The holidays are fast approaching, and with that comes a house packed with family and friends. When you are hosting parties at your home or you have traveling guests staying for a few days, it means extra showers, more flushed toilets and extra loads in the dishwasher. Suddenly a septic tank intended for a family of 4 is now serving a house of 6 to 10 or more! If the system is old, partially clogged, or already full it can wreak havoc on your plans.
Here are some tips on how you can diagnose and fix some of the common problems that can occur:
Septic Tank Alarm Going Off
This can happen when more water than usual is being used over a short period of time. Extra added water to the tank can cause the system’s float to rise and trigger the alarm. If your system is on a timer, push the silence button and then limit your water usage over the next 24 hours so that the system can reset and the alarm light will deactivate.
Toilet is Backed-up
Use a plunger or toilet auger to clear the backup. If this does not work, you may need a professional plumber to remove your toilet and clear or remove anything that is causing the clog.
Kitchen Sink is Clogged
A backup in the kitchen often happen during food preparation and dishwashing. If food and grease flow into your drain and build up, your pipes clog and the result is a backup in the sink. As with a toilet clog, you can place a plunger over the sink’s drain. Move the plunger up and down multiple times but do not lift it off the drain. If your sink is still clogged, your p-trap (the U-shaped section of pipe that holds water) may be malfunctioning. If you have access to a snake, you can attempt to clear the clog yourself.
Schedule a Septic Service Before Guests Arrive
If you are hosting for the holidays and expect an increased number of guests, then give West Coast Sanitation a call to have the tank pumped out beforehand. Overuse can lead to backups and drainfield failures. Keep in mind that this is a busy time of year for septic pumpers, so it is best to be proactive and have your tank pumped before there is a problem if your tank has not been pumped for some time.
If you have questions about septic services or you need to schedule an appointment, please give us a call at (951) 780-5922 right away. We have professionals ready to answer your questions and get your system working properly again.