It's extremely inconvenient and a little bit embarrassing to have guests come to your home only to have them repulsed by the smell of your septic tank. Having a smelly septic tank is a common problem, but luckily it has many different common solutions. Here are some possible solutions that you can try to get rid of the smell and make your home and property a comfortable place to live.     

1. Check for Clogs on the Vent That Does Not Face Your House

Ordinarily, your septic waste tank will have an entrance and an exit. The entrance comes from the house and is essentially a drain that takes in all of the odors and waste that is produced by those living in the house. The exit is a second vent that vents the odors to the outside. The odors will naturally flow in one direction, in through the entrance and out through the exit. However, if the second vent on the outside of the septic tank is clogged, then the odors will hit the clogged vent and flow in the opposite direction, towards the house. The smell will seem to be coming from the drains. You can solve the problem by fixing the airflow.  

To do this, check the vent that leads out of your septic tank for tree roots, birds nests, or anything else that might be clogging it. Use gloves to remove the source of the clog and hose down the vent if you have to. Replace any parts that you remove. Then, take a few small fans and place them so that they are directing air down each drain. Allow the fans to run until the house no longer smells. Then, you can turn off the fans and the airflow should be back to normal.

2. Flush Cleaner Down the Septic Tank

Another possible problem is that there are materials in the septic tank that are not being broken down quickly enough by the bacteria in the tank. These are materials such as grease, feminine hygiene products, and anything else that should not go down the drain. To fix this problem, you might be able to use a stronger septic tank cleaner that has a range of bacteria that are designed to break down materials more quickly. You can purchase this cleaner at any hardware store. Simply pour the cleaner into the septic tank and allow it to sit. Over time, it will remove the smell. 

3. Have Your Tank Professionally Cleaned

If the first two options do not fix your problem, then you will need to call a professional septic tank cleaning service to come and clean out your tank. This will remove anything that is causing the odor.

For more information, talk to a company that provides septic tank service (click for more information).