Septic Tank Not Draining? 10 Things To Do Right Now

Septic tank full of water not draining? There are a few giveaway clues, such as if you've noticed bubbling, gurgling sounds, slow drains, your toilets not flushing properly, or new unpleasant smells coming from the soil and plants around your garden.

Though running into septic tank draining issues can be worrying for homeowners - especially if you're new to owning a septic tank - there are a variety of things you can do quickly to identify and help alleviate the problem. 

There are some very common septic tank problems that we will list below, go through these and tick each one off if you don't think it's that.

However, if the problem doesn't look like something you can fix using our recommendations below, make sure you get in touch with the relevant experts to prevent further damage being done to the system, and to also save you from running into environmental fines. 

If you feel like a septic tank empty is needed then give us a call. Keep in mind we operate in the UK and mainly cover the west midlands.

Related: What to do if your Septic Tank is overflowing

1. Check the ground around your tank

The first thing to do is assess the ground around your septic tank. Seemingly imperceptible changes to the landscape around your septic tank can cause serious issues. The ground can shift, which puts pressure on your sturdy and lonely underground friend - which then leads to it developing cracks in the walls.

Tree roots and roots from any shrubs near the septic tank can also cause problems for a septic tank because they are able to grow through its walls, soakaway and even the pipes that lead from the house to the tank. This causes problems because water from the ground is able to enter the tank, whilst the wastage inside the tank can leak out - both things which stop the system from working properly.

If you see a particularly nasty looking mess on the ground around the tank, it's damp or clogged, there is standing water, or you've noticed your tank needs to be emptied more often, this could be a sign of ground or tree root damage. 

Your next steps should be to call a septic tank specialist, as well as a gardener or landscaper as they will be able to remove nearby trees and shrubs and identify potential places of subsidence, which can help you to prevent the ground from cracking the tank again once it is fixed.

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2. Check for vehicle damage

The dangers of rural living are not always what one would think. Farm vehicles such as tractors can drive over the top of a septic tank, which then collapses under its weight from pressure put on it by heavy machinery.

Has any heavy machinery or vehicle mistakenly driven over the top of the tank recently? If so this may be the first area to check.

If you suspect vehicle damage, call an expert out right away to assess the extent of the repair. We know that prevention isn’t always easy depending on where your septic tank is located, but if you are on good terms with nearby farmers and live in a rural area then it may be as simple as finding out if they can avoid driving over your tank as much as possible.

3. Check your baffle hasn’t collapsed

Your septic system may baffle you but when it comes to talking about septic tanks we’re not referring to the expression! In a septic tank the baffle is the barrier within the tank that prevents solids from entering into the soakaway system.

Because soakaway systems are only designed to deal with liquid waste and allow the dirtied water that has left the tank to soak through into the soil surrounding it, the soakaway pipes are usually perforated or slotted to allow this to happen.

So when solids enter the soakaway system, the small gaps in the soil and the pipes stop the process from happening. Unfortunately once this occurs the process can not be undone, and you’ll need an expert to come and rectify the problem.

An indicator of a collapsed baffle is if waste water (and potentially solids) is backing up through the system and into the house, or if you’ve noticed water pooling on the ground accompanied by unpleasant smells.

4. Check your dip pipes for damage

Dip pipes, also called T-pipes, exist to make sure that the right types of waste exit from the septic tank into either the soakaway system or outlet pipe. They perform similar functions to the aforementioned baffle, but you’ll need to determine which type of tank you have as different types of tanks will have either a baffle, dip pipes, or both.

If your outlet dip pipe is resting at the base of your tank, this could be an indicator that it’s been moved (potentially by ground subsidence), or may have been knocked off accidentally in a routine emptying.

A missing dip pipe normally means that the wrong waste is entering the soakaway system, and it will have the same signs as if the baffle had collapsed.

Related reading: 7 signs that will tell you whether your septic tank needs emptying.

5. Check your hydrostatic pressure

Just like the way that ground movement can damage your tank, the volume of water underneath the ground can also be so high that it piles significant pressure onto a septic tank and causes damage.

In some serious cases, the hydrostatic pressure can actually cause the tank to surface above ground which leads to a host of unthinkable problems like pipes becoming detached and backing up wastewater and material into the house.

To work out your hydrostatic pressure, you can use this online calculator but if you notice your tank bulging out of the ground or wastewater backing up into the house, immediately call a septic tank expert as the problem will need to be taken care of urgently.

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6. Check your tank’s installation

Septic tanks and systems should always be installed by an expert. If not, a number of problems can occur such as the soakaway system being too small for the property, or the installation of a system that doesn’t comply with environmental government regulations and leads to fines.

The septic tank soakaway and drainage fields would have been built to meet surrounding conditions at the time. Due to weather and other forms of erosion over time, the ground conditions can change, and the original system may no longer be suitable.

To check your tanks installation ensure that: 

• A percolation test is or was carried out to assess whether the ground conditions were suitable, and whether the depth and size of the system was appropriate.
• The installation was carried out in compliance with British Standards or Environment Agency legislation, which should have been recorded at the time.
  

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7. Check the age of your septic tank

Sometimes, it may be none of the above issues and instead it’s all to do with one thing: Your septic tank beginning to reach the end of its life.

Incredibly some septic tanks can be over a century old and when assessed will look significantly dated when compared to newer models. A good indicator is if the septic tank does not have dip pipes and instead has a double chamber structure.

Whilst tanks of this age may work well enough, you may start to notice it not draining fast enough, water pooling around the ground or a weak toilet flush. In these instances, call out an expert who will be able to evaluate the age of your tank and recommend whether or not you need a new septic system.

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8. Have you used too much water?

Has your water usage increased recently? For example, if you've had family or friends around and the system has been used more than normal. Or you've let the water run for too long waiting for it to warm up for a bath? These may sound like trivial things but they can cause issues for septic systems.

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9. Have you flushed something you shouldn't have?

Wet wipes, thick toilet paper, or other toiletry products will likely be a reason your septic system is blocked. If you have flushed anything like this recently your septic system may be struggling to process solid waste and may cause raw sewage backups.

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10. Call out maintenance

Although some common septic tank problems can be solved easily, you'll likely need a specialist to come out and have a look. They will be able to look into the system, from the inlet pipe, to the septic tank soakaway and drain field. It's likely you'll get your tank pumped as well just to address the immediate concerns of sewage backup.

A septic tank should have regular maintenance every year and a septic tank emptying service will not only do this annually, but will also send you reminders. Do not attempt to enter the septic tank on your own as this will put yourself in danger and you may damage the septic system further.

If your tank hasn't been emptied over the past year, and you can't remember the last date that it was,  it may be a sign that general wear and tear is causing your draining issues, so call out a company as soon as possible to assess the maintenance and state of your tank.

We know that having a septic tank system can be daunting, but by using this list, it will soon become easier to pinpoint the cause of potential issues - helping you to fix them faster and prevent them from reoccurring.

However, if you've noticed any of the above signs then don't ignore what's going on! At D-tox we have over 20 years of experience in septic tank emptying.

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Don’t wait for your problem to get worse! Get in touch with us today.