Causes and signs of failing septic system

Posted on: 28 October 2015

The septic system is a vital part of the home that does its job behind the scenes and below ground. This vital system can sometimes fail to do its job, and this can result into some unsightly and unpleasant outcomes.

Apart from these outcomes, a failing septic system can affect the community economically in a way that the property values might fall due to the smell, and sales of the property can grind to a halt due to the system being dysfunctional. It is therefore important to be able to identify the signs and causes of the failure and deal with it before it advances any further.

What causes the septic system to fail?

There is a horde of things that can make a septic system stop functioning as originally designed. One of the major problems that affect these systems is the use of very large amounts of water in that the system just cannot handle the volume.

Trees that are near the septic tank or its related pipes can disrupt the system. Roots of the trees can grow into the tank or the pipes, causing leakage in the former and blockage of the latter. This causes the sewage to come to the surface, causing puddles that foul the air in the neighbourhood.

Sometimes sludge and scum get into the pipes and clog them. This prevents the wastewater from filtering out of the pipes, thereby backing up the system.

What are the signs of a failing septic system

If the water from your sink does not swirl around the drain and go down as it normally does but instead bubbles and takes a long time to go down, the septic system is probably dysfunctional. You might even hear gurgling sounds emanating from the plumbing. This might indicate that the pipes are blocked and backed up.

When the septic system fails, waste water and solids come up into the ground. The grass around the point of breakage in the system finds this nutritious and grows faster and lusher than in other areas of the yard.

If the grass does not show the affected point, the area will be mushy and soggy due to the waste water welling up from the damaged pipes or tank beneath the ground.  Perhaps the most obvious sign of a failing septic system is the bad smell in the house or the yard due to the sewage that has been exposed to the surface.

If you suspect your septic system is failing, contact a local septic system installation and repair company like Econocycle

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