Is It a Clogged Septic Tank or a Clogged Drain Pipe? | Septic Tank Pumping Proshttps://septictankpumpingpros.wordpress.com/2018/03/14/is-it-a-clogged-septic-tank-or-a-clogged-drain-pipe/ Is It a Clogged Septic Tank or a Clogged Drain Pipe? 03.14.2018 Is It a Clogged Septic Tank or a Clogged Drain Pipe? A clogged drain and a clogged sewer can seem alike so if youre not trained to recognize the difference between these two problems you could easily misdiagnose a problem with your homes plumbing or septic tank. Being able to identify the differences between these two issues can help you get the care you need when your homes plumbing or septic tank is having problems. Difference Between a Clogged Drain and a Clogged Septic Tank A clogged drain is a localized problem that happens in one pipe leading away from one fixture. Localized clogs are typically caused by hair or food that has become trapped in the pipes. Sometimes localized clogs occur because of fats and oils that have begun to clog the drain pipe. A clogged septic tank is what happens when your septic tank fills up with solid waste. When this happens the solid waste enters the drain field causing sewage-saturated water to flow upward into your lawn instead of downward into the ground water. A clogged septic tank can also cause sewage to back up into your home. Warning Signs Many different signs can show you the difference between a locally clogged drain and a clogged septic tank. When a single drain is clogged that one pipe will become slow while all other drains in the house continue to perform as expected. Also a single drain may cause some odor if the clog is made up of decomposing organic material. A single drain clog usually develops slowly over a long period of time. A septic tank clog on the other hand usually involves multiple drains becoming slow all at once. Typically these are the lowest drains in the house. Shower drains bathtub drains floor drains and toilet drains are usually among the first to become slow. Septic tank clogs often have other symptoms that homeowners can observe. Typically a septic tank clog will involve one or all of the following: Odors in the yard Swampy spot in the yard Water from one fixture draining into another instead of the septic tank If several of your homes drains have become slow at once and youve noticed other symptoms like the warning signs above contact a septic tank professional. Prevention All clogs are preventable from septic tank clogs to standard plumbing clogs. If you would like to prevent clogs in your house start by protecting your drains. Use a drain strainer in your drains to prevent hair food grease and fats from flowing down into your pipes; this will protect your septic tank as well as the drains that lead to the tank. To protect your septic tank from clogs avoid flushing products that are labelled flushable like diapers Kitty Litter tampons and disposable wipes. These products often make it through the pipes into the tank but then will contribute to solid waste buildup in the bottom of the tank. In addition these products take a long time to break down and therefore can cause clogs. Finally you can also protect your drains by avoiding the use of a standard garbage disposal. Only garbage disposals that are septic-tank safe are OK to use with your homes septic tank. These garbage disposals break down food into extremely tiny pieces. Contact Your Septic Tank Professional for Answers to More Questions Ask your septic tank professional if you have more questions about septic tank clogs and how they differ from localized clogs. Having this information can help you take care of your septic tank. At Rebel High Velocity Sewer Services were happy to answer customer questions about their septic tanks. Contact us today for more information. Facebook Twitter Google pinterest http://ift.tt/2tN8BhF via Septic Tank Pumping Pros http://ift.tt/2hrSjCe