If you're one of the 60 million Americans with a septic tank, you probably love it for being economical, low-maintenance and Eco-friendly. What you probably don't love, though, is when it backs up.
It's a smelly, potentially illness-inducing problem that will make you want to live in a hotel until it's cleaned up. Avoid that hassle by identifying the five most common signs of a septic tank backup.
1. Odor Around Drains
One of the first signs of septic tank backup is abnormally strong odors around your home or property’s drains. These won't be smells of decaying food — it'll smell like sewage. Trust your nose and act immediately if your property is emitting a foul stench.
2. Drain Clogs
If your septic tank is backing up, drains around your home will backup, as well. If pipe snakes and plungers only provide temporary relief, a backed up septic tank may be the cause.
Unfortunately, clogged drains are one of the most common plumbing issues and might indicate another problem entirely. Nevertheless, unattended clogs can lead to much greater problems and must be cleared to avoid future property damage.
3. Sewage Backup
When drain clogs turn into sewage actually backing up into your home, whether it's through the toilet, sink or other drains, you most likely have a septic system backup. The backup will be brown or black, smell much worse than normal and may contain toilet paper or other items that go into your septic system.
This is bad enough in small doses, but if you experience septic backup in your entire basement, the problem is a lot worse, and the damage can be extensive and costly. It can also cause health concerns because sewage backing up into your home or property creates mold and carries the potential for the spread of diseases.
4. Standing Water
If part of your property isn't draining (it remains wet consistently), it may be because your septic tank is backed up and leaking. Once again, you can distinguish this from other drainage problems because of the smell.
5. A Suspiciously Green Patch of Grass
You don't remember spilling fertilizer on your lawn, but for some reason, one spot is a whole lot greener than the rest. Unfortunately, your septic tank could be fertilizing for you. Thanks, but no thanks.
While you may save a bit on lawn care this year, you'll spend a lot on cleanup if your septic tank backs up into your basement or other areas inside your house. In fact, you might be shelling out $2,000 or more for septic tank backup repair and cleanup.
How Can I Know For Sure That My Septic Tank is Backing Up?
The problem with all of these signs of septic tank backup is that they could mean other things. You may need better drainage around your property or just a thorough pipe cleaning. How will you know for sure that it's your septic tank before the problem gets worse?
The Blackwater Alert™ system is a totally wireless septic tank backup alarm. Before waste backs up into your home, Blackwater Alert sounds an alarm that lets you know you should call a technician or take care of the problem yourself. Don't waste time and money wondering if your septic tank is backing up — get Blackwater Alert today.
