In a major downpour our system has been known to do the same kinda thing matt. Been here 13 years and it has almost always been a champ 99.9999999% of the time Actually have been right in our tanks as i was quite worried when it first happend the first summer we were here couldnt find any problems at all so just kept an eye on it and it might happen every 4/5 years once or twice.. I have worked at a sewage plant for the last hundred years so jumping in really didnt bother me, ya just got to remember to keep your mouth closed Building up your ground cover sounds great just dont let them drive any heavy equipment on top of your piping I have mine sucked out every 2 or 3 years but its 'free 99' as i know all the haulers around here and they get the same treatment at the plant. There is not alot to look for in the tanks except the baffle and if its a cement tank check for deterioration also you will see if the lids are broke as that will let a pile of water in. The hauler SHOULD be able to tell you exactly what is going on within your tank and try to be there so you know what to look for next time you have it cleaned.. Over here the tank has to be cleaned and inspected before the sale of the house is final. Just curious how many people regularly use the washrooms in the house as thats gonna be another thing to think of as to when to have it cleaned out. Hope its an easy fix for you loon
Thanks loon Im waiting for the weather to clear up around here and Ill get it pumped I was waiting for the yard to dry up enough for them to drive a truck in it and now Im waiting for the snow to stop. Hopefully some time next month Ill get it looked at.
Forgot about this matt. Buddy of mine up the road had his solid pipe coming out of the tank drop about 2in so only getting half flow to the field. It was an easy fix but he knew there was a problem just couldnt figure it out till we cleaned his tank and had a good look at everything..
Hi Matt How soon after tripping the flush lever do you get the air gurgling back up? This sounds like a vent problem to me. Also, make sure there is no trap or sag in the pipe under the toilet, I've seen that before too.
Its pretty much right away or at least within a few seconds. It also only happens when the yard is flooded which lately seems to be all the time.
I don't think you have a venting issue. I think your drain field is saturated. I bet if you pump that septic tank right now you'd hear water running back into it. Maybe it ain't that bad yet, but that's my hunch, a saturated/clogged drain field, drain lines clogged with years of sludge. The other possibility is the distribution box is clogged up with sludge. If you dig down to it, it's likely got a concrete lid on top of the concrete box, hold your nose, remove the lid, clean that puppy out good. Check if water runs back into it from your drain lines. If so, that's a problem. You could jet the drain lines, some times that'll help, but if the drain field itself is compromised, meaning sludged up and no longer able to function properly, there ain't no rid ex, sour milk, dead birds, or any other hokey pokey gonna fix it. How old is this septic system?
Honestly, first thing I'd do is find the tank and pop the lid off, check the water level. It should be down several inches from the inside top of the tank, like 4 to 6 inches down. If the water level is up at the top of the tank you likely got a drain field problem and if so you'll first clean that distribution box and jet the lines, see what that does. Also, you'll make sure there is no clog in the line from toilet to tank, that final pipe that leaves the house and goes to your septic tank, some times that line will clog, that would slow the flush, and maybe cause backpressure in another line in the house. If you have cleanout access in your basement that would be a place to open er up and get a whiff of things too. If nothing works with the drain field then you find another drain field on your property, or install a sand mound, or are forced to have a holding tank that gets pumped regularly, or hook up to municipal/town sewer.
Right now Im waiting for the yard to dry out so that a pump truck to get back there and see whats going on I found a local company that will do it for $175 and everyone in the county is recommending them. As far as the age of the septic system I have no idea the house was apparently built somewhere between 1977 and 1983 Im guessing the septic system is original but I have no idea how to find out if it is or isnt.
The next weekend I have off Im going to find the tank and I guess Ill see about opening it up and having a look the thought of that really bugs me I dont like sewage even if its my own. We dont have basements around here but the house is on a crawl space so I could go look at the lines where they drop out of the house I dont think theres a clean out there though. Im really hoping that this isnt a big problem but like I said once the yard dries up enough to get a truck back there Ill get it looked at. On a good note we havent had a lot of rain but theyre calling for a lot this week. All the snow we got that last two weeks though has the yard nice and soggy but the toilets seem to be acting ok for now.
I've seen pipes and vents freeze in crawl spaces and cause slow flushes. Again. This could be an air/vent problem if it bubbles up as soon as you trip the lever. A sand mound would be my last choice. They have their own problems. I've had one for 20 years.
Any area bubbling, cover with a bag of lime. Cheap and will cut the sewer odors. You might need to ditch around the drain field so it doesn't have the added burden of run off. I found if I dig and clear off the opening to the tank. It cost a lot less for the septic service. When the clean out is done. Top off the area by laying a paver ground level to mark where the access area is. You might even put a stake there so if cover with snow, you can find it. Hint. Noticed an area that the grass turns green fist in the spring, that may be where your tank is. Ground is warmer there. Ask the company to send a notice when you are due next.
You don't need to wait until the ground is dry back there. If they can get in your driveway they have lots of hose to reach around your house.
I know this is an old thread but I have experience in this area. I am gonna guess you are in heavy ground. That's why you have issues after heavy rain. Your drain field area is already struggling to handle the effluent sent to it from the septic tank. This happens either from years of misuse or just simply being too small for the amount of water you need it to take. And then once it rains and further saturates the ground, it just simply can't do what is being asked of it. Waiting until it is dry out there is not going to help find the issue. You need to look at it when it is a problem. Kinda like having an occasional short in a wire- you can only trouble shoot it when it is shorting out, not when it's working! have the pumper guy locate the drop box or distribution box(whatever you guys out there use) dig it up and look for evidence of high water in the drain field fingers. If it has periods of saturation, it will show up on the laterals in the system. Hard to put everything in to a small post on how these things work and how to take care of the system properly. But I can assure you, you don't need to throw yeast, dead animals or anything like that in there. And for sure, never use Rid-X. That's bad juju there! Let us know what you find! Ted
Thanks for that input Ted, I think you're right on there. I've dug up a distribution box, and I've stood by when a tank was pumped and heard that water draining back into the tank from the drain field....that ain't a good sign.
Thanks Ted I had thought about what you said about not waiting for the yard to dry up that makes perfect sense the only problem I have right now is that Im working non stop and theres nobody home for the guy to come check it out. I really want to be there when he shows up to do it and Im working 75+ hours a week. Hopefully soon Ill be able to get this thing looked at.
I was just thinking about this thread this morning and wondered if you had figured anything out. I have experience in this too and can give you some ideas that may help you not have to loose your shirt in the meantime but I won't post on public forum...pm me if you like sometime.
For 20 years, I was the pumper truck guy. lol Really hard to tell people their drain field is shot, or in the process of dying. I also taught the classes everyone who wants to pump and install septic systems has to take before getting their license here in Mn. Ted
If the septic is old, your problems are going to be with the infrastructure more so than the solids, bacteria etc. Old style clay leech tile just plain sucks. It is laid end to end, no connection, relying on the gaps for infilitration. This will eventually fill with dirt, reducing your leeching ability. The tanks will break down over time as well, keeping them pumped out regularly helps a lot. Unless you're flushing lots of solids (other than poo), this shouldn't need done all that frequently. It's the stuff that goes down the kitchen sink and hair that don't fully break down, leaving more solids to accumulate. Yeast, rid x, is snake oil, chit will rot, brake down into really small silt, and settle in the first chamber, then you will get it sucked out. If your yard is flooded alot, then yes this can cause issues, as the idea behind a septic/leech field is to slowly and evenly leech water into the ground for evaporation. Be carefull about adding dirt above the leech field, you're better off to add drainage to keep surface water away. My personal, unfounded opinion is, that is ok to add organic matter (compost) in small amounts on top of leach field, but keep it minimum. Organic material will loosen the soil, and improve drainage (and therefore evaporation) There is info out there about rubble/french drains in proximity to leech fields ( can't remember the specifics) . A dry well or pond is an option as well. Get rid of backyard swamp, make lots of problems go away.
Yep, what he said. Several years ago I had 50 some odd tons of topsoil brought in and spent the summer shoveling dirt. That resolved the standing water and leach problems I was having, which were similar to yours. A few years later "city utilities" came to our little town, no more septic tank. The soil/manual excavating was a good deal all the same. It gave me a good workout and I backfilled several inches around the house.
