People with their own houses generally have septic tanks on their properties, and most people do not bother about them until a plumbing situation occurs.
A septic tank is an important part of the home that contains and manages all the solid waste and sewage water. The waste that goes down to the septic tank is divided into two parts: the water floats on the surface, and the solid waste sits at the bottom and turns into sludge.
When the tank is used for too long over the years, it can become full or overflow. There are some ways to know if the septic tank is full.
Prevent a Full Septic Tank
A septic tank always remains full of water. However, it is essential to ensure it remains on a certain level. Regularly pumping out your septic tank is a good idea to prevent overflow septic tank situations.
It is recommended that the septic tank be pumped out every 3-5 years to discard sludge buildup. The number of years in which the tank should be checked depends on several factors, including the size of the tank, the volume of wastewater, and the number of family members.
When moving into a new home, it is necessary to ask for previous documentation records of the septic tank. If the documentation is unavailable, get the entire system pumped for the safety requirements.
Waiting too long to pump out the system can be dangerous and harmful, and there will always be a risk of sludge buildup, eventually damaging your home’s drainage system.
Signs That Indicate That Your Septic Tank is Full
The entire septic tank system was affected by the things that flushed down through the pipes to the tank. Some people often flush materials down the drain, which do not easily break down.
Material inside the septic tank builds up naturally over the years. However, there may be a few signs that people might notice that indicate the tank needs to be checked by a professional.
Trouble in Flushing the Toilet
If only one bathroom of the home is not working properly, there might be some other reason than the filled septic tank. If the drainage system of all the bathrooms is working slowly and you are having trouble flushing, then it is not a sign of simple clogging.
This issue can be related to septic tanks. People generally notice it as the first sign that the septic tank is getting filled, and this matter should be taken seriously.
Slow Draining
Sometimes, sewage water drains slowly through the pipes, or there might be a regular sound of gurgling. You can hear the gurgling sound coming out of the sewage pipes, and it happens when something gets stuck in the pipes, trapping the air, which eventually leads to slow draining.
However, this issue can happen due to other conditions, such as clogging or blockage with dirt, remnants of paper, or hair. It can also be another sign of a filled septic tank, which is not allowing things to drain properly and swiftly.
Foul Smell
Another thing to observe is that there might be an unpleasant smell like toilets around the tank’s area, drains, or in bathrooms. An uncomfortable smell can also be sensed when a clog in your ventilation or drainage system traps the gasses.
When there are strong sewage smells, it becomes essential to contact a professional and get the tank checked out as the gasses in the septic system are composed of methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide, which are extremely harmful.
Backing Up of Sewage in Drains
Contact a professional septic or plumbing service if you notice raw sewage coming back to the drains of showers or bathtubs. When the sewage comes back and out of the drains, it’s the extent, which can also create health hazards for you and damage your home.
Overflow of Water
If you notice a gathering of still water or overflowed water around the area where your septic tank is located, there is a chance that the tank is overflowing. Now, standing water can be gathered due to rain, too, so how can we make a difference? The water gathered due to rain, will drain away somehow and not smell much, whereas the gathered sewage water will give a strong and terrible smell.
Furthermore, septic tank failure is common and can happen in any home, so it is crucial to take charge of it and get your plumbing system checked. Call a plumber or a septic tank service whenever you notice any sign of it.
What to do With an Overflowed Septic Tank?
Before calling a professional service, there are some things that one can do when there is an overflowed septic tank condition.
- When the sewage returns to the surface of drains in your bathrooms, call the plumbing service instantly. Meanwhile, the following ways can be followed until they arrive:
- Turn off all the taps and water drain systems until the situation is handled.
- Check the level of water in the drain field. If standing water has gathered, it may be due to the overfilled septic tank.
- Contacting instant help is always a good idea, but there might be a situation when the ground near the tank is too wet. In that case, you need to wait a few days to pump out water from the septic tank because when the ground is wet, mud and other materials can get into it, which is not good for the tank.
- Maintaining water levels regularly is an excellent idea, and water detection technology can be beneficial in such cases. This technology becomes especially needed when your septic tank is located around your garage or basement. A flood detector will alert you about water leakage or excessive levels in advance.
Conclusion
There are many different ways to observe or find out if your septic tank is full. However, it is important to detect this issue as soon as possible as ignoring it can lead to several major problems. The gases that come out of the septic tank are harmful to our health as well as to the environment, and not just to health issues. An overflowed septic tank can create problems in the drainage system of your house as well. If a septic tank is detected as full, pumping out the excessive water is necessary.
Last Updated on by Icy Tales Team