Septic Trouble?

You are going about your daily routine -- taking a shower, using the bathroom, making breakfast, using the garbage disposal etc. You notice that the plumbing is moving a little bit slower than usual -- you may even begin to notice a foul smell coming from the drains - then it happens. After a brief stop to the restroom you notice the garbage disposal, toilet and other items have made their way into the shower floor!

In a panic, you realize that the septic system is full -- you can't remember the last time (if ever) you had the septic tank pumped. You pick up the yellow pages and dial a septic company to come and pump the tank. Now, that the tank is pumped the shower has drained and your plumbing nightmare is over -- or so you think!

You go about your life and forget about the septic nightmare you just experienced. You get back to life and your daily routine and it happens again. There in the shower is that familiar sludge! Yuck. What is happening?

While this is an extremely stressful it is all to common. In the desert southwest of Tucson, Arizona we typically begin to see leach lines fail at about 25 years. Your area might be a little different but most leach fields begin to fail for lack of care.

What are leaching fields exactly? Well, the leach fields are underground gravel beds that receive all of the fluids from the septic tank. Fluid runs to a distribution box and then to these gravel beds. After a number of years tree roots, or sediment begins to clog the gravel beds and perforated pipe. Eventually these lines become so completely stopped up that the liquid has nowhere to go but back into the tank, back up the drain pipe and into the lowest level of your home.

So, what do you do about this?

A number of companies on the web will attempt to sell you chemical products that they claim will repair your trouble. In my opinion you are wasting your money. Once the leach fields are in this sort of shape you will most likely need to consider replacing the leach fields.

For more information on leach fields you can visit my website at www.tucsonsepticsystems.com -- fill out the Get a bid form, or call 406-3871 for a free estimate. The process normally takes about 2-3 days and I can put your property back in the shape I found it.