Hi. We have had trouble with our septic for the last two years. Last year we paid a company to come and clear the main drain with the camera and they found female products clogging the line and cleared it. It worked fine for a while then backed up again. So we called a sewer company and had the septic pumped out. Now it is stopping up and overflowing at the overflow again especially when I use the kitchen sink. I bought a drill powered 25ft snake and have ran it down the overflow towards the septic and the water will go down but eventually fills up again. We don't have a lot of money to spend, so I don't know if I should rent a commercial drain cleaner and try to clean myself or what. My husband thinks we should have septic pumped again, but since we just did that last year, I think it will just buy time and waste money. There is not any standing water in my yard around drain field either. Any help is greatly appreciated.

The problem is that a plugged drain line and a full septic tank have EXACTLY the same symptoms so until you eliminate one of them we cannot advise you. BUT, your 'drill powered snake" is completely USELESS regardless of which problem you have.

Well my drill powered snake has been helping so I wouldn't say completely useless. If I just had my septic pumped a year ago, isn't it a waste of money to do that again. My understanding is you should only need pumping every 3-5 years. Which Avenue would YOU try first on correcting the problem? That is the advice I was asking.

Personally, I would try a "proper sized" snake in the drain, because it is usually the easiest and cheapest first step.

You may have a "digestion" problem in your septic tank and there are many good products to help boost the anaerobic bacteria level. Some are as easy as flushing them into the system.

The other remedy is more costly, is to add an aerator to the tank, which will help with busting up solids so that they can
get from the tank into the drain field.

Hope this helps.

I'd open up the tank and see if the water is over the inlet or outlet or both.

What is essential is a proper diagnosis. If you can 'catch' the water level in the tank between the outlet level wnd the inlet level, then you can be pretty sure the problem is on the drainfield end.

Private Septic System, are living breathing object... requiring a degree of knowledge and tangible experience. Just as a fruit tree that has been struck by lightening, will continue to produce, while damage, a damaged septic system will continue to process waste..... until it stops living and then backups will occur.

The internet does not offer the same benefits of an on-site inspection and evaluation. Speculation, based on the information you provide may or may not resolve the issues.

When flushing a septic system, the drain field should also be inspected to be sure it is not clogged with solids from the past. Guessing won't help. While the tank is being drained, the drain that feeds the tank should be flushed to ensure an good flow and blockages removed. While the tank is empty, it can be inspected to verify the integrity of the holding (septic) tank is good.

Lastly, you have to be careful what you place into the tank. Human waste and grey waters. Anything else could stop the "breakdown process." In some areas, annual draining and cleaning is a must.
Best Wishes

Many prospective buyers might hesitate to buy a property if the septic tank inspection fails. To avoid this, the property seller has to do quick fixes to the septic system. Once this is done, there can be another inspection. Some common scenarios are:

1. The seller replaces the leach field or the septic tank
2. The seller replaces the whole system
3. The seller does the necessary repairs
4. The seller credits the buyer the money to do repairs after the transaction has been completed
5. The buyer can renegotiate the price of the property.



Edited 1 times.