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mrbob2
Jul 25, 2009, 05:03 PM
Hi, I have been living in a house in Baja Mexico for the last year and I am getting tired of the smell in my master bath room. Sometimes when I lift the toilet seat up I can smell the gas coming through the water. The house was empty for two years prior to me moving in.
It appears that there are no vents in the bath room. I have found no vents on the roof and the house is made of 6x6x18 cement blocks. So it will be next to impossible to add a vent.
There is one 3" line that starts at the sink and then connects to the toilet and then the shower and exits the house into a concrete register. This pipe I would say is about 8ft long. It then runs into a concrete register that is located about 1 ft from the side of the house.
This register is made of concrete and also has the kitchen pipe and the washer drain pipe going into it. The register is about 2ft square and about 1.5ft deep. The water enters this register and turns right into a 4" pipe that drains into the septic tank. The water never completely leaves this register because the bottomof the tank is a little lower then the two pipes.
The owner of the house did not know where the septic tank was so I went digging. I found the tank and a 3" pipe sticking out of it about 4ft away from where the water enters the tank. The pipe was sealed shut with a small amount of cement. After breaking the cement out I can see and hear the water entering the tank. I have no idea the size or condition of the tank. I do not know if goes into a field or drops down like some of the other tanks in Baja.
Here are my questions.
Why was a register built? I would think that all the pipes should be connected so the gas does not seep back into the house?
Is the register suppose to be the vent?
I read in some early post that I could make a trap on this main line out of 4" 45's and could cure my problem? Is there any problems or concerns in adding a trap on the main line?
Should I open the tank up and put in a bigger opening? I am told down here that the trucks use a hose bigger then 3".
I have to replace the main pipe because it is thin wall old PVC pipe that has holes in it and cactus roots. SO adding a trap would be easy at this point.
I also plan to try and connect the three pipes together so there is not more register and the system is closed.
Should I add a 2" vent there and run it up the side of my house to the roof?
Any other comments or ideas would be a great help.
Thanks, Bob

speedball1
Jul 26, 2009, 06:51 AM
I have found no vents on the roof and the house is made of 6x6x18 cement blocks. So it will be next to impossible to add a vent.
Not quite so if you added a AAV, (see image) to each fixture that has a trap.

1) Why was a register built? I would think that all the pipes should be connected so the gas does not seep back into the house?
This "register" sounds like a grease trap, (see image ) to me. We have then binstalled so the grease and crud from the washer and kitchen don't get out in the drain field and clog up the drainage holes. The trap must be cleaned out as it fills up. If your fixtures are trapped then no sewer gas should enter.

2)Is the register suppose to be the vent?
No, It's a trap.

3) I read in some early post that I could make a trap on this main line out of 4" 45's and could cure my problem? Is there any problems or concerns in adding a trap on the main line?
This is called a running trap, (see image) No guarantees here but it wouldn't hurt your system.

3)Should I open the tank up and put in a bigger opening? I am told down here that the trucks use a hose bigger then 3".
The inspection ports on your tank should be bigger then 3". What size are they?

4)I also plan to try and connect the three pipes together so there is no more register and the system is closed. Not a good idea! We always install a grease trap on the kitchen and washer lines. If you remove the grease trap expect more drainfield problems. And a drainfield problem's expensive.
?
5)Should I add a 2" vent there and run it up the side of my house to the roof To vent what? The entire house? Never happen!
AAV's are just about your only option. Good luck, Tom,

mrbob2
Jul 26, 2009, 10:28 AM
Tom, Thanks for your reply. Being in Mexico things are not always done the way they are suppose to be. The wall that contains the toilet, sink and shower is a load bearing wall for the second floor so there is no place for the vents to go. The house was built some twenty years ago too. One of the things that I have done is put covers over all the drains but that still does not help.
The box could be a trap but it does not look like your picture. Can I send you some photos for your advice?? The pipe that comes from the toilet is lower then the bottom of the box so there is always some water in there and the same goes for the main pipe it is higher then the box so all the water never goes out.
It might be really hard to add a AAV to the sink and toilet and shower. The only one that does not work well is the toilet. It seems to gurgle and sometimes all the wast water does not go out.
The only tank opening I found was the 3"pipe. It appears that maybe the wall was built over the tank. The owner remembers having the tank inspected when they built the wall. Unfortunate for me her husband passed a way afew years ago and she was not involved in the house problems or concerns.
As far as a main trap on the 4" line should I use 90's or 45's.
Thanks again for your help and if I can send you some pictures please advise where. It is going to be nice to finally put this smelly problem to rest.
Bob

speedball1
Jul 26, 2009, 01:31 PM
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