No one wants to encounter a problem with their septic system—not the septic tank, not the pipes and not the fixtures connected to the system inside their house. Here’s how to tell if your system is in need of septic service in Bethel, OH, and what to do about it.
Sewage backing up into your house
If there’s water or sewage backing up through drains in your kitchen or bathrooms, take action immediately. First, what’s going on? Here are some possibilities:
- Septic tank or drain field is full: After anything enters the septic tank, the solid waste gets separated from the liquids. The remaining wastewater is then pushed out to the drain field through underground trenches where harmful bacteria gets absorbed by the soil. But too much water in the tank from heavy rains or excessive household water use can overload the tank or field.
- Blocked pipe: Water backups are often caused by clogged pipes. Anything can clog a pipe, like flushing too much toilet paper at one time, or flushing items that shouldn’t go down the drains.
Be aware of your household’s water usage. Take shorter showers, install low-flow fixtures, spread out laundry washing days, minimize garbage disposal use and don’t flush anything that’s not toilet paper or human waste.
Slow drains
A huge indicator of a septic system issue is slow drains. This can be a sign of a blockage in the pipe that flows into the septic tank, but don’t dump a chemical drain cleaner down a slow drain. Chemicals can deteriorate pipes over time and will kill the good enzymes and bacteria in the septic tank that break down waste.
Before calling a septic technician, try a natural drain cleaning product with bacteria and enzymes to clean gunk from pipes.
Water pooling in the yard
Every now and then, too much rain will fall. This can saturate the drain field and prevent the septic tank from draining properly. Or, the septic system may need a chance to catch up with your water usage—use it less to give it a break. Call a septic pro if resting the system doesn’t get rid of standing water in your yard.
To handle this issue, direct water runoff away from the areas where the drain field and septic tank are buried. Be sure to use a backflow device on your sprinkler system and check that your water lines are at least 10 feet away from the septic system.
Smells like rotten eggs
Raw sewage odors typically smell like rotten eggs, but they don’t always indicate septic system failure. Other reasons you might smell sewage include a dried-out wax seal between the toilet bowl and the floor or a dry trap in the floor drain.
If you smell a lingering sewage odor inside your home, first check all exposed fixtures. If you find nothing, conducting a smoke test to find a leak in the lines might be in order.
Gullett Sanitation Services Inc. is the place to call for quick and reliable septic service in Bethel, OH. Reach out to us today to schedule an appointment!