correctly, will leave an opening for septic odors to freely escape into a home. Some models of floor drains in the basement also have cleanout plugs. The drain screen will have to be removed to see if a cleanout plug is present. If any plugs are determined to be missing then a replacement can be purchased.

The next two troubleshooting ideas are more invasive to determine if they are malfunctioning and may be better suited for a licensed plumber to investigate. The first is a toilet wax ring. Wax rings are used to seal a toilet to the plumbing pipe when a toilet is being installed. Over time these rings can dry out and shrink. Once this occurrs it is possible for odors to escape from undereneath the toilet. To correct this problem the toilet would have to be removed and then reinstalled with a new wax ring. 

The second component to investigate would be an ejector pump if the home is equiped with one. The lid to the housing unit for the pump could be seated incorrectly or the seal may have expired and would need to be replaced to keep the housing unit air tight. 

If all of these troubleshooting points have been exhausted and the problem persists, a licensed plumber should be brought in to diagnose and correct any issues found. Incorrectly installed plumbing configurations or even a cracked pipe could be the culprit for example and may require a professional to identify.