Re: Dry Well Odors Coming into House

MaineGuy,

1) The usual method to prevent smelly gasses is to intall a P-Trap:
http://www.wlgary.com/purposeful-plumbing-what-is-a-p-trap/
2) Each state has a published frost line.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frost_line

If you live in Maine, then the frost line is typically 4 to 6 ft below grade.

http://www.decks.com/deckbuilding/Deck_Footing_Frost_Depth_Map

You can protect your pipes from freezing by placing 4 inches of Styrofoam board over the top of your pipes & dry wells.

You could also replace your overflow pipe with a low profile infiltrator chamber:  http://www.septicsolutions.com/InfiltratorChambers/InfiltratorQuick4.html

Grizz