Your septic tank is buried underground and out of sight so it's easy to forget it's there working quietly to collect waste from your home. However, if you forget to pump it out on time, you'll get a startling reminder when things start to go wrong with your plumbing.
Ideally, you'll be on a schedule with a contractor so your tank is serviced before it gets too full. Regular service prevents sewage disasters that can harm your septic system and contaminate your home. If you forget about your tank and don't have it cleaned out soon enough, you'll probably encounter some of the problems below.
Slow drains are most noticeable in the bathroom. It may take your toilet longer to drain out than usual. You may have to drag out the plunger more frequently. While a slow toilet can be a sign of a clog, it's also a warning for a full septic tank. In either case, it's something you don't want to ignore. Eventually, the toilet could stop flushing completely, or even worse, sewage could back up in the toilet and overflow on the floor.
You'll also notice slow drains in the tub and shower. If the tub fills up as you shower, that's a sign of plumbing trouble you don't want to ignore. The water should drain out freely as long as the drain is open, so when it collects in the tub, you know something in the line is slowing down the flow of water. Just like the toilet, sewage can back up into the tub when the septic tank gets too full, so don't wait for that to happen.
When your septic tank is full, water and waste can leak out into your yard. The leak may be hidden by the grass and soil, but you can still tell it's there by the way the grass looks. Nutrients and water feed the grass so it grows well and develops a lush color when compared to the rest of your yard.
Dark green grass may be above your tank or above the drainfield depending on where the excess waste is draining. This is not a normal condition. Your septic tank doesn't leak if it is working properly. When you see lush grass near the tank, it's a sign of a full tank or a tank that needs repairs.
If the tank is full and leaking outside, you may notice a sewer odor in your yard. There could even be a puddle of sewage on the surface of the soil that emits a strong odor that doesn't go away. Other times the odor will come and go and waft with the breeze. The foul odor even makes its way indoors when the drain is slow to empty.
If you have close neighbors, it might be difficult to pinpoint the source of the sewer odor. You may think it's coming from next door when the culprit is in your backyard. Don't ignore this foul odor as it could be an early warning sign that your septic tank needs to be serviced, and if you don't do it soon, you might have to deal with messes worse than a bad odor.
One thing's for sure, if you have a septic tank, it needs to be pumped out sooner or later. Call
Allen's Septic Tank Service to have the work done before the tank is full. Then, establish a schedule to follow in the coming years so you can avoid overflowing the tank and causing unsanitary conditions in your home and yard.
