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For many years, when using more than one water fixture at a time, we have had a sewer smell inside our house in the winter, especially when it's windy outside. I have changed and added new traps inside the house to prevent backflow; now looking at the exhaust pipe on the roof which is quite high and I currently don't have the measurements for it. I wonder if that pipe is too small, positioned incorrectly, or if it needs a filter attached to it.
I've researched some sites and found the 'OdorHogTM Vent Pipe Filter' that looks promising but wanted to see if anyone has used it.
It appears to be something that would be easy to purchase materials and make myself.
I don't know about the vent pipe filter, but I'm guessing your instincts are right about the size and the added traps.
My first thought is to wonder if you have traps under your baths/showers? They seem to be the both the most overlooked when it comes to traps and the hardest for you to get in there and add one (or a larger one).
The second thought (and the more likely one. IMO) is that if your vent pipe is too small, the suction of the water flowing from your 'more than one water fixture' might be sucking the water out of your traps. Would it be possible for you to add a new vent? Even an 'island vent' somewhere inside the house where it could get air, but not be overly noticed might help.
If the smell is not coming from the vent pipe itself, I'm thinking that the addition of a filter could only further slow down the air flow. And if the vent pipe is on your roof, I can't see that being the source of your smell. I'm thinking such a filter is more likely used on vent pipes that are closer to human-level - out of the ground or from the side of a house.
Disclaimer: I am not a plumber. But simply from my experience, I'd see about adding a second vent pipe if at all possible - as far on the other end of the plumbing routes as you can from the first, simply to spread out the air-flow 'load'. But a second vent most anywhere would probably help.
A major contributor of greenhouse gases are fully vented septic tanks and rooftop plumbing vent pipes, also called stink pipes by "roofers."
Sweetfilters are zeocarbon filled vent pipe odor control filters that easily slide onto all septic tank vents to reduce odors and greenhouse gases overnight.
Did you ever get this resolved? I've got backyard septic odor and have been looking into these filters. They seem expensive for a piece of PVC and some charcoal.
Kris, some of my engineer friends have used the carbon filters and didn’t like them. They release odors into the air. So bad you see them in town on pipes 10’ in the air on roofs. Try this company at http://www.afslasvegas.com , they have several casinos here in town and sell vent scrubbers, way better than filters. LVme :)
