Three Common Septic Problems

As a Florida homeowner, your goal with your septic system is for it to run right and cost as little as possible to operate and maintain. At Quality Septic Inc. of Plant City, FL, that’s our goal, too. With that in mind, here are three of the most common septic problems our field technicians encounter and how you can keep them from happening at your home.

Septic Problem #1: Wastewater backups

Few things are more unpleasant than seeing raw sewage sputtering in your sink and tub drains. The only thing more unpleasant would be for the sewage to start filling up the sinks and tubs. And we won’t even get into the problems that can happen with toilets when wastewater backs up.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way to prevent all this. Liquids from your septic tank will most often back up because of excess of solids in the tank. Backups can also be caused by clogs in the lines between the tank and drain field as well as a lift station malfunction.

An inspection will determine what has happened so your technician can perform any repairs that might be necessary. If the backup is being caused solely by a buildup of solids, the solution is a thorough pumping of your septic tank.

Septic Problem #2: The tank contains excess water

Like excess solids in the tank, excess liquid content can also lead to backups in your home. In addition, too much liquid can hinder the breakdown of solid waste in the tank and prevent the smooth transfer of “clear” liquids to the drain field.

There are two possible solutions to this septic problem:

1. Have your tank pumped out more frequently
2. Find inventive ways to use less water that goes into drains connected to your septic system

Note: When the Quality Septic crew handles your septic tank cleaning, we’ll advise you on an appropriate schedule for pumping to avoid over-filling your tank.

Septic Problem #3: Bad odors near the septic tank

The odor of raw sewage is unmistakable – nothing else smells like it. If you notice this offensive smell when you walk outside and get near your septic system, it means there’s an issue that needs to be addressed.

The first step is to arrange for an inspection. Your technician should be able to get to the bottom of the problem pretty quickly. Likely causes of bad odors near the tank include:

• A tank that’s too full and needs to be pumped
• A leak in the piping system
• Damage to the drain field
• Excess grease clogging the system
• A damaged septic tank

Whatever the cause, the septic technician should be able to make the needed repairs or adjustments. If you work with Quality Septic, we most definitely can resolve odor problems caused by septic issues.

Get on the road to a great septic system

When your septic system needs repairs, pumping or an inspection, call the experts at Quality Septic first. We’ve been helping our Florida customers for more than 25 years, and we can help you, too.

We serve Plant City, Land O’Lakes, Brandon, Plant City, Tampa, Lutz, Odessa, Lakeland, Thonotosassa, Ruskin, Valrico, Wimauma, Wesley Chapel, Riverview, Seffner, Dover and the Polk County FL area.

Call us at (813) 754-9891 or reach out with our handy contact form.