Many homeowners are familiar with septic tanks, but they might not be as familiar with the leach field. The leach field is an underground area located near the septic tank that’s responsible for filtering wastewater from the tank out into the ground. Once the wastewater sinks into the soil, it’s broken down by natural materials.
Any buildup of solids in leach field pipes can cause clogs, which prevent the system from adequately handling your property’s waste. Keep reading to learn a few symptoms of leach field issues and how to unclog a leach field:
- Excessively green grass: There are plenty of products out there designed to give homeowners lush, green grass. But if the grass near your leach field looks a little too green, the lawn is receiving an overabundance of nutrients from the waste in your leach field. There’s likely a clog somewhere that needs to be fixed.
- Standing water: The grass might not be green, but any standing water on the grass by the leach field indicates an issue. The flooding indicates a clog somewhere in the septic system that needs to be removed right away. Neglecting to address the clog will only make the flooded area worse.
- Awful odors: You may smell a problem before you see it. Sewage odors coming up from indoor plumbing fixtures or outside near the leach field indicate something’s amiss. This may not necessarily mean there’s a clog in the leach field, but it may mean your septic system needs some form of repairs.
How to unclog a leach field
Whether the symptoms are slight or severe, you need to take care of a clogged leach field ASAP. Here are a few ways to do it:
- Contact a septic professional: The easiest way to solve a clogged leach field is to hire a septic system expert. A professional plumber has all of the tools to locate the source of the clog and unclog it in no time.
- Shock the system: The best DIY method for taking care of a clog is to shock the septic system with bacteria and enzymes. There are special formulas designed to digest the waste in the septic system, potentially eliminating the clog in the process. But be sure to check with your plumber before using this method.
Preventing leach field issues
You may never have to worry about how to tell if your leach field is failing if you follow a few basic principles for septic system care. First off, watch what goes down your drains and toilets. Avoid pouring grease or solids down the drain, and never flush anything other than toilet paper and waste. You’ll also want to get your system inspected yearly and have it pumped every three to five years.
If your septic is due for an inspection or tank pumping, then call our septic system pros at Alvarado Pumping Septic Service. We’ll send someone out right away to service your system and answer any of your questions, like how to tell if your leach field is failing.