As a homeowner, you know that anytime you need something fixed around the house, it can end up being a major expense. Whether it’s something relatively simple like a clogged toilet, or something more complex, such as a power outage or septic system failure, you never know what the true cost is going to end up being. And when you have a septic system on your property, the thought of it needing repair might send you into a tailspin thinking of the costs. But, if you are proactive and take good care of your septic system, then hopefully you won’t have too many hiccups with it. That said, there are still ways it can break and need repair. And to be able to get it fixed as quickly as possible, it’s important to recognize the signs of septic system failure to look out for. If you’re able to catch some of these soon enough, it could end up saving you a ton of money.
Greener pastures aren’t all that great
Even though just about everyone wants their grass to be beautiful and bright green, having a super bright spot on your property can actually indicate that all is not right with your septic system. If you notice that the grass around your drain field is a lot greener than the rest of the grass on your property, your septic system might be failing. This is because the sewage from your system could be gurgling up the surface due to a clog in the system and acting almost like fertilizer to get your grass to grow more. Now, this doesn’t mean that having green grass all over your property is a bad sign, but when the grass in one specific area is a lot brighter than the rest of your lawn, it’s time to get that septic tank checked out for a clog or leak.
Look for slow drains and foul smells
Perhaps another easy-to-spot sign that your septic system is failing is if the drains in your home are moving slower than usual. If the water in your sink isn’t going down the drain as fast as normal, your toilets are taking forever to flush, or your shower and bath drains aren’t moving very fast, you might want to have your septic tank looked at. While it could just be a simple clog in your pipes, it could also point to a septic tank that’s too full and not operating at full capacity.
Additionally, you can also use your nose to detect septic system failure. If you start smelling some really nasty smells around your septic system outside — and even inside — it might point to a septic system that’s leaking sewage. Obviously, this is the last thing you want from your septic system, so if you start to smell something that’s not quite right, be sure to give us a call to assess the situation.
Algae, Dampness, and coliform point to septic failure
While looking for bright green grass, slow drains and foul smells are all great ways to know if your septic system needs repair, there are some other ways you can tell that might require a bit more investigating. For instance, if you have a pond or other body of water on your property, you can look out for large blooms of algae on the surface. These can be caused by too much wastewater leaking from your septic system obviously pointing towards a septic tank that needs repair. Other signs you can look out for are high levels of coliform in nearby water wells, as well as dampness around the septic tank which means it has failed to hold in more wastewater.
A failing septic system isn’t fun for anyone, but if you look for these signs and are able to spot them before things get too bad, the damage can potentially be less than it would be if you didn’t spot them. At Matador Septic, we are more than happy to come look at your system and make sure everything is in tip-top condition. And if it isn’t? Well, we can help with that, too.
Comments