New Septic System Smell

[stick]

2 years ago, I had my cabin septic system replaced. It has a tank and liquid lift station with the drainfield up the hill. My problem is that it smells outside. There is a lift station alarm box outside and there is an inspection pipe (a 6" or so PVC pipe with a friction fit cap). I'm assuming that the inspection pipe and cap is where the vapors are escaping.

Does this sound feasible and is this normal? My home septic system does not smell with the tank having 4 inspection pipes. Any thoughts/recommendations?

[solbes]

Is the smell coming from the vents of your cabin? I have a similar septic setup, with lift and drainfield uphill, for our camper up north. It only smells if I leave the black or grey valves open on the camper outlet. The smell comes out the camper vent pipe when the valves are open. I just leave them closed and drain the camper once per day while I'm there.

[AugieAngler1010]

Where is the smell originating? I know it might be unpleasant to figure out, but that would help pinpoint your issue.

[stick]

I believe that the smell is coming from over at the vent pipe. The cabin vent, unfortunately is up in the attice of the cabin and it isn't through the roof. There are big vents in every gable end of the cabin on the wall. I did a good amount of work in the attic, and didn't even notice a smell in the attic, so I'm assuming that it isn't originating at the cabin vent. I do notice the smell pretty much every time I'm in the area of the lift station area outside. We'll even catch the smell 60' away if the wind is right.

[Tom7227]

Get the pipe up through the roof of the cabin. I suspect that the system isn't venting enough and so there's an accumulation of methane. If you make the vent stack a bit taller than it probably will draw better. I had a septic/draingfield at my house for 20 years and never smelled a thing.

Another thought may be that you're not really using it enough and the tank is 'fermenting'. Try putting a couple hundred gallons of water through it and see if that solves the problem. The system ought to be able to take that volumn if it's new.

[stick]

Thanks all. Good recommendations...I will give them a try.