Septic problems are especially nasty.
My husband and I recently noticed our drains were moving slowly.
It took the tub so long to drain that the water left a ring of soap scum behind, adding to my cleaning tasks. Around the same time, the toilet was struggling to flush. We’d often need to flush twice to clear the bowl. When an unpleasant smell originated from the basement, we decided to investigate. We found our basement flooded with really disgusting water. There were clumps of toilet paper and feces. We put on our tall rubber boots and rubber gloves and went to work. We started by clearing out the basement floor drain. We then needed to rent an industrial drain snake to remove any obstructions between the floor drain and the septic tank. It was necessary to dig up the septic to access it. The excavation destroyed one of my favorite gardens. Although our efforts solved the issues with poor drainage, we weren’t completely reassured. We figured it would be smart to have the septic pumped while it was exposed. I assumed the process would cause even more mess and damage. The professional septic company brought in a large truck with a holding tank and a very long, giant hose. The entire job was completed in just a few hours. It wasn’t overly expensive, and there was no disruption. I’ve read that septic tanks should be pumped every three to five years. The electrical float switches, pumps and mechanical components should be inspected once per year. We’ve now invested into a service contract with the pumping company to ensure our home’s septic continues to operate properly.