Clogged Septic or Sewer vents are an often overlooked plumbing issue. If the sewer or septic vents on your roof become clogged they may cause various plumbing issues. Remember these vents are essential in regulating air pressure in your system. Without proper air pressure in your plumbing system that allows air to flow freely, you could incur drainage issues. If you just started noticing the symptoms of a clogged septic or sewer vent pipe and the roof is covered by snow.
Usually occurs on a flat room. Then it might be an indication that the vent pipe is blocked by snow or ice. This can cause all the same symptoms of any other type of more permanent blockage. Remedy: You can try removing the snow from the vent pipe in the short term. Then when the weather is a bit better, have a plumber extend the height of your vent pipe so it is less likely to occur in the future.
Your vent pipe should be slightly angled to keep leaves and debrief from entering the pipe and causing a blockage. Remedy: Have your plumber come out and clean the pipe, they have a special grabber tool for this.
Then have them re-angle the vent pipe to keep it from happening again. Sometimes clogs can happen in the sewer line right where the vent pipe meets the sewer line. These problems can occur from items like wet wipes or feminine hygiene products being flushed down the toilet. Remedy: Your plumber may need to access the blockage from the roof vent and use an auger down through the system to push the blockage free.
I hope this article has helped explain why your septic tank system needs proper ventilation. If you need to get your septic system serviced find a local professional in our state by state directory. Simply click your state below.
In order to accomplish this you will need to tie in the new addition to the existing system without disrupting or altering the existing system in any manner. Can you add onto a septic tank? The simplest way to add to your septic tank while remaining connected to existing sewer lines is to simply add an additional septic tank. This gives your home a larger wastewater capacity, and gives your septic system more time to treat the wastewater before draining.
Can two toilets share the same drain? Most houses have more than one toilet, and if they are on the same side of the house, their waste lines can usually tie into the same stack. If they are on opposite sides, however, each may need its own stack.
Since the stacks must be vented, this would mean two vent openings on the roof. How do you seal a sewer line to a septic tank? Step Fill the void between the pipe and the concrete with the tar sealant.
Press the sealant into the void with a trowel. If the septic tank has a rubber gasket molded into the tank for the pipe, tighten down on the securing clamp.
Can you add a bathroom to a septic system? When planning to add a toilet to your septic system, it's important to contact the building authorites to find out if you can do it. Some jurisdictions base septic system size on the number of toilets serviced, and it's illegal to exceed this number without upgrading the tank or leach field. Can you have a bathroom in the basement with a septic system? This helps assure that incoming sewage clears the baffle and enters the tank correctly, while outgoing effluent does not carry along floating solids, scum, or grease which would clog the drainfield.
For this reason the when the septic tank itself is placed into the ground, the septic tank should be installed level. If the septic tank has settled and is no longer level it would be very difficult to re-position the tank, but it may be possible to make corrections at the tank inlet tee and outlet tee to cope with this change.
Our image of a septic tank showing the relative heights of septic tank inlet and outlet and depths of baffles or tees was adapted and significantly modified from Alaska DEC [3] [Click to enlarge any image]. The septic tank outlet tee is slightly different from that found on the inlet side of the septic tank. As you see in the sketch and in the sketch of both inlet and outlet tees in the septic tank at the top of this page, the bottom of the outlet tee drawn in blue in the sketch should be 2 or better 3 inches deeper into the tank than the inlet tee.
That green dashed line - - - we added to the drawing is just to illustrate that the bottom end of the septic tank inlet tee is about 3-inches higher in the septic tank than the bottom end of the septic tank outlet tee at the right end of the septic tank in the sketch.
The red dashed line - - - is explained just below at "backwards septic tanks". This is insurance against pushing solids out of the tank when a toilet is flushed and the waste levels in the tank rise up briefly. If we didn't have this insurance of the extra length on the outlet tee extension, the surge of waste into the tank might push some of the floating scum layer and sewage through the outlet where it would quickly clog the septic piping or drain field.
As we mention under diagnosing drainfield odors, the outlet tee also has the job of reducing the movement of gases back out of the tank into the drainfield. If you agree with the inlet tee dimensions discussed above, that means your outlet tee is going to extend down from the bottom of the tank outlet 16" to 18". And tilted or incorrect septic tank elevations lead to sewer line clogs.
The red dashed red line - - - in our septic tank illustration above illustrates the 3-inch drop in elevation between the height in the septic tank of the inlet pipe opening and the height in the vertical tank wall of the septic tank outlet pipe opening. The red dashed line also shows the top of the liquid level in a properly functioning septic tank. Watch out : In addition to recommendations for a longer outlet septic tank tee than inlet tee, at least equally important, the actual septic tank outlet pipe opening in the vertical tank wall will usually be about 3-inches lower than the inlet opening.
The Alaska DEC septic tank installation manual explains this septic tank design details as. A built-in vertical drop of approximately three inches between the inlet and outlet pipe is common.
During installation [of a septic tank] if the inlet and outlet ends of the septic tank are reversed, water will back up into the building sewer [piping], stranding solids that could block the line. We have received a few reader reports of exactly this backwards septic tank installation problem that shows up as recurrent sewage line clogs between the house and the septic tank.
In some cases these clogs were eventually traced to the septic tank having been installed "backwards" with its inlet end opening lower than its outlet end opening. Once the tank has been installed, excavation and removal and rotating of a backwards-installed septic tank is probably cost prohibitive.
But depending on the tank construction materials, it may be possible to adjust the inlet and outlet openings, sealing and repairing the tank end s as needed. Watch out : if the septic tank was installed backwards, the elevation of the waste line entering or leaving the septic tank is also going to need to be changed - this is not a trivial job, especially depending on site terrain.
It may be easier to effect the repair at one of the tank than the other - raising the inlet end, or adjusting the inlet and outlet baffles or tees. My apartment 6flats septic tank inlet pipe is lower than the outlet pipe It may be possible to modify the outlet end of the tank to install a tank tee with a lower exit point, though it's an enormous lot of trouble and expense. If the tank used baffles rather than a septic tank tee, the new outlet should probably use a tank tee that can extend a bit deeper into the tank to avoid the sludge layer.
Keep in mind that all of this reduces the settling time available to the tank so it increases the frequency with which the tank should be pumped.
Normally the bottom of the outlet pipe is a few inches lower than the bottom of the inlet pipe at a septic tank. The underlying problem is that when the septic tank outlet is above the tank inlet there is likely to be a problem of clogging at the tank inlet that risks a sewage backup in the building.
An onsite expert would of course see more important information that I cannot, and so might give different advice. But from what you've told me, the most-reasonable steps to take when the septic tank outlet is above the inlet opening are:. Have the septic tank pumped frequently-enough that the thickness of the floating scum layer does not get so thick that it enters the inlet baffle or tee area - discover this by checking the layer thickness when the septic tank is pumped.
I do not know a correct repair for the situation you describe other than having a septic or excavation contractor re-position the septic tank. To do that you would need to. In a severely-tipped or improper inlet to outlet height septic tank problem a contractor might install an additional pumping chamber but all of this depends on getting effluent to the drainfield without clogging at that end as well.
My original thought was that one could excavate at the tank outlet end, disconnect the existing piping there, cut the tank wall to lower the outlet point, restore the pipe and seal the opening at that end. A number of companies sell these devices which will add life to your drainfield by reducing the level of suspended solids flowing out of the tank.
If you buy a septic tank outlet filter you'll see that the filter product will typically be of about the dimensions of the outlet tee we cited above, or perhaps an inch or two deeper.
Adapted from the New Mexico Department of Environment system installation guide cited below. Septic tanks, whether made of concrete, fiberglass, or plastic, are designed with a single inlet and outlet opening at the inlet and outlet ends of the tank.
Take care to get the tank properly positioned as the inlet and outlet openings are not at the same height. It is not only much easier to use the factory-provided septic tank openings to connect incoming waste and outgoing effluent lines than to try to cut and seal a do-it-yourself opening in the septic tank top, it is also more-likely to keep the septic tank working properly as I will explain here. In reviewing our literature, standards, codes for septic tank installation I have not found any source that describes a through-top connection of the sewer line into the tank.
Watch out : do not bypass septic tank baffles when connecting piping to the septic tank. Normal septic tank design that relies on baffles to control the flow of solids and wastewater into the tank, to control agitation inside the tank's treatment area, and to prevent the floating scum layer from blocking the tank inlet or outlet.
The entering sewage must flow into the septic tank where there is a baffle system. For multi-compartment septic tanks, the incoming sewage also must flow into the proper initial compartment. Watch out : skipping the factory-designed pipe connections in order to cut a new opening into the top or sides of a septic tank risk damaging the tank, possibly causing the need for expensive repairs or even creating an unsafe septic tank at risk of sidewall collapse.
Watch out : undue agitation of sewage in a conventional septic tank resulting from a home-made top entry would direct waste towards the tank bottom where it can cause agitation of the tank's scum and sludge layers, leading to an expensive early failure of the drainfield system by pushing floating solids out into the absorption bed. If you are piping from any height, dropping waste vertically into the septic tank from some other tank top opening risks undue agitation of the sewage, preventing proper septic tank operation.
We want the sludge to settle, the scum to rise and we do not want to push solids into the drainfield. The typical connections to the septic tank inlet and outlet ends using a neoprene collar to seal the waste lines to the tank. Where a neoprene collar is not used, the installer typically uses a fiber-reinforced asphalt mastic cement. Odors around the drainfield might be due to loss of the gas-baffle in the septic tank. Of course such odors may also be due to a failing drainfield, so further diagnosis is in order.
Checking the presence and condition of the septic tank outlet baffle gas baffle is done at the septic tank and should be quick and easy. If the outlet baffle is lost it should be replaced, but you should also assume that the drainfield has a somewhat reduced future life.
Failing drainfields may have been caused in part by a previous loss of the septic tank outlet baffle. Because lost septic tank baffles are both a possible cause and a diagnostic aid in the occurrence of septic system smells or odors, see the detailed articles on tracking down and curing septic or sewer gas odors inside or outside buildings listed at. Backups at the waste line leaving the building, or apparent clogs in the pipe between the building and the septic tank could be caused by a lost septic tank inlet baffle which has led to clogging of the tank in that area, resulting in a slowed or even totally blocked flow into the tank.
If the plumber simply clears the line between house and tank, without repairing or replacing a lost septic tank inlet baffle, the repair will not be long-lasting. As nobody has found an obvious cause for the blockage you reported originally we're back to our earlier guesses; it's possible that when the tank was pumped the pumper didn't clear the baffle area.
When we worked with a septic pumper he called the square of floating scum in a conventional septic tank baffle "the pillow" and said that as he pumped the tank he would watch for the "pillow" to drop down into the floating scum that he was removing - pumping in that case from a septic tank access that gave view of the septic tank inlet end baffle, the septic tank center, or both.
If the "pillow" doesn't drop he gives it a poke with the same tool he uses to break up and pump out bottom sludge - looks like a giant hoe with a couple of holes in it. A similar "pillow" of floating scum might accumulate in the lower end of a septic tank inlet tee where a pipe tee is used in lieu of the traditional baffle. On by Kenneth - septic system jetted, not needed, working fine. I have given it a few weeks and inspected again and all looks good, and is clear, at least to this point.
The water level sets right at the bottom of the inlet pipe, and after draining a large amount of water in, it only rises for a few minutes before being right back at that level. Again, when I had my drainfield lines jetted, they didn't find any buildup, or any blockages of any kind and actually asked me why I was having it done.
While I agree, it did go way too long in being pumped, I don't feel that it caused any adverse issues at this point. I've had everything cleaned, and inspected, and all seems good other than every 6-months to a year, the inlet now clogs when it hasn't for the previous 15 years. I should have been more clear,,,, he did poke a rod of some sort down in the tank and stated the solids at the bottom of the tank were up right up to the bottom of the inlet so it definitely was time to pump the tank.
Being 15 years and no pumping, it's very possible it was full of solids, but no way to know for sure at this point. As for jetting lines, when he was out the second time they dug up the outlet and stated it looked "ok", but since it clogged quickly they recommended a jetting.
I'm thinking at this point they just used that as an opportunity to send some business to one of their buddies. Since I didn't know a lot about septic systems, I semi-trusted the guy, but had my concerns and no way to verify.
Lesson learned for me, and have learned a lot since then in my search for solutions. Based on these facts, I have my doubts there are any issues at the outlet, but I will confirm. As of right now I have the inlet side dug up, but the cover still in place since I just cleaned it out.
I figure I'll give it a week or two and then just inspect and see what it looks like. The water level was down below the inlet just slightly and when I unclogged it then rose a couple of inches and went back down shortly after.
I sure wish there was a simpler way to monitor, but i'll see what happens. However, I don't know how 'shady' he could have been as well.
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