Yet Another Septic Question (HELP!!!!)

Peacock · #1 03/12/08, 03:59 PM

Got a septic system, don't know anything about it because we are stupid and didn't get it inspected when we bought the place. Everything seemed fine, though, still does, but...

Our laundry room is in the lower level of our bi-level house, it also serves as a half-bath. When the washer drains, a little bit of water bubbles up into the toilet. Not a big deal except it makes the toilet dirty. That toilet is hard to flush, too, we have to hold the handle down a long time before it will flush. Don't know if that's related.

Well...a couple days ago I noticed the floor was wet. Didn't know why, thought maybe something was leaking in from outside, we've had a lot of rain/snow. But just now I was sitting here nearby...running the washer...and heard a waterfall! Toilet was overflowing.

All the other drains and toilets in the house (upstairs) work fine. Could this be a septic issue? Yikes, I hope not.

jross · #2 03/12/08, 04:23 PM

Find your tank. There should be one large cover and one small concrete plug at the inlet and the outlet about 12 inches by 10 inches or so and each plug should have a wire lifting ring. Clean the dirt away from the inlet plug (closest to the house) and pull it, then stand back because anything that is in the waste pipe above ground level is coming out. You may have to pry the concrete plug with the edge of a flat shovel to get it to move. When the little flood stops, you may find solid waste stuck in the inlet baffle. Take a stick and break it up. If it doesn't sink, then you may have to have your tank pumped. At least you will have temporarily relieved the backed up toilet. If you find solid waste in the outlet baffle chamber your tank definitely needs pumping, but I wouldn't pull the outlet plug until I checked the inlet. There should only be clear liquid in the outlet. Low flow toilets will cause such a build up in the inlet baffle.

jross · #3 03/12/08, 04:24 PM

Oh yeah. wear 16 inch boots at least.

Peacock · #4 03/12/08, 04:46 PM

How pleasant. Unfortunately I don't even know where the tank is.

No, it is not available via public record, they only have records of septic systems installed in the last 20 years or so. Our home was built in 1965.

The toilet does flush, barely. Ugh. I'm calling the septic co. tomorrow morning.

Peacock · #5 03/12/08, 05:24 PM

OK, here's more...

I ran another load of laundry to see what it would do (and wash the rug and towels that were messed up!). Draining/spin dry from the wash cycle didn't even budge the water in the toilet. The rinse cycle is the culprit. First, air bubbles come up, then the water level rises. I shut it off before it overflowed, let it go down a little, then started the washer again, and had no further problem.

I don't get why this is only happening during the rinse cycle. (sigh)

Lynne · #6 03/12/08, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edayna

OK, here's more...

I don't get why this is only happening during the rinse cycle. (sigh)

Sure it is not just before the final spin: if so then maybe it's because the water from the washer is draining into the same waste pipe as the toilet.
then again I know nothing about septics or plumbing...

jross · #7 03/12/08, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edayna

OK, here's more...

I ran another load of laundry to see what it would do (and wash the rug and towels that were messed up!). Draining/spin dry from the wash cycle didn't even budge the water in the toilet. The rinse cycle is the culprit. First, air bubbles come up, then the water level rises. I shut it off before it overflowed, let it go down a little, then started the washer again, and had no further problem.

I don't get why this is only happening during the rinse cycle. (sigh)

Because by then the line has filled with water from the drain. The drain pipe holds a lot of water and when it is filled then the bubbles and slow flush occurs. If you could get the wash water out of the septic it would make your septic very happy. Your system is draining, but not fast enough. Have you had a lot of rain recently?

Dutch 106 · #8 03/12/08, 06:03 PM

Hi Guys,
One thought with the digestion process going on in it septic tank tends to be warmer than the rest of the yard, if you still have snow out there. Look for a melted spot or if you remember a strangely bare spot where the rest was still snow covered,
Then find yourself a piece of metal or fibergalass rod (like a electric fence post) and probe for a large flat circular cement bit 12 to 18 inchs below. may need to dig the circumfrance up to find the door. Anyone able to give them a better way?
Dutch

Peacock · #9 03/12/08, 06:20 PM

What we had recently is a lot of snow -- about 15 inches, which has been melting over the past two days. I'm sure that has something to do with it.

Good idea Dutch. There's also a patch of grass that is greener -- this is the leach field, right? The septic ought to be a little bit above that?

The Paw · #10 03/12/08, 06:45 PM

If all the other drains are draining fine, then the clog is probably in the drain downstream from the toilet, but before that branch line connect with the main drain. In other words, all the other drains are draining into the main drain/stack, and your laundry and half-bath are connected to a branch drain which connects to the main stack.

As pointed out above, the wash cycle fills the branch drain, which can't empty before the rinse cycle overloads it.

This would mean you probably don't have a problem in the septic tank or field, and just need to roto-rooter the branch drain to clear the clog.

Ken Scharabok · #11 03/12/08, 06:58 PM

I agree with The Paw. Have the line going to the tank roto-rooted. Likely somewhere in the basement there is a clear out junction. Should look like a screw-on cap (outside threads) near the floor. If not in basement, then look in yard.

Had much the same problem with a basement in OH. Roto-rooter brought out a bunch of tree roots, and the nearest tree was maybe 30' away. Ran fine after that.

homefarm · #12 03/12/08, 06:59 PM

try pumping your system that might solve your problem.... to find your tank try a metal decator even concrete tanks have some rebar in them.....homefarm

RACCOON · #13 03/12/08, 07:56 PM

Sound like you have somethings in your toilet ,toy or pill bottle or brush
pull your toilet and stick hand up inside toilet from the bottom you should feel anything in the toilet ,or try snaking toilet from both ends.
If you have something stuck inside sometimes it'll work and sometimes it wont
I used to pump septics long time ago ,you can always find the lid by looking for round green patch of grass. the lid should be around 6inches under the grass

rambler · #14 03/13/08, 12:54 AM

Lots of options, one of them will be right.....

Do you know the last time the septic tank was pumped? Do you know how big it is, and how many people are living in your house?

I suspect you only know the last one.

It is important to have a septic tank pumped out before it fills up with undifgestable crud. This happens to _every_ septic tank. Some will happen every 2 years; some will happen every 30 or so years. Depends on how the septic is used, how big it is, and so on.

Whatever the problems you find, I think it would be a _Real_ good idea to get your tank pumped out. Once the tank overflows with gunk, it seals up your leach field with slime & then the whole dern thing doesn't work right & there are no easy or cheap fixes for it - $$$$$$$.

If you pump it out now, the fellas can tell you how big the tank is, how bad - or good - a shape it is in, and give you an idea of how often it should be pumped based on the # of people using it. If it wasn't needed, you blew $250 or so. If it _is_ needed, you might have saved yourself several thousand dollars.

Your washer is filling up some of the drain pipes - once they get full of water, the rest bubbles up & out the toilet. This would say the obstruction is either in the pipes between the toilet & the septic tank, or the tank itself is full.

You might have a clogged pipe someplace.

You might have a full tank. Oh, hey, a septic tank is always 'full' of liquid. What happens over time, is the bottom gets full of solids that do not digest (dirt, cloth fiber, finger nails, etc. etc.) and the top gets full of floating grease (which does not digest well at all in a septic). The middle is full of water & items that do digest down into pretty much liquid. Your tank is called 'full' when that bottom layer gets so high it wants to flow the solid stuff out into your leach line. Very bad thing to happen.

Either one is very possible.

--->Paul

Cindy in PA · #15 03/14/08, 08:14 AM

You definitely have to get the septic pumped or unclogged. We have a ranch with a toilet in the basement below level. We had our system pumped out every 2 years thru the clean out pipe, but found they were not flushing it properly to get it really clean. Toilet in basement overflowed on Labor Day weekend 2004 & we had to dig up the main opening and pay big for the holiday! Last May the toilet spewed sewage again. For a few months prior the downstairs toilet would bubble when someone flushed the upstairs toilet. Kept telling DH and he of course ignored me! Now I know that the outlet to the tank was partially blocking for awhile & I know the signs. If I ever have it happen again HE will be cleaning the basement. Anyway, that night DS#2 (DH was at work) & I opened the clean out pipe and managed to unclog the blockage with a really long 2 by 4 and then the system drained. I have two sons that go thru TP like it's candy and are always in the bathroom when they are home. We had the system pumped again & so far so good. They did tell us if it clogged again in a short period of time that we should check the drainfield. Luckily we built this pace 24 years ago and know exactly where everything is. Good luck.