Common Septic Tank Problems

Thinking about the sort of problems you might get with a septic tank may not be something you want to devote much time to – after all, given what they generally contain, such problems are likely to involve seriously bad smells at the very least.

However, if you are the owner of a septic tank, it’s important that you know how to spot a potential problem as early as possible, so you can get it dealt with before things get really unpleasant.

This article will take a look at some of the more common issues you’re likely to have with a septic tank, how to identify them when they happen and what to do about them.

Leaking and polluting septic tank

How to tell something’s wrong with your septic tank

Let’s start by looking at a few signs that there might be a problem.

A really bad smell around where your septic tank is
Water and/or sewage backing up from your drains
Lush grass and foliage around the tank, especially when there shouldn’t be
Pools of water near the tank

Things that could be the cause of those problems

Damage from tree roots

Because septic tanks are underground, they’re best kept as far from trees as possible, even ones that look young and relatively harmless. That’s because trees can grow pretty big, sometimes faster than you might expect, and while they’re doing it, their roots do the same underground. If your septic tank is located too near a tree, roots can over time cause serious damage, even breaking through its walls.

Ground movement

The ground under our feet is shifting all the time anyway, while every year the British Geological Survey detects hundreds of earthquakes in the UK. Most won’t be strong enough to make our homes shake, but they can have a more significant impact where our septic tanks are buried. Of course, it may not be the result of a sudden, violent movement, it’s just as likely to be a slow encroachment. Either way, ground movement can cause the shell of a septic tank to crack and leak.

Damaged baffle and/or dip pipe

Some septic tanks have a baffle, some have a dip pipe, and some have both. Whichever is the case with your particular tank doesn’t actually matter, because they both do the same job, which is to stop solid waste (let’s not mess about here, we’re talking mainly about poo) passing from one section of the tank to the next and ultimately into the soakaway area. It should hopefully go without saying, but this really is something you don’t want to happen.

Septic tanks aren’t things you change on a regular basis – mainly because it takes quite a lot of effort and digging to get them buried underground and out of the way. For that reason, they are usually built to last – sometimes for many decades. Having said that, even the best built tank is going to need replacing at some point, even if only because it’s not as efficient as more modern versions when it comes to dealing with the waste.

Lack of maintenance

Perhaps the most common problem associated with septic tanks. Like any piece of machinery, a septic tank needs maintenance to make sure it’s still doing its job properly. At the very least, that has to involve regular emptying (anywhere from every year up to every five years, depending on a number of factors), but more general maintenance and cleaning is also strongly recommended. Otherwise, it will get full and the contents will start to spill out over the surrounding area.

We’ve already mentioned that septic tanks are buried underground (but if you have one, you should hopefully be aware of that already). That means that when they develop a problem, it’s unlikely to be a DIY job putting it right unless you have some heavy-grade machinery and an underdeveloped sense of smell.

Far better and far more effective to let Need a Tanker sort it for you. We have trained and experienced engineers ready to sort out any issue or to advise on the best next steps if you’re looking at something that can’t be sorted easily.