Smell of Solvent coming from Sewer

DrWazzock · Oct 12, 2017

For the past few days both my and my neighbours bathrooms have smelt very strongly of something like paint thinners or kerosene. Initially I blamed a neighbours kerosene burner for putting out the fumes out of it's chimney but closer investigation by self and neighbour, lifting the sewer pipe covers in our gardens has revealed the source of the fumes to be the sewer that serves both of our properties. I contacted the water company and they said it can be quite common where work is being done to reline the sewer with resin sealant and the solvent isn't ventilated off properly. Can't see any work being done locally though.

This a new one on me, and I'm surprised the water traps let the vapour in but maybe it's getting in though cracks round the various waste pipes. It is certainly getting out through the drain cover lid. They are coming out to investigate.

Anybody else has this?

Turra farmer · Oct 12, 2017

DrWazzock said:
For the past few days both my and my neighbours bathrooms have smelt very strongly of something like paint thinners or kerosene. Initially I blamed a neighbours kerosene burner for putting out the fumes out of it's chimney but closer investigation by self and neighbour, lifting the sewer pipe covers in our gardens has revealed the source of the fumes to be the sewer that serves both of our properties. I contacted the water company and they said it can be quite common where work is being done to reline the sewer with resin sealant and the solvent isn't ventilated off properly. Can't see any work being done locally though.

This a new one on me, and I'm surprised the water traps let the vapour in but maybe it's getting in though cracks round the various waste pipes. It is certainly getting out through the drain cover lid. They are coming out to investigate.

Anybody else has this?

Never , be interested to hear cause when it's discovered

DrWazzock · Oct 12, 2017

Turra farmer said:
Never , be interested to hear cause when it's discovered

So will we. If they'd pre warned us it wouldn't be so bad and we are not bothered about temporary inconvenience, but we have had a fair bit of time and aggravation tracking the problem down. Our other neighbours have had their boiler repair men out thinking they had fumes from the burners. Wasted time and money, Mrs angry about clothes smelling of paraffin etc. Mine smell of diesel anyway so I don't notice!

Deereone · Oct 12, 2017

Years ago my neighbours kerosene fuel pipe leaked at an underground joint and the fuel seeped under their stone drive
into an adjoining ditch.

mushnt grummmble · Oct 12, 2017

Someone dumping chemicals down the drain?

Badshot · Oct 12, 2017

If it's public sewers I bet someone has been decorating and chucking paint thinners or the like down the drain.
Or there's a leak pipe somewhere like has already been suggested.

renewablejohn · Oct 12, 2017

Sounds like someone needs a new central heating tank or thieves have nicked fuel from a tank by chopping through a pipe.

TripleSix · Oct 12, 2017

Swan vestas

DrWazzock · Oct 13, 2017

Anglian water visited yesterday at 4 pm. I was at work but my neighbour helped him. They lifted my inspection cover and said they couldn't smell anything.

This morning the bathroom smells like the inside of a kerosene tank. Overpowering. Lifted the inspection cover lid outside and kero fumes coming from the direction of the street sewer. Verified by the wife. I would expect the substance would be diluted at the time of day the official visited but build up overnight when there is less flow of water.

The mystery continues.

If this was happening on the farm they'd be all over us like a rash, but they don't seem interested when it's their own sewerage system or a domestic household issue.

There must be several dozen non bunded household kerosene tanks in this village alone none of which have any formal inspection or maintenance requirement. What a joke. As usual there is one rule for business but nobody upsets the voting public.

Badshot · Oct 13, 2017

Instead of leaving the water board to deal with it, inform the ea?

Lincs Lass · Oct 13, 2017

Has anyone higher up the road had a new tank installed and theyve dumped the old stuff from the tank into the drains .
Got to be from higher up the line for the smell to be washing past your door

DrWazzock · Oct 13, 2017

Badshot said:
Instead of leaving the water board to deal with it, inform the ea?

The EA don't want to know. They say it's the water authority's responsibility.

Badshot · Oct 13, 2017

DrWazzock said:
The EA don't want to know. They say it's the water authority's responsibility.

Bet that wouldn't be the case if it was your farm kerosene running down the drain.

@holwellcourtfarm

DrWazzock · Oct 13, 2017

Lincs Lass said:
Has anyone higher up the road had a new tank installed and theyve dumped the old stuff from the tank into the drains .
Got to be from higher up the line for the smell to be washing past your door

Anglian water have been out again and acknowledge there is a problem but don't know how to trace it back to the source as the vapour can travel all over the local network but the source is difficult to find.

I suspect that my sewer connection hasn't been properly done as there is no trap in the sewer pipe from my house to the street sewer main. This means all gasses and vapours from the sewer are directly connected to my property. It looks like the previous owner had a problem with this as he fitted covers over the kitchen sink and bath water drains which actually worsen the problem by not letting the gas vent off but make it more likely to get into the house through cracks in the masonary, bad joints etc.

I think I need to fit a trap in the sewer pipe in the edge of my property before it meets the main sewer pipe. I don't have much faith in anybody tracing the source of the contamination but at least a proper trap and vent will keep it out of my pipe work.

I can feel another project coming on.

Kevtherev · Oct 13, 2017

Lincsman · Oct 13, 2017

Do you not have a "stench" pipe going up to above your eves?, this should vent anything in the system.

What do you mean a "trap" in the sewer? every system i have seen laid just flow straight through manholes and into the sewer via a "saddle" or the main manhole.

DrWazzock · Oct 13, 2017

This one

DrWazzock · Oct 13, 2017

The above is a better solution than a straight connection to the sewer.

DrWazzock · Oct 13, 2017

Lincsman said:
Do you not have a "stench" pipe going up to above your eves?, this should vent anything in the system.

What do you mean a "trap" in the sewer? every system i have seen laid just flow straight through manholes and into the sewer via a "saddle" or the main manhole.

I have the stench pipe. It is venting a lot of vapour. The neighbour went up a ladder and could smell kerosene vapour pouring out of it. It doesn't stop the vapour getting into our property though. The Anglian water man had never seen a problem like this with such a large amount of concentrated vapour.

DrWazzock · Oct 13, 2017

Maybe I need a flare stack to burn it off.

Smell of Solvent coming from Sewer

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