As an eco-friendly means of disposing of household waste, septic systems need to tick along smoothly for you to enjoy their benefits. If you treat it right, you may only need maintenance and repair services once every few years. However, misusing the system can lead to blockages, which you should respond to promptly.
At first, a septic system's blockage may not seem obvious. It's because of this that you need to understand what the warning signs are, so you can act promptly.
Your toilet is taking a while to flush
When everything is flowing freely within your septic tank, your household drainage system will do the same. If your toilet suddenly starts gathering water when you flush it or if sinks take a while to drain, you need to look further into the problem.
First of all, it's worth considering if the blockage is appearing closer to home. Try unclogging the pipes using standard bleach and see what happens. If the problem persists, head closer to the septic tank to see if any unusual smells are arising from the ground. Blockages often result in waste water reaching ground level, so even if you can't see it, you may smell it.
The area around your tank is unusually watery
Blockages that are more severe won't just produce unusual smells, they'll result in waste water rising up into puddles. But, before the puddles occur, you might notice that patches of grass close to the tank become unusually green. Such greenness arises because human waste is an excellent fertiliser. When the soil can't handle any more and it lets waste water rise up, you need to respond promptly by calling a repair professional.
Take a look at nearby water supplies
If you live close to a lake, you'll find that it can tell you a few stories about your septic system. If yours is leaking, algal blooms will suddenly grow in nearby water supplies. Familiarising yourself with the lake in its natural state before a problem occurs is the best way to determine unusual growth later on. Additionally, you can use testing strips to see if nearby water supplies feature high levels of coliform bacteria and nitrates, both of which indicate a tank blockage or failure.
If you notice any of the signs above, call on a repair service immediately. Approaching a professional promptly is the best way to prevent costly repairs and complete replacements.
Share31 July 2018
Yo! My name is Stan. While septic services may not seem like a very cool subject for a blog, I can assure you that it is a very important one. I first became interested in septic services when I moved out of the city to the country. It was a real change of gear and there were many differences which I needed to get used to. One of the most important differences was that the property was not connected to the local sewer system. This meant I had to get used to maintaining the septic tank. Thankfully, I got lots of great advice from my neighbours and the septic company. I hope you like this blog.
