Common Reasons Why Septic Systems Fail

David Banks
Authored by David Banks
Posted Sunday, February 7, 2021 - 8:39pm

Your plumbing system's most crucial element is your septic tank if your home isn't connected to city sewers. Septic tanks are responsible for securely operating all of the wastewater you produce. When your septic system defects work properly, all the wastewater in your home will be stocked. It only means that it comes back to you, untreated and hazardous.

In a properly functioning septic system, the septic tank's solid material is settled out in a septic tank and deposited until eliminated by pumping. The tank's effluent is still sewage; it has a substantial order and is crucial in disease-causing organisms. This effluent is usually treated and absorbed in a soil absorption or a leach field. No matter the cause, septic system failure is a trouble and a health risk that should be fixed immediately. Failures can rise in pollution of nearby bodies of water such as wells, lakes, and rivers. Septic tank failure is a very severe and often costly problem. Fortunately, if you make sure to evade the following issues, you won't have to. These are the primary causes of why septic tanks fail and how you can avoid them.

  1. Excessive Water Consumption

The main drawback of septic tanks is their limited function. A septic tank can only handle a particular portion of wastewater at a time. Your home’s septic tank was devised to work an actual water flow rate, based on your home’s size. Typically, your septic tank should discharge wastewater at the same rate or quicker than it necessitates on water. 

When your septic system takes on too much water, the tank overflows before it can release again. The excess water can’t penetrate the full tank, so it has to go someplace around. Usually, this “somewhere else” is directed to you, either in your pipes or out onto your yard. If your septic tank can’t wield your water consumption, it’s because it’s commonly too small for your requirements. It’s also likely that drainage or runoff infiltrated the septic tank from external and loaded your system.

  1. Lack of Maintenance

A good septic tank maintenance usually is pumped every three years to eliminate the filth and scum held in the tank and stop the soil absorption field barring. More frequent pumping is required if waste disposal is used in the home. Natural and chemical septic tank additives are not needed and do not eliminate the need for pumping.

Your septic system operates by carrying all the wastewater you produce directly to your septic tank. It is adorned with "T" Fittings or baffles at both the inlet portion and outlet. The inlet baffle blocks short-circuiting of the sewage, and the outlet baffle stops the floating scum from pushing out into the soil absorption field. These baffles, in time, can worsen and drop off into the tank. It is a great approach to check the baffles' condition when the tank is being pumped and repair those in poor shape.

  1. Improper Design And Installation

Poorly designed and built septic systems are already doomed from the beginning. These systems usually break in a few months because they are badly sized, installed in impermeable soils, or not correctly assembled. The soil is an essential part of the septic system and must be appropriately assessed and protected. If the soil layer is too thin, the wastewater will not be treated before it penetrates the groundwater.

Even if your tank size is correctly chosen, it won't still work correctly if it wasn't installed rightly. If you are unsure and new about what a septic tank and its systems are all about, you can take a look here to learn further. Septic systems must be buried at a particular depth in a distinct kind of soil. The soil in your drain field is liable for absorbing, treating, and finally separating wastewater safely. If the soil in your drain field isn't suited for septic use, it won't perform its job correctly.

  1. Damages

Several factors can severely damage a septic system. The septic system has four components, the pipe connected to your home, the tank itself, the drain field, and the soil encompassing it. If either one of these four parts is damage, the septic system could be compromised. Various sets of damage harm the septic system in several ways. Usually, the damage that appears insignificant at first develops into something more severe over time.

Tree roots are a pervasive origin of septic system damage as it can grow down into the septic system. They can break or pierce the pipes or even crash into the tank itself. Roots could also bar drain lines even if they don’t directly harm the pipe and tank. Flooring or driving on the drain field can also damage the septic system by squashing parts or compacting the soil. Generally, you should avoid distorting the drain field encompassing the septic system if possible.

Corrective Measures To Consider

After you have checked and sorted the issue blocking your septic tank to function properly, do not do it yourself, but refer to the experts. Remember that a local sanitarian must authorize any repair or new installation of a septic system, and the local health agency must issue a permit. 

When a system fails, refer to this checklist to avoid making the problem worsened:

  • Never run the sewage into a sinkhole or drainage well. It can contaminate the groundwater.
  • Never wait for the system to break before pumping the septic tank. If it fails, it is too late to pump the tank.
  • Never put more soil above a surfacing soil absorption field. It does not fix the system, and it will surface over.
  • Never just pipe the sewage to a road canal, storm gutter, stream, or bayou. It surely pollutes the water and produces a health danger.

If you think that the corrective measures applied to your system to make it running smoothly again are not enough, you should consider building a new one. Remember that a properly designed, built, and maintained septic system could positively treat wastewater for several years.


 

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