How to Stop Sewer Gas Smell at home.

Introduction

Every state, city, and village either has odor ordinances or treats obnoxious odors perceptible beyond property lines as public disturbances/nuisance. All plumbing vent stacks produce odors unless they fitted with a filter. OSHA warns that levels of 300-ppm (H2S) cause the olfactory nerve to lose sensitivity. At first a "rotten egg" odor is detected but on the second or third breath the odor is no longer noticed. All major odor problems have associated fines or other penalties. When you are experiencing sewer or septic smells inside a home or business not near a plumbing fixture these odors are most likely coming from your sewer vent stacks on your roof. All plumbing vent stacks produce odors including that "rotten egg" smell caused by hydrogen sulfide gas unless they are fitted with a filter. One of the most common problems is the sewer gas (H2S) is drawn into the fresh air intakes on the roof from the air conditioning systems. On roofs industrial buildings code also require fresh air intake for building air balance against all the stale air exhausted through roof vents. The potential problem can be identified through basic smell of odor when on the roof or around the perimeter of the building as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas is heavier than air and thus falls to "nose level" quickly when the wind blows just right. A professional can use a H2S measuring device to detect and measure sewer gas concentration being omitted from specific roof vent stacks. The vents omitting gas is a natural occurrence on most homes and buildings because that's the way they are designed.