Yesterday myself and son checked in the drain outside the house and unblocked that
Any ideas what I can do to try sort it?
Ok. I’m fresh out of a septic tank issue which was resolved over three days with a very patient and helpful father in law (a builder with knowledge of such things).OK great thank you for all for the advice. It's a septic tank system. The blockage seems to have slightly improved but not gone completely as the toilets are really slow to drain so Im worried they will block back up completely again .
Thanks for the pointers on using the rods, I'm going to get some of those rods in to have as I regularly have issues. - if anyone has a set they would recommend I'd appreciate some names.
Also regarding the half flush mode - I'm gonna keep an eye on that actually as the toilets have an option to flush with less water so maybe that's contributing to the issue.
Good advice about the camera system as well - I've never had that done in this house but maybe but I seem to ad-hoc encounter this issue but then it's all good for months on end again. I'll look into getting drain experts out rather than my regular plumber.
Ok. I’m fresh out of a septic tank issue which was resolved over three days with a very patient and helpful father in law (a builder with knowledge of such things).
It sounds like we have/had similar problems. Toilets backing up despite use of bleach and drain in blockers etc.
If you have a septic tank, it needs to be emptied and drained once a year and cleared of sludge.
In my case, it was a case of Murphy’s law. The pump (which pumps the treated waste water into the settlor/seepage tank) in the septic tank kept switching off. This was as a result of the electric fuse constantly tripping off.
No pump = full/overflowing tank = backed drains and toilets.
Day 1. On investigation, the electric switch board (which provides power to the pump and aerator in the septic tank, or bio unit as we call it) that sits on the lid on top of the tank was submerged in about 1 cm of water. This was due to condensation over a year building up and getting into the switch relay. This was causing the electric fuse switch to trip. We drained the water, got a hairdryer to the board and sealed the electric box to prevent h2o entry. Problem solved.
Not so, alas.
Day 2. Power keeps switching off. So we took the tank lid off and drained the tank to look at the pump. Pump had hair blocking the inlet pipe. And baby wipes. This caused the pump to overheat and switch off. We released the blockage and bingo, sorted.
No so, alas.
Day 3. Emptied septic tank again and removed pump and examined pipes coming from pump (which carried waste water to settling tank). The “backflow valve/stop” which prevents pumped liquid from coming back into the pump was locked open with hair and baby wipes. We unclogged it. Put pump back in and sorted. Been going a dream since.
We now use biodegradable baby wipes, ensure in any event they’re not put into the toilet and put any clumps of hair that amass in the shower tray are binned (and not thrown into the toilet).
Hope this helps.
You'll only have pumps, etc if it was required based on the percolation tests that were done when the original planning was granted. Can you see your septic tank? What material is it made from?Thank you for that information - could I ask you how old your septic tank system is ? I'm in the house since 2006 but I believe it was built in 2002 and I'm not aware of any pump similar to what you mention providing power to the septic tank. Could my setup be an older style
You'll only have pumps, etc if it was required based on the percolation tests that were done when the original planning was granted. Can you see your septic tank? What material is it made from?
You could potentially have issues with rain water getting into either the septic tank or the percolation area. Keep an eye on whether it gets worse when there's rain Vs dry weather.
It'd be no harm getting your tank emptied, and getting someone to check if there are issues.
Looking at your other posts, you're planning to sell the house, so this could have to be addressed to sell the house, so no harm knowing if you've a problem now.
While talking of selling, do you have a certificate of registration for your septic tank? You'll need that to sell.
Definitely not!Would it make sense to maybe run drain stuff down the toilets one a month or something to try avoid blockages?
Definitely not!
Most of the drain cleaning products are not suitable for use with septic tanks, as they kill the bacteria in the tank and stop it working properly.
You need to work out if the tank is too full, or if there's a blockage somewhere.
It's recommended that you get tank emptied every 1 to 2 years. Again, getting it emptied and having a receipt for the purchaser will be nice to have as it's one less thing for a purchaser to worry about.
I'd start there. Price will depend on where you live, but I think it's about 300 where I am.
To be honest, the guys that empty the tank will be able to tell you if the tank being too full is the issue, or if there is swamping in percolation area. This is what they do every day, so they've seen it all.Does it make sense to try get a camera down through the drains from the house as well?
My house was built in 2016 so it’s a new system.Thank you for that information - could I ask you how old your septic tank system is ? I'm in the house since 2006 but I believe it was built in 2002 and I'm not aware of any pump similar to what you mention providing power to the septic tank. Could my setup be an older style?
I try to keep an eye on the drains outside if there's any sign of a blockage as I know that the piping isn't quite right there and can cause a blockage easily enough.
Somehow and I'm not sure how exactly but the toilets suddenly unblocked on Saturday. I had flushed each of them and they were still blocked and I figured that I'd have to get someone in. Then a while later I heard a noise coming from one of the toilets and the water was sucked down completely and initially seemed completely empty. But then it refilled to a normal level.
So now i won't call anyone in but I'm worried I could have another issue at some stage again.
To be honest, the guys that empty the tank will be able to tell you if the tank being too full is the issue, or if there is swamping in percolation area. This is what they do every day, so they've seen it all.
before getting a camera, you can find out a lot yourself just by opening the manhole and looking at how quickly things flow through, or if they're getting backed up. If there's someone with you, one person stay inside flushing the toilet while the other watches. If you're on your own, leave the tap in bath running while you go out to check. They should all be using the same pipes.
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