septic smell coming from vents

[jsandmaier]

Hi there, my husband and I bought our 2008 home two years ago. For the past two winters we get a septic smell coming from the vents and from the unfinished basement piping when it gets really cold out. We've gone up onto the roof both winters and chipped away at ice that has built up into the vent, but we were wondering if there was a better (more safe) way to get rid of this built-up ice and to prevent this from happening every winter.

Thanks so much for your time!

[HayZee518]

the stack pipe on the roof, use some pvc fittings and make an inverted U so its open to atmosphere but prevents water from entering. for the unfinished drains, use several expandable rubber plugs.

[Redwood]

On the subject of your vent freezing up, the moisture is coming up out of the vents when hot or, warm water is draining. To prevent frost closure of a vent many codes in colder areas of the country call for the size of the vent pipe to be increased before it goes through the roof. What diameter is this vent pipe that is giving you problems?

The odor as HayZee should be sealed by putting test plugs in the open pipes. If all the pipes are sealed then you may need a plumber to check the system for leaks and possibly run a smoke test.