Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Help - Septic tank backing up again after only 4 weeks from emptying? Whats the problem?

29 replies

maggiso · 12/01/2016 17:08

We have bought a new house but are not yet living there, although builders are there in the day. Under 4 weeks ago the sinks/loos backed up so at great expense (and not knowing if the previous owners - 'emptied it last year' was accurate) we had it pumped out. We were advised to have it inspected in the new year. Less than 4 weeks later the same thing has happened! It has been raining rather a lot - so the garden and ground field is quite soggy- almost a pool in one corner. The septic tank and ground field was put in 35 years ago. According to the plans it has 4 soak away gravel and perforated pipe ditch soak away things ( cannot remember the name). We have organised someone to come and inspect the system(organised before it backed up again!) - but it will be a while. It also has to be pumped out yet again before that can be done (and the builders can uh - go).
We are new to septic tanks, but the builders know to avoid harsh chemicals. What has gone wrong? Is this normal for septic tanks and heavy rain?

OP posts:
Quoteunquote · 20/01/2016 22:25

They are very simple to install(but do get someone who specialises in the installation)l, can go almost anywhere even up hill(with pump), under a drive.

You don't need to have them serviced , but it is wise, and easy, so pay attention when it does get serviced, as you can easily do it yourself once you have seen how to clean the filter).

They work perfectly and stress free and never smell, if you are strict about what you allow down them, You are trying to keep perfect bacteria just like your own gut, so no tomato skins(if your body doesn't digest something neither does your tank( septic tank/or klargester) , bleach, disinfectant, just cover type products, if you stick to that it works perfectly and you forget about it.

Where we live the environment agency have ruled we have to get rid of septic tank and update.

I guess if I did a geographic survey of your land you would have soft ground over hard (simplistic explanation) which with all the heavy rain is holding a lot of ground water, which means the septic tank has no run away.

I assume you have looked in all your manhole covers?

You could also get a pipe survey, from all your stack pipes to the septic tank, we always use good local company, who will stick a camera up and down all pipes, and check , could be crack related, could be bad repair (think concrete tipped over crack) could be someone has flushed something bad.

Process of elimination , and check your insurance cover, some do include drainage/tanks.

But up grade

If you do stick with septic tank, and the ground water goes, it won't hurt to shove a dead animal (usually dead lamb) in to get the bacteria going.

maggiso · 21/01/2016 11:06

Thank you Quoteunquote. I think we do indeed have gravelly soil over a lower clay bed in our area. We will need major work soon ( restoring the barn) so upgrading to a more modern system would be wise. At the present most the garden is lawn - because of the large drainage field so upgrading could open up options too. Our original plan was to move in then sort out the barn, but getting the septic system functioning all year round is obviously a priority. I don't fancy the trick with the lamb!

OP posts:
Quoteunquote · 21/01/2016 11:35

believe it or not it the most common fix a lack of bac in the tank solution,

Personally I think that the environment agency insistent that all septic tanks are up graded to Klargester type systems is long over due.

Lilly85 · 20/08/2017 17:33

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page