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Methane Gas & Septic System Dangers InspectAPedia®  -     Methane Gas & Septic System Dangers Septic System, Septic Tank, & Cesspool Safety Warnings

This article explains Methane Gas & Septic System Dangers from Gases, gives basic advice, and cites additional reference material. This is a chapter of our Septic Safety document which outlines safety warnings & procedures for septic systems and cesspools, and provides some safety suggestions for septic system inspectors, septic system inspections, septic pumping contractors, and home owners.

Septic tanks, cesspools, and drywells present serious hazards including septic cave-in's or collapses, methane gas explosion hazards, and asphyxiation hazards. Simple precautions which we describe here can help avoid a dangerous or expensive septic problem. © 2008-1978 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Citation of this article by reference to this website and brief quotation for the sole purpose of review are permitted. Use of this information at other websites, in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved to the author. Technical review by industry experts has been performed and is ongoing - reviewers are listed at "References." The Septic Safety document is a chapter of Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems.

Methane Gas Hazards around Septic Systems, Methane Gas Toxicity vs. Methane Explosion & Asphyxiation Risks, How to Measure Methane Gas Levels

Methane Gas Hazards are primarily of explosion or asphyxiation

We commented above at Septic System Safety that methane gas which maybe encountered in septic system is both explosive and an asphyxiant. A thoughtful reader, George Fielder, previously a salesperson for GfG Instrumentation, pointed out that these are the hazards. (We had inaccurately stated that methane gas was "toxic".)

Measurement Instruments for Levels of Methane Gas

Mr. Fielder added that additionally, toxic and combustible gases like methane and H2S that would be found in a septic tank can be readily measured by a portable, handheld gas monitor that can be rented from almost any safety equipment supply company or trench equipment rental company like United Rentals. They are easy to use and understand direct reading instruments that if nothing else might satisfy the curiosity of the do-it-yourselfer who likes to stick his nose in it. True the user will need to know and understand the measurement scale and exposure levels for the particular gases being measured but this also can be easily explained when renting said instrument and reviewing an MSDS sheet. Most portable handheld monitors on the market today are less complex than a volt-ohm meter and can readily be understood with a brief explanation.

Consult Your Local Safety Equipment Distributor

Readers who have the need to measure methane gas levels or who have questions about the hazards of entering confined spaces such as septic tanks should contact their local safety equipment distributor for further advice. In addition, local fire & emergency service officials as well as gas distribution companies as well as some home inspectors or environmental testing firms may have expertise and gas testing or measurement equipment on hand.

More a review of methane gas exposure levels and testing see Toxic Gas Testing - Methane Gas Hazards. More information about methane gas hazards, toxicity, or other environmental hazards is available from public and professional agencies and associations such as the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) www.aiha.org, OSHA www.osha.gov, and the Mine Safety & Health Administration www.msha.gov. Also see Industrial Hygiene News.

Stay out of Septic Tanks and Link to Septic & Cesspool Safety Article

However, we emphasize that in ordinary procedures used in the care, repair, or maintenance of septic systems, the safety warnings we've listed above should be followed with care, and in general, quantitative measurements of the level of methane or other gases are not needed during a septic system repair.

Anyone working on or around or owning a septic tank should be sure to review the entire docu

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ment at
SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY

Also see:
GAS MEASUREMENT TOOLS
  Use of a Drager pump
  How Colorimetric gas detection tubes work
  Using the TIF 8800 Gas Detector
  Using the TIF 5000 Gas Detector
  Warnings re instruments for detection of gases
  Warning: choose the right tube for gas detection
Toxic Gas Test Procedures
ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE

• Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 info@carsondunlop.com. Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission to use illustrations from their publication, The Illustrated Home which illustrates construction details and building components. Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education including the ASHI-adopted Home Inspection Training Program (home study course), publications such as the Home Reference Book, report writing materials including the Horizon report writer, and home inspection services. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
• Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator. (727) 595-4211 mark@BestTampaInspector.com 11/06
• Hankey and Brown home inspectors, Eden Prairie, MN, technical review by Roger Hankey, prior chairman, Standards Committee, American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI. 952 829-0044 - hankeyandbrown.com 11/06
• Arlene Puentes, a licensed home inspector, educator, and building failures researcher in Kingston, NY. 11/29/06
• John Francis, Bioworks, Inc., marketing and technical services - editing/proof reading 4/07. "BioWorks provides environmentally responsible, safe and cost-effective solutions to the agriculture industry"
• Thanks to Denise Cermola for permission to use the photo above, showing a dump truck collapsed into a seepage pit. (email 11/16/06 to 12/10/06). The contractor drove over this seepage pit connected to septic tank and caused total destruction of the system.
• Thanks to George Fielder who points out that methane gas is not toxic, but rather (we add) the hazards of methane gas produced by septic systems include possible explosions or the asphyxiation of someone who enters or even just leans over a septic tank opening. (email 10/20/2007)

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building design, inspection, and repair, and about indoor environment testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
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More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• Cesspool Safety - Specific Warnings about Cesspool Collapse Hazards (this document)
• The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic
• Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance- online textbook. Detailed how to inspect, maintain, repair information
• The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems
• Septic Tank Pumping Guide: When, Why, How to pump the septic tank
• Home & Outdoor Living Water Requirements
• Septic Tank Capacity vs Usage in Daily Gallons of Wastewater Flow, calculating required septic tank size, calculating septic tank volume from size measurements
• How Big Should the Leach Field Be? - table of soil percolation rate vs. field size
• Septic System Drainfield Absorption System Biomat Formation - what leads to drain field clogging and expensive drainfield repairs
• Table of Required Septic & Well Clearances: Distances Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, etc.
• When Not to Pump a Septic Tank to avoid damage, unsafe conditions, or wasting money


Pennsylvania State Fact Sheets relating to domestic wastewater treatment systems include

• Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-161, Septic System Failure: Diagnosis and Treatment
• Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-162, The Soil Media and the Percolation Test
• Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-l64, Mound Systems for Wastewater Treatment
• Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-165, Septic Tank-Soil Absorption Systems
• Document Sources used for this web page include but are not limited to: Agricultural Fact Sheet #SW-161 "Septic Tank Pumping," by Paul D. Robillard and Kelli S. Martin. Penn State College of Agriculture - Cooperative Extension, edited and annotated by Dan Friedman (Thanks: to Bob Mackey for proofreading the original source material.)

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