Maintaining the septic tank in your home is important for the health of your family and that of the environment. Lack of proper upkeep can cause serious problems and here are some telltale signs that the septic tank in your home needs pumping out.
# 1 – It’s been a while
If you moved into the property, you might not have considered emptying the tank. Or simply, over the years forgotten to get it cleaned. While this may not seem like a sign, it’s definitely a warning that in the absence of routine maintenance, you may soon be faced with bigger problems in your septic tank. Most tanks benefit from cleaning once every three years but consider increasing the emptying frequency if you have a large family or if the house has many occupants.
# 2 – Drains empty slower than usual
If you notice that the drains and outlets in your kitchen sinks, bathrooms, washing machines, etc. empty slower than usual, it may well be a sign that your septic tank is full and needs to be pumped out. Sewage can cause clogs to develop in the plumbing, causing water to drain out in a slow manner. A single clogged drain may not be a sign of septic tank problems, but many of them emptying slowly definitely is.
# 3 – Gurgling noises
In addition to slow drainage, clogs from sewage backup can cause gurgling noises in drains. This is because when the water empties, it faces many blocks on its path to the septic tank. Like slow emptying, gurgling sound when present across multiple drain pipes is typically a septic tank problem.
# 4 – Pools of standing water
Water pools can develop in your backyard after heavy rains and can even be formed from melting snow, but those that develop around the drain field are typically a sign of an overflowing septic tank. A tank that reaches its capacity will be filled with solid waste, clogging the drain field pipe and causing the liquid to rise to the surface. This is typically the water you see around the lawn or drain field, and it’s definitely more slushy and stinky too.
# 5 – Odor in your home or outside
As septic tanks get filled up the smelly gases inside them, have nowhere to go. As a result, the odor backs up through drainage pipes into your bathrooms, kitchens, or other areas inside the home. They can also leak out into the drainfield, resulting in pungent, often unbearable smells. Sulfurous or sewage-like odors typically indicate that it’s time to call septic tank pumping companies.
# 6 – Lush grass over the drainfield
The grass in your backyard and that over the septic drain field should look like the grass in your lawn or elsewhere in the home. However, if it suddenly looks healthy and seems to be growing at a rapid pace, it means that the grass is feeding on some ‘extra fertilizer’, which is nothing but the liquid that leaches from a clogged or overflowing septic tank, or one that’s leaking.
# 7 – High content of nitrate in well water
The sign is visible only in homes that have a well, but it’s definitely an important one. Testing your well water once every year for its quality and usability is a good idea and a healthy practice. When you do this and notice higher than normal nitrate levels in the water, it could be an indication that water is overflowing your septic system and making its way into the drinking water in your wells. This is something you want to avoid at all costs for the safety and health of your family. Sewage backing up into the kitchen or toilets and bathtubs are other signs of trouble. So could be leaking drainage pipes. Septic tanks typically require very little repair and proper maintenance can ensure that these green choices serve you for a long time. If you notice any of the above signs, calla septic tank cleaning or pumping company right away. Even in the absence of these signs, you could still take help from a professional to determine how often you need emptying and what you can do to ensure that the system stays fit and has a long life.