3 Signs Of Septic System Issues
Have you recently moved to a home with a septic system? Is it not working as well as you might hope? A good septic system is a reliable way to dispose of your sewage when there is no city sewer line to be hooked up to. Unfortunately, a septic system can sometimes develop issues over the course of time. These issues can sometimes be relatively easy to avoid or to fix, but they are still things that you'll need to keep an eye on. A few things that you should watch out for include:
Stinky drains: The first sign that something may be wrong with your septic system could be when several of your toilets, sinks, and tub or shower drains all start to emit a foul odor at the same time. This may be the smell of rotten eggs or of other sewer gases. While one or even two drains having a bad smell can indicate an issue with the drain or drains in question, having multiple drains with the same nasty odor at the same time can indicate a problem with your system. Fortunately, the fix may be as simple as hiring a company like Clogbusters to come out and clean the waste solids out of your septic tank.
Stinky yard: Despite what you may have heard from other people, a septic system typically should not make the area around and above it smell bad. If you're out mowing the grass and notice an odor wafting up from your drain field, it's time to call in a professional to assess the situation. The scent likely indicates that your septic tank is full or is nearly full. In that case, having it pumped out as soon as possible will get rid of the stench. On the other hand, the smell could mean that the tank is overfull and is starting to leak solids. If this is true, you may need to pay to have your drain field cleaned or repaired.
Slow toilet: A sluggishly flushing toilet may be working just fine—the sewage may simply have nowhere to go. A full septic tank isn't able to take as much water at once as it used to be able to do. As a result, your drains can start to slow down. This is often first noticed with a toilet that refuses to flush properly. If plunging out your toilet has no effect on how quickly it drains, have a septic tank professional come out to inspect your system to see if it needs draining or if there is some other issue.