We have a very faint order coming from our sewer ejector lid (down stairs of split level house). I was going to call a plumber but I read that I may be able to get on the roof and spray water down the vent pipe to resolve the problem. I wanted to make sure this won't hurt my plumbing system first though. Can someone take a look at this pic and give me any advice? Thanks in advance

See image below (I couldn't figure out how to post a pic directly on this forum)

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/225/sewercap.jpg/

Hi Zack

Running water down the vent stack won't help with any odors at the ejector pit lid as any issue with the vent stack would show up as odor/bubbling issues at your plumbing fixtures... ;)

After viewing your picture I am inclined to suggest that the lid seal has dried and cracked and should probably be replaced. A way to confirm my suspicion, and a temporary fix for now, would be to take some flexible silicone caulk and run it all around the edge of the lid. That means you have to remove the wood baseboard above the lid so you can get around the entire lid for this to work.

Try siliconing the lid and see if the odor disappears. If the odor disappears then you may be all set for now, but eventually you'll need to get a gasket kit and replace all the seals.

Finally, you'll also want to put a bead of silicone around the pipe seals at the lid. The seals are under the flanges the pipes thread into, so just put a bead around the flanges and where the pipes thread into the flanges to be 100% sure you are covering all "weak spots" in the design of this system, OK?

Good luck!

Mark

Thanks so much! I'll post whether that resolved it or not.

As a follow-up question, how long do the tanks last? If the cover is all rusty, won't the inside of the tank also be? My house was built in mid 80s and I don't see any easy way to get at the tank without smashing through the concrete.

Sorry, cannot access your pic... But in general: the seal under the lid has to be asphalt based (tar ?) seal... It comes in a roll and you apply it in one piece... You cut off what ever is left over... any penetration through the lid itself , like elec. Cords and pipes, have to have proper rubber seals that enwrap the penetrating material tightly preventing sewer gases from escaping to living areas... More over, make sure your ejector vent is a dedicated vent that runs all the way to the roof... Lastly, I would also check if there isn't sewer escaping through the bucket, saturating ground around it in the process... Hope that helps... Let me know how it went... Back to you... Milo

A good pit should last a lonnggg time, but always hard to say about these things.

As a temporary fix I'd caulk all around the seals for now and see if the smell disappears. If the smell persists then as Milo suggested it will be time to pump out and inspect the ejector pit itself... new seals can be purchased at a local plumbing supply and installed at that time!

Mark