Sewer Gas Poisoning

From NIOSH The symptoms are

Irritation eyes, respiratory system; apnea, coma, convulsions; conjunctivitis, eye pain, lacrimation (discharge of tears), photophobia (abnormal visual intolerance to light), corneal vesiculation; dizziness, headache, lassitude (weakness, exhaustion), irritability, insomnia; gastrointestinal disturbance.

Be advised that it is extremely toxic and can be deadly in strong enough concentrations!! The source must be found and eliminated.

Possible sources (aside from Oil refineries etc.)

Check that all your drains have traps. (A bend in the pipe that traps water.

If all haver traps, Add water to them. A tub that is never used will dry up the water in the trap and allow sewer gas to enter the living space.

Make sure the plumbing vent is located outside the building and not close to an intake or window.

All fire departments have a gas tester that will test for hydrogen sulfide (Sewer gas) get one to test and find the source.

After adding water to the trap make sure that the trap is not leaking. If it has a small leak the water in the trap make leak out to let gases thru. The trap in the tub can be very difficult to inspect for leaks. Placing a glass over the opening and taping around the actuator for the stopper will give a indication if it is the source of the gas.

Techno is right; usually hydrogen sulfide (or any other gas) works its way through the pipes by way of a dry P-trap. Run water down all your drains, including tubs and toilets -- but do the toilet last. I ran across some construction once that had the toilet drain line so close to the bathroom sink that the suction of the toilet flushing would drain the bathroom sink P-trap!

Question -- exactly what does this smell like? And how quickly does it go away once you first smell it? I'm a sewer guy; I'll do what I can to help.

Hey Davem, good post. You're a sewer guy, do you know Ed Norton?

I work in remodeling construction and have had a situation where the city crew,(Town of Palm Beach, mums the word), was using some truck mounted equipment to service the sewer line a half block away. We had removed one of the commodes and gas was being forced up into the house, I plugged the opening with rags, didn't have a problem till the city worked on the line. Now I make sure all sewer openings are sealed when fixtures are removed.

I always wonder about in books and movies where the characters are running around in the sewers like they are in the Galleria mall , smelling the Mrs. Field's chocolate cookies, oh well I guess big city sewers smell better than the ones I have encountered.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_sulfide

I agree w/ most of the answers and add : consult both the International Mechanical and International Plumbing Code books. Your lawyer will need this for your lawsuit !

Search google for pre-cautions of Hydrogen Sulfide and inhalation hazards

If you're looking up sewer gasses, then you should also look up methane and cabondioxide, since if anaerobic conditions exist to create hydrogen sulfide, then these other two will also be present. Your local water authority WILL have gas detectors for these in every service truck where you are.

Please explain how the pipes on the roof are involved. Sewer systems usually work by gravity.

Good question, that they would never give me an answer and would never come out a check it out when the odor was so very bad that you didn't want to stay in the apartment. They are now charging me over $1700.00 for earlly move out after I gave them a letter that my attorney advised me to send with the proper quotes from the lease as well as corresponding quotes from the Phoenix AZ. Landlord and tennant ACT. I also had two letters from Doctors and a script for my immediate removal from said premises, to no avail. I was informed, as the lease states, that you may not break the lease even in death!!!!! I have to money to fight this but one tennant there had sewer in her bath tub, sink, etc. and it took them 5 days to respond to take care of her situation. I was informed that they snaked all three pipes on the roof and that should take care of it fine. END OF STORY, as far as they were concerned.

Jen Ester

I have owned rental property in AZ, this doesn't seem to be a legal lease agreement so calm down give the attorney the invoices, bills and documents. As a tenant in AZ you have many rights of which health and personal safety weigh heavily, don't let them see you sweat; often the best answer is no answer.

As I stated I have all the documentation, letters, etc. He has seen the lease and as you stated the lease has numerous areas concerning health and the welfare of the tennant. They refused to except the fact that they were in breach of their contract with me. I since have moved to the East Coast with my family and do not know if the lawyer would have to have me there or not in order to move forward in this situation or do I just let them put it against my credit which I had just built up from past health issues etc. that caused some difficulties that are now resolved.

The issue concerning contractual agreements pursuant to your situation includes provision to absolve these concerns. If you have the detailed documentation of health and safety violations you can but allow the system to work and it does. I can not advise you as you have an officer of the court representing your interest, the attorney may petition the bench to allow an affidavit from you in leu of being physically present as this would create unreasonable hardship.

God Bless...

1) where is this building

2) when was it built

3) what type of land was it built on

4) where are you in this building

1st 2nd 3rd floor

5) does anyone else live in the building

and smells this order

6) how long have you lived there

7) when did the problem appear

8) have you or anyone had recent plumbing work

9) capture the smell and send it to a lab

use vacum cleaner to draw fumes into a jar

if you have problem with this

email me I will send you a scetch on this

10) do you own a cordless drill

buy a 6" hole saw and attach it to a coordless drill

sit the hole saw on a flat surface

mark it at 5/8 " all around with magic marker

drill holes in walls near pipes

use a flashlight and compact mirror

and look for broken pipes

in wall vent cap

mildew

water stains etc

then use plaster or powder drywall 20 min

and butter the hole and the part you took out

set it flush useing a stiff boardf / ruler/ paint stick

wait till harden

wet sponge area when set

if you do not find it that way

drop a smoke bomb into vent

and use the blower side of shop vac

to pressure the pipe and

blow the smoke out of the pipe

make sure you have bail money

your neighbors may have you arrested

on charges of smokey pipe

best to have a block party

get everyone into the streets

and explain your problem

and soulation

you may find others have the same problem

how far away are they

email me if you like

I am a Genral Contractor

Home and Industal full service tech

in all trades

I design build change modify any kind of structure

and design change modify repair hugh and differant equiptment

I am 60yr and have 50 years experiance

I am here cause I love to solve problems

I just suck at sentance's and spelling

it bores me

The source may be in your building but not the sewer drains. And if it is, the smell, may not be whats making you sick. I take it that this is a old building?

one more thing

sewer pipes can contain methene gas or even gasline fumes

putting a fire object in an enclosed pipe or inviorment

can blow the entire block up like in mexico

with out knowing the fume

you smell

it is hard to advise

but my experiance is there is always clues

you need to speak to neighbors

I am considered a geniuse for which I am not

I just ask a question and then listen to every ford spoken

and its tone when people speak

do not be afraid to ask

you might be surprised what you find out