Repair
Signs your system needs a look
Most septic trouble announces itself early. These are the signs we hear about most.
Slow drains in every fixture
One slow sink is a drain. Every tub, sink and toilet slow at once points at the tank or the field.
Gurgling pipes
Air pushed back through the plumbing means the water has nowhere to go.
A smell outdoors
Sewage odor near the tank or field, especially after rain.
A wet, bright green strip
Soft ground or unusually lush grass over the field, when nearby lawn is dry.
An alarm that will not stop
Aerobic and mound systems have an alarm. A silent air pump or a tripped breaker is worth a call the same day.
Sewage in the house or yard
Treat it as urgent. The steps below come first.
Do this first
If sewage is coming up in the house or yard
Four steps, in this order, before you call.
- 01
Stop using water
No showers, laundry or dishwasher. Every gallon goes to the same place.
- 02
Leave the tank lid alone
Do not open it or try to pump it yourself. The gas inside is dangerous.
- 03
Keep children and pets away
Keep them off wet ground and out of standing water.
- 04
Call us, then text a photo
Call (228) 555-0100 and text a picture of the wet spot or the alarm panel.
What we find
Four causes, and what we do about each
We find the cause before we price the fix, and we show you what we found.
- 01
A full tank
The simple one. We pump it, check the baffles and filter, and give you a date for the next pump-out.
Pump-out and inspection
Baffle and filter check
- 02
A blocked or crushed pipe
Roots or a collapsed section between the house and the tank, or the tank and the field.
Camera or probe to find it
Repair of the section that failed
- 03
A failed or flooded field
Soil that no longer takes water, or ground that stays saturated. Sometimes a rest and a repair is enough, sometimes the field has to be replaced.
A written explanation before we price
Repair, relocation or replacement
- 04
A pump, float or alarm failure
Common in aerobic and mound systems. These parts wear out and can be swapped without digging a new field.
Testing of the pump, float and panel
Replacement parts on the same visit when we can
Repair questions
Before you decide to replace
Do I need a whole new system?
Often not. A full tank, a cut line or a dead pump can be fixed without touching the field. We tell you which one you have, and what we saw, before we price a replacement.
Can a failed field be repaired?
Sometimes. If the soil is clogged or a section has crushed, a repair can work. If the water table has risen or the ground floods, we look at a different system.
How long will I be without water?
A pump-out or a pump swap is usually done in a visit. A field repair or replacement takes longer, and we tell you what to expect for water use before we start.
Repair
Not sure what you have?
Text a photo of the lid, the wet spot or the alarm panel, and we call you back.