Septic Systems can come in all different shapes and sizes. For the most part our septic system is quietly counted on to remove and digest any waste that may come from our household. Most homeowners never give septic systems a second thought, except of course when they begin to show the signs of clogs and failure. One of the most commonly asked questions we get is one of the most basic ones… How does a septic system get clogged? Read the following article to get a basic overview of your septic system and understand how a clogged septic system develops and just what you can do to prevent it.
To understand what causes a clogged septic system, you must first understand what a septic system is, and what it is designed to do. Essentially, all of the water and waste of your home, leaves down the drains or toilets, through the pipes and into your septic tank. In this tank, naturally occurring bacteria and enzymes digest and liquefy waste. Once the waste has been liquefied, it can then leave the tank and flow into the drain field or leach field as some systems call it. When your septic system is balanced and working well, it can continue to operate without incident for years. Read about the importance of monthly septic maintenance.
But what happens when that naturally occurring bacteria is upset or becomes unbalanced? Well, then you have problems; and the sooner you take action, the more money you can save in the long run. If the waste that is deposited into the septic tank is not digested, it does not become liquid, and therefore cannot drain. Solid waste begins to make its way into your drain field, becoming compressed and clogging the drain field all together. This problem can become so severe that the excess liquid waste can pool up and remain on top of the soil.
Once the drain field starts to have a problem, the entire system becomes compromised very quickly. Excess waste in the septic tank is trapped and has no escape except back into the pipes and your home. This is when you tend to have foul odors coming from drains, and so forth. Once your septic system is clogged, you have only a few options that are available to you.
Some homeowners opt to have the solid waste pumped from their tank, at no small expense in hopes of eliminating the problem. While this will remove the waste, it has done nothing to repair the unbalanced bacteria problem and the problems will most likely continue to occur without treatment. Other homeowners take advantage of septic system cleaning products or powerful unclogging “shocks”. These less expensive alternatives have proven to be highly effective solutions that will not only unclog your septic system, but restore active bacteria and enzyme levels in your tank.
If you opt for the latter, we do recommend that you seek out a granular septic tank shock. With the amount of household water flushed down drains and toilets combined with laundry usage, any liquid treatment you have will be flushed out of the system so fast it will not do a thing to help you. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH ANY LIQUID SEPTIC CLEANER. The liquid shocks tend to be over priced and seldom prove to reduce any of the symptoms of a clogged septic system.