Hi! You are all so helpful - thanks in advance! I have a new issue: When the tub/shower/washer drains, the toilet bubbles and gurgles and the water level fluctuates. Today I also noticed that my shower was very slow to drain. We had a lot of rain last and my lawn was like a small lake in one area. That day, the bubbling toilet issue was increased. I just assumed the septic was draining slower due to all the water in the ground from the rain, but the rain has been gone for days now and the plumbing issue is the same. We bought this house 2 years ago (december 2016) and the previous owners said they had a new drain field put in (in 2012 I believe). We have a family of 6 in a 4 bed 2 bath house. Do you think I just need to have the septic pumped or does it sound like something else? Thanks so much!
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Yes. Family of 6 and you have not had the tank pumped in 6 years? You should have done that when you bought the house. Then after another year to establish how quickly this fills. Then maybe you could extend the period based on the observation of your second pumping.
You may have remaining problems after pumping, but it is much cheaper to get the tank pumped now than having to replace the drain field again.
Spend $250, or whatever it is now.
Stop using your garbage disposal for solids and do not flush "flushable" wipes.
You may have remaining problems after pumping, but it is much cheaper to get the tank pumped now than having to replace the drain field again.
Spend $250, or whatever it is now.
Stop using your garbage disposal for solids and do not flush "flushable" wipes.
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LLigetfa
DIYer, not in the trades
It all depends on lifestyle and the size of the tank. Our 1000 imperial gallon tank with two of us went 17 years between pumpings. When I probed it to gauge the amount of sludge, I knew it was due.
Since you are probably responsible for daylighting the tank cover before the pumper arrives, just go ahead and do so now. Then probe it to see how much sludge there is. That will give you an idea how often it will need to be pumped.
It is entirely possible that your field is simply saturated with rain water and so has backed up into the tank and house.
Since you are probably responsible for daylighting the tank cover before the pumper arrives, just go ahead and do so now. Then probe it to see how much sludge there is. That will give you an idea how often it will need to be pumped.
It is entirely possible that your field is simply saturated with rain water and so has backed up into the tank and house.
I'm not sure when it was pumped last. We thought they said it was pumped in 2016 (new drain field in 2012). We will have it pumped in the morning and HOPEFULLY that will fix everything! Thanks for your reply
Ask the operator his opinion of how soon to pump next time. Ideally you will get an experienced owner-operator rather than a new employee.
The location of where to dig (presuming a buried cover) is usually recorded as distances from fixed things. Building corners, building walls typically. One measurement makes a line or an arc. Two measurements will cross at a point. If you find the measurements, record them on the sewer line near where it leaves the house. Maybe you can find existing notes to minimize any searching.
The location of where to dig (presuming a buried cover) is usually recorded as distances from fixed things. Building corners, building walls typically. One measurement makes a line or an arc. Two measurements will cross at a point. If you find the measurements, record them on the sewer line near where it leaves the house. Maybe you can find existing notes to minimize any searching.
LLigetfa
DIYer, not in the trades
For an accurate estimate, the operator would have to know when it was last pumped. Best you can hope for is a report on how much sludge there was on the bottom and how much scum on top.
Pumping it before it's needed is cheaper than having the sludge overflow into the field. If it turns out just to be a high water table, the field will likely backfow and fill the tank again but at least you would know and be able to curtail water use until the field dries up some.
LLigetfa
DIYer, not in the trades
Also, as I mentioned before, lifestyle is a big factor and your lifestyle may be very different than the PO's.
I have no idea of where to even look for that information... I see a raised white pvc with a cap in the yard close to the house where one of the bathrooms is, I just assumed that was where the septic was accessed. Is there something I should be looking for and
digging up?
LLigetfa
DIYer, not in the trades
Given that you are Florida, you cannot rely on where the snow melts to show the outline of the tank but depending on how thin the soil cover is over the tank, it might be the first place the grass turns brown during a drought. The fingers of the septic field might show as rows of lush growing grass from the nutrient and moisture. From there, you might be able to deduce where the fingers are joined by a header that is fed from the tank.
Some tanks might have a vent pipe. You might have to probe around with a thin steel rod. As @Reach4 said, there might be a pair of distances documented somewhere. In some jurisdictions, the health department might keep records. Check with your local septic pumping company to see if they offer a locate service or advice.
Some tanks might have a vent pipe. You might have to probe around with a thin steel rod. As @Reach4 said, there might be a pair of distances documented somewhere. In some jurisdictions, the health department might keep records. Check with your local septic pumping company to see if they offer a locate service or advice.
I expect you are right about the PVC. How big is it?
If your septic service is local, expect them to know how things were done in your neighborhood.
Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
A septic tank is normally full. When it becomes a problem is when the sludge gets too deep. If that happens, the incoming can force those solids out into the leach field rather than sinking into the bottom of the tank, potentially clogging up the spaces between the soil grains, and plugging it up. So, except just after it has been pumped, it's some goes in, some gets forced out into the leach field. If the leach field is totally saturated, that can't happen, and things can back up. You really don't want the tank to get full of sludge and then force it out into the leach field...it gets expensive fast when you then have to replace things. If the tank is too small for intended use, the solids that might initially float a bit won't have time to sink far enough and be trapped, and then they get dumped into the leach field.
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