Signs Things Are Going South With Your Septic Tank
Posted on: 16 June 2020
Septic tanks are buried deep below the ground, so the old adage often holds true: out of sight, out of mind. Indeed, nothing bad is likely to happen if you don't think about your septic tank on a regular basis. But you should at least know the basic signs that something is wrong. This way, you'll know to call the septic care company before things get too bad. Here are the major signs things are going south with your septic tank.
1. Slow flushes.
If all of your toilets suddenly start flushing really slowly or ineffectively, this is often a sign something's amiss with your septic tank. Often, it is just an indication that the tank is full. Too much solid grime has accumulated in the bottom of the tank, and there's not enough room for new water and waste — so it resists going down the pipe. If you don't have the tank pumped soon, your toilets may stop flushing altogether, or they might even overflow and back up when you flush.
2. Odors coming from drains.
If one drain is smelly, you might just have debris or grime in that drain. Pour some baking soda and vinegar down that drain, and see if that fixes the problem. If the smells linger, or if they are coming from most or all of your drains at once, they may indicate an issue with the septic tank. What you're smelling might be sewage and wastewater traveling back up into the pipes because there's not enough room for it in the tank. Having the tank pumped will surely help.
3. Wet spots in your yard.
When you have a septic tank, all of the wastewater you send down the pipes does eventually end up in your yard. But when things are working properly, the water slowly trickles into your yard. It does not gush and cause puddles to form. If you have big puddles in a part of your yard where you know the septic tank drains, this could be a sign of a full tank or of a blockage in one of the lines that lead from the tank to the drainfield. Both issues require attention before your yard gets filled with contaminated sewage.
You don't have to think about your septic tank 24/7, but you do need to respond if you notice any of the problems above starting to take shape. Call a septic care team and let them handle it.
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