View Full Version : Septic Question
MrsBeasley
02-13-2010, 01:47 PM
Does anyone know if there is a way to know if your septic tank is getting full?
Reason I'm asking is that we just moved to this house in November. I've always had a house on municipal sewer. Now from time to time my drains will take a long time draining. Yesterday, I drained my kitchen sink after doing some dishes and it backed up in both the other kitchen sink and the bathroom sink.
Could it be that our septic is full or just a lousy plumbing job???
puppyluv
02-13-2010, 03:16 PM
did the previous owners tell you when they last had their septic tanked vacuumed out Mrs B?
Crystalbeach
02-13-2010, 03:42 PM
I'd have it cleaned out if I were you...you can get into an awful mess and expenses too...better not to take the chance.
inuit
02-13-2010, 04:22 PM
Yep, when in doubt, clean it out. Much cheaper to have it cleaned out than have it overrun and ruin your drainage field. To replace all of that would cost thousands.
MrsBeasley
02-13-2010, 04:25 PM
It was told to us that it was last cleaned out the summer before last which would mean it should be done this summer anyway. I was just wondering if the backups and slow drains would have anything to do with it, or if it's just lousy plumbing.
inuit
02-13-2010, 08:20 PM
You may have something partially plugging your drains. A few years ago I had a blockage 12 feet from the sinks in the maindrain. Nightmare, I got it out using a long plumbing snake. Of course it was during winter. Lesson learned. Since then every couple of months I pour a can of drain cleaner down the kitchen sink. For me the plug was a great gob of grease that had colected over I think years. It was thick and gross.
MrsBeasley
02-13-2010, 10:38 PM
Thanks for the info inuit. I have some heavy duty industraial strength drain cleaner here...maybe I'll try some of that first. I'm just scared to put anything down there as I'm not familiar enough with septic tanks and don't want to kill off all the "good" bacteria. LOL
inuit
02-14-2010, 08:27 AM
Yeah that happens anyway Mrs. B. The soap you use will the kill bacteria in your septic tank. Years ago people had septic tanks and they had dry wells. The only thing that went into the septic tank was the toilet, everything else was drained into a dry well. Way back when, our dry well was a big box with no bottom that the waste water went into and drained down through the ground. It was built out of cedar logs and covered over. That way the septic tank was full of only toilet waste and as long as you didn't put soap down the flush you were fine.
Crystalbeach
02-14-2010, 11:05 AM
We had a terrible mess one year when we had our house..septic backed up in the drainage field...whole entire landscaped yard had to be dug up...cost us like $6.000.00 ...it was a mess..
one word of advice..be very careful of the toilet paper you use..I ended up using only 1 ply (which we still do in our rv)...the thicker paper can clump up and cause blockages.
blacksheep
03-25-2010, 03:07 PM
If you are on a septic system, DO NOT USE FABRIC SOFTNER in your washer. We made the mistake doing that years ago and the field plugged up solid. It makes everything turn like fudge. It plugs up everything. It cost us over $5,000 for a new field and system. Some people suggest putting a golf ball sized piece of raw hamburg down your toilet about once every couple of months, just to keep everything working in your tank.
MrsBeasley
03-25-2010, 05:04 PM
If you are on a septic system, DO NOT USE FABRIC SOFTNER in your washer. We made the mistake doing that years ago and the field plugged up solid. It makes everything turn like fudge. It plugs up everything. It cost us over $5,000 for a new field and system. Some people suggest putting a golf ball sized piece of raw hamburg down your toilet about once every couple of months, just to keep everything working in your tank.
Good thing to know!!!! I use liquid fabric softener when I put the clothes on the clothesline...hate stiff jeans!!