No one wants to deal with Septic Back Up Problems, but what can you do? If you have a septic problem, you are going to have some symptoms. Some homeowners have flooding yards and foul odor that embarrasses them in front of the neighbors, others have the privacy of waste back ups inside their home. Even if you had the option of choosing which type of symptom you have, it’s not an easy decision to make. Homeowners often times do nothing, or decide to pump the tank, thinking that is all that needs doing. Problem is that pumping only masks the problem and your septic back up problems will be back in no time.
Septic experts have stressed that pumping alone is not enough to keep septic systems running past 20 years. For the first 10-12 years, you may be able to get by with regular pumping, but over time, the maintenance of a septic system becomes more involved.
Luckily, septic treatment is not expensive or hard to do. (Forget running to Home Depot for Rid x) Older systems need a stronger dose of bacteria each and every month. Enough to replace bacteria killed off by household cleaners and detergents but also enough to work on reversing the build up throughout your system. Regular septic maintenance may be the difference between extending your drain field’s life an extra 10-20 years or so.
That’s right; you may have to come to grips with fixing or replacing your septic system before the time that your mortgage is paid off of your home. Essentially it is a $10,000 bill hanging over your head and ignoring it, or hoping it goes away on its own, is not going to cut it. Believe me, when you get handed a quote for thousands of dollars when 5$ a month could of solved the problem, you are not going to be happy.
Anyway, don’t get yourself too worked up about things, just make sure you take steps today, not next year, not in a couple years. Your septic system is not a timeless piece of equipment. It can and will fail on a long enough time line. The best defense is a preventative septic treatment along with regular pump outs. One flush a month, a few dollars in expense, along with pump outs every 3-5 years and your septic system can run smoothly for years and years.
Don’t let septic back up problems get you down. Take the right approach and eliminate the headaches before they become sever