Why is my septic tank blocked?

One of the most common problems we see when it comes to septic tank systems is blocked drains. Over and above all else, blocked septic tank drains are not only one of the most troublesome of issues, they are also one the the easiest to avoid. Fortunately, they are also straightforward to solve thanks to our high-pressure water jet which can blast through any buildup in next to no time. 

Is your septic tank is blocked? We can help customers in Scotland and the north of England to clean out the pipes and get back to normal. But what causes septic tank pipes to become clogged in the first place? Read on to discover causes, and some solutions to try and fix them yourself.

Main causes of blocked septic tank pipes

Prevention is better than cure, so here are some of the way your pipes can become blocked. 

• Flushing things which shouldn’t be flushed. As a rule, only flush toilet paper down your toilet. And ideally, make it septic tank-friendly toilet paper. Anything else is a no-no. This includes ‘flushable’ wipes which really should not be flushed at all. Instead, place anything you don’t flush in the bin.

• Grease & fat. When in the kitchen, it can be easy to think flushing plate grease down the sink is okay, especially when followed by copious amounts of washing-up liquid. Unfortunately, this is a terrible idea and the fat and grease will eventually combine into a large plug, blocking your pipes completely. Instead, take the grease and fat and either put it in your food waste bin, or in the general waste. Bonus points if you collect the fat waste and make a bird feeder ball from it!

• Too much sold waste. Solids can build up in septic tanks which haven’t been pumped regularly. As a result, the pipes will clog. The solution to this is to have your tank emptied regularly. Speak to us on how we can help keep your septic tank in a healthy condition. 

• Collapsed pipes. Old pipes can collapse, making the flow of water through them impossible. Using our camera equipment, we can find and diagnose any problems like this quickly, and know exactly where to dig in order to fix them. 

• Soap buildup. Believe it or not, the soap you use at home can cause problems in your tank. Over time, the soap residue can build up in  your pipes, eventually leading to blockages. Make sure you use soap suitable for septic tank systems.

• Clogged drainage field. If your drainage or runoff field is overloaded or clogged, wastewater can back up into the septic system. This often leads to blocked pipes. This might happen if the soil becomes compacted, so avoid using it and definitely don’t park your car on it. We can come and analyse your drainage field and get it back into working order. 

Fix your own blocked septic tank drains

Before incurring an expense, you might want to try to solve the blockage problem yourself. That’s not always possible – for example if there is a large blockage deep within the pipe system – but here are a couple of things to try.

Snake drain

Ideally you would hope to avoid needing to flush loads of chemicals into your pipes in order to dissolve a blockage. That’s because this will cause havoc with the good bacteria in your septic tank. So a good place to start is to buy a drain snake. These are relatively inexpensive and available from the likes of Amazon and can reach far into your drainage system and give whatever is blocking it a good push. This might work for smaller or lighter blockages,

Enzyme cleaners

Rather than using harsh chemicals, enzyme cleaners may be able to clear your blockage without destroying your good bacteria. Manufacturers such as envii offer a range of septic tank-friendly products. Whatever you do, do not pour bleach down your drains. This will cause more harm than good in the long run.

Unblocking your drains

If you can’t solve the blockage yourself, it’s time to call in the experts – that’s us! Once the Septic Tank Services team have discovered the cause of your blockage, we can get to work fixing it. This might mean some jet powered water blasting through a blockage, or some maintenance work to fix broken or damaged pipes. Get in touch today and we will help you fix your blocked septic tank drains, and be able to offer advice on how to avoid it happening again.