Septic tank safety should be on the minds of septic homeowners, or at least noted to do inspections every couple of years. Along with routine inspections, homeowners should consider other vital factors for our family’s safety, environment, and system integrity.

Homeowners should schedule their septic tanks for routine maintenance every few years, depending on the number of people living in the home. Service visits from All Cen Tex provide you with an excellent opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have about the safety and operation of your septic system. We are always happy to help answer questions. Conversely, we will ensure that your tank is cleaned and operating correctly. We would be glad to educate you on doing simple inspections between routine maintenance appointments.  

A few things homeowners can do to ensure the safety of their family, especially the kiddos, is to inspect the septic tank lids or riser lids for cracks, loose bolts, and screws. Too often, we hear of a child falling into the tank, causing severe injury or even death.

• Treat the area in and around your septic tank like you would a hot tub or a swimming pool. Hot tubs are always covered with lockable lids. Pools are also covered; some are even fenced in.
• Do not install playgrounds, playscapes, or swing sets near or around the septic tank or the drain field.
• Keep vehicles parked away from where the septic tank is buried, especially away from lids, to eliminate the risk of creating cracks. 
• Periodically ensure lids are secured.

Most of the stories we hear about children falling into septic tanks were due to lids that were not secure and flipped when stepped on. Often, homeowners are aware of cracked or loose lids but don’t realize the hazard and do or say nothing. These severe injuries and deaths are 100% preventable. Septic tank safety is a genuine concern and should be on the minds of families with septic tank systems.

Have a large family in your household? Check out our post titled “Septic Maintenance Tips for Larger Families.”

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Signs of a Full Septic Tank

Pooling of water near the drainfield. The drainfield is a series of pipes that drain water that flows through the system into the soil. Solid waste should get trapped in the actual septic tank. If a septic tank becomes too full of solid waste, however, the sludge can move into the pipes of the drainfied and clogs up these pipes. As water gets into the field, it will not flow through the pipes as designed and instead can pool in a particular area. You might even notice your grass in that area looking more lush and green than other areas of your lawn. If it hasn’t recently rained and water is pooling around the drainfield, this is a sign of an overflowing tank. You should have your system inspected immediately before an unsafe and hazardous situation develops.

Gurgling pipes, slow drains, and issues with flushing are other signs that the septic tank may be full. More specifically, if this is occurring with multiple pipes and not just one. Issues with one specific pipe or drain may just be a clog in that pipe. Notice if your water is slow to drain or if toilets are sluggish in flushing. Multiple issues may point to the septic tank needing to be addressed.

Foul Odors and Sewer backup. Hopefully, you realize that your septic tank needs pumping before drainfield clogs or backs up. When a septic system works properly, foul smells are trapped within the system and underground. Periodically sniff the air around where your septic tank and the drainfield area. Should you notice a foul smell where your septic tank and drainfield are, however, the smell suggests that gases may be escaping from the drainfield. Worse yet, you’ll notice these odors coming from your drains and toilets. They are a sign that your septic tank has started to get full.  Call us immediately to take care of this problem.

Overflow issues can be avoided with regular maintenance pumps. Septic tanks should be pumped every 3-5 years depending on household size, septic tank size, amount of wastewater/solid waste.

All Cen Tex Septic & Vacuum Pumping is happy to answer your questions about your septic system! Call us at 512-258-4000. Our office staff will answer your call 24/7.

Read our reviews on Fresh Chalk!

Click here -> 10 Ways to be a Good Septic Owner for more tips on maintaining your septic tank.

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All Cen Tex Septic System Pump

The biggest misconception about when a septic system needs a pump is only when the system light turns on or is sounding an alarm. At this point, it might actually mean your system is experiencing an issue. For example, it might be too full to function properly which may cause damage to the system itself and become more costly than a simple pump-out.

So, proper maintenance of your system is not only critical for its performance, your system also:

• Protects the health of the people living on and near your property
• Helps safeguard your property values
• Helps preserve the quality of groundwater and prevents your sewage from degrading nearby waterways
• Prevents from worrying about sewage backups (our technicians will remove solid waste from the tank before it builds to a level that’s likely to cause a backup)
• Saves you money in the long run by preventing major damages and needed repair work (we also keep our eyes peeled for potential problems like cracks in the tank and growing blockages in the pipes leading from your home to the septic tank. These regular inspections ensure that problems are caught early on before they lead to more dangerous, costly problems)

Generally, it is recommended to schedule for a system system pump every:

• 5 years for home with about 2-3 or
• 3-4 years for homes with about 4-6 people

If it’s about time for your next septic system pump, our experienced technicians are available to help. Learn more about us by viewing our home page. We’re also now on Facebook. Call 512-258-4000 for more info and scheduling availability. Thank you!

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Septic system (and basic plumbing) education for young family members early on, may save you a headache later! We break down bits of info appropriate by age category.

Young kiddos:

Have such curiosities with water, toilets, and everything else they can get their sticky hands on. Teaching them what is okay and not okay to put in the toilet early on may be help avoid issues later. They should know not to flush:

• Toys – Save that for bath time
• Wipes – Baby wipes, cleaning wipes, and even the marketed “flushable” wipes
• Q-Tips- May be an issue for your pipes should they become an obstruction
• Dental Floss – Floss could snag onto something and cause blockage overtime
• Hair – From a hair brush, or clumps from the shower drain, it should always go in the trash
• Diapers- Kids learning to potty train might think that it’s okay to dispose of their diaper it in the toilet. Smart kiddos, makes sense, but a big no-no

Kids who are ready for kitchen chores, like handling dishes:

Kids can be great help around the kitchen and they love the idea of building some autonomy. A few things for them to know:

• Remind them that the garbage disposal is NOT a trash can
• Stuff like grease, oil, fats, potatoes, pasta, bones, fibrous veggies
• Teach them how to properly clean the dishes before loading them into the dish washer
• To save water, teach them to only run the dishwasher when full

Kiddos responsible enough for some independence:

When the kids are ready for the responsibility to be alone in the home, make sure they know how to:

• Use the plunger in case they experience a clog in the toilet OR
• In case the sink backs up
• Shut the water off to the entire house, just in case there is an emergency leak

Raising kids with basic plumbing skills and septic knowledge could be helpful for you as a parent and beneficial to them for having foundational knowledge to be able to handle issues on their own now, and in the future.

Read our PDF for more information about how to care for your septic system. Call us at 512-258-4000 if you’re experiencing septic issues or ready for your next pump. Thank you for visiting our blog!

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