A leaky, clogged, or overflowing septic tank can render your home and yard unusable. Septic tank problems can also impact neighboring properties by saturating nearby soils and dispersing dangerous pathogens and chemical contaminants. Discover five signs your septic tank is failing, and learn what to do about it.
1. Sudden Changes in Your Landscape
If the grass and other greenery just above or around your septic tank is suddenly lusher and more vibrant than usual, your tank may be overflowing or leaking. When leaky septic tanks leach their nutrient-dense contents into local soils, weeds, trees, and lawns become especially lush.
Other common signs of septic tank problems that you might notice are pooling water and wet, soggy terrain that never seems to dry out. If you can’t cross your yard without getting your foot stuck in mud, schedule a septic tank inspection.
2. Multiple Clogged or Slow-Moving Drains
It’s not uncommon to have a single dirty or slow-moving drain in a high-use area such as your kitchen or main bathroom. These isolated issues are usually the result of built-up grease, hair, soap scum, and other organic debris. However, when every drain in your home malfunctions or underperforms at once, the problem likely lies with your septic tank. Multiple clogged or slow-moving drains could indicate an impending whole-house backup.
3. Malfunctioning Appliances
Multi-drain issues could mean that your septic tank is full and ready for pumping service. Another sign that your septic tank is at capacity is malfunctioning, plumbing-connected appliances. If your dishwasher or washing machine cannot initiate or complete wash and rinse cycles, it’s probably because they no longer have a viable path for routing out wastewater.
4. Gurgling Drains
If you hear bubbling or gurgling noises coming from your toilets or drains long after residents have used them, these could be the sounds of slow-moving water and debris once they clear a blockage. Although noisy drains don’t seem like a big issue, taking fast action to identify and correct the underlying problem could prevent a whole-house backup.
5. Foul, Pungent Odors
When your septic system is clean and functioning as it should, you shouldn’t smell rank sewer gas odors in or around your home. Sewer gas smells like rotten eggs or rotten cabbage. If you catch a whiff of it outdoors, you might have a leaky septic tank. If you smell sewer gas when standing just above indoor drains, your septic tank could be full, and you may have a whole-house backup on the way.
What to Do If You Suspect Septic Failure
If you think any one of your septic tank’s components is no longer working properly, limit your water use, and schedule a septic tank inspection right away. You might need tank cleaning, tank repairs, or a new septic tank.
If you have standing pools of water in your yard or soggy, saturated soil, you may need to contact the Public Health Department as well. They can advise you on mitigating damage to neighboring properties and determine whether you should temporarily fence affected areas off.
For expert septic tank replacement or repair services in Winston Salem, NC, contact Straight Flush Septic today!