Toilet Backing up - Septic Tank/Drain trouble

TheApophis

##WARNING## this is a long windded message - SORRY - but please read on as I'm in big trouble if I can't get it sorted out!

I live in a rural location and have a spetic tank which I am having a problem with.

My toilet had been backing up every time it was flushed. I got out and had a look at the two drains I can access and sure enough they were full of liquid.

I have a long pipe which I use to unclog these pipes but with even inserting this the whole way into the drain the problem remained. I went out to where the spectic tank is and had a look.

A number of years ago I got the tank enlarge, I suppose it is called an overflow tank, I'm not sure. But basically I have the old original with two concrete slabs on top and the a few meters apart I had an 'overflow(?)' pit dug with rocks put into it. This overflow has a large yellow tube sticking out of it. Normally I can see whether the 'overflow' is full by checking this pipe. On this occasion the pipe was not full, and the area around it was not soggy at all.

So I went over to the concret tank and sure enough it seemed pretty soggy. Also on top of the large conrete slab was another smaller one with a handle. The weird thing was it had been raised up off the ground 5 inches or so by soil. I cleared the area around it and pulled the small slab off the soil somewhat and an amount of liquid began exiting the soil and draining off the large slab into the ground. So then I went back and looked at the drain closest the house which now is clear but the second one nearer the spectic tank is still practically full.

I'm confused though - if my septic tank was full wouldn't the overflow tank also be full?

I'd really appreciate any help/advice on this one. All suggestions needed!

BTW: I'm only new to Boards.ie and amn't sure where the best place to post my message is - so hope the mods don't mind me posting it twice

perry stanley

..your details are sketchy, but there should be a pipe out of those tanks. To the next tank, and again to soakaway. If one of those is blocked then it will prevent the flow of.... solids to the tank (s) and the liquid to the soakaway. You could do with a friendly neighbourly farmer to empty the tank. This will allow the suspected blockage to be sorted. It may be I am visualising the setup differently to what you have, but thats my shot!

TheApophis

thanks for reply Perry

Yes, the 'soakaway' has a yellow flexible tube/pipe out of it.
The concrete one seems to have a solid small pipe, even with the surface of the slab.

I'm thinking I will have to get it cleared but as I mentioned I would have thought the soakaway would have been full too but maybe there is a blockage. Can the older original tank be full while the soakaway isn't?

perry stanley

yes the soakaway can be 'empty' while the other is full. The outlet from the first tank, should be slightly lower than the inlet. My guess is the outlet is blocked. Normally there are 2 vertical pipes,1 just after, or above the inlet. The other, near or directly above the outlet is the one to check. A stick/rod about a couple of metres (should do), poked down here could release the blockage. If not rodding back up that yellow pipe again might solve it. Be prepared if you go/do the latter ,that as you withdraw the rods it will be followed by some nasty stuff:eek: .Hope its sorted while the weather is in your favour