We recently bought a house that was built in 1987. We owned the home for over a month before moving in. We spent almost everyday here painting, and never smelled anything. A few days before we moved in we smelled an awful smell in the upstairs bathroom.
We have had the septic pumped, and still no relief. Sometimes the smell is almost completely gone and other times it will knock you down. I initially thought it was a dead mouse, but the way it comes and goes makes me rethink that. It's been almost two months with this awful smell in that bathroom.
We also cleaned all the drains with a powder type drain cleaner, thinking maybe it was the p-trap; still nothing! At this point I'm ready to call in the professionals, but don't even know who to call. Also, the tub in the bathroom, which by the way, is the only tub in the house, has jets. We don't know if that could be the source, but don't think so.
Please any advice is welcome. We just keep the door closed and don't go in there. My 4 and 5 year olds have been taking showers in the master, which is getting old. I'm ready to get rid of this smell. Please anyone. Help!
By Rebekah T from NC
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We had this experience in our old house with a septic system. There would be a nasty sewage smell coming from the toilets and drains and it would get worse after it rained - which made no sense. All drains and toilets worked fine and there were no backups. After being told I was crazy by the septic guy, I called him out again and insisted he "break the seal" in the house in the pipe that ran from the house to the septic tank. I didn't watch when they did it, but the look on the guys' faces said it all.
The guys had to remove a very large sewage blockage that had built up, clogging the pipe. This hadn't been detected when they previously tested as some water would pass through to the tank when toilets were flushed or sinks turned on. No septic guy wants to go this route, but it might be worth doing if the smell is so bad that you can't stomach it.
Also, if you think it might be the jetted tub, it's a good idea to fill the tub above the jets and add either bleach or vinegar to the water and then turn the jets on. If you notice moldy bits coming from the jets, that may be the cause of the odor. It should clean out with a long run with hot water and bleach.
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