A full septic tank indicates there is something wrong with your septic system. And only a professionally trained person or people with minimal training should try to unclog it.
Having said that, there are some effective home remedies for the backed-up septic tanks that you can try yourself if you believe the clog is somewhere else like a clogged drain or pipes instead of the septic tank.
I will talk about these solutions and they are safe to try by yourself!
3 Popular Home Remedies To Fix Your Septic Tank
Your clogged drain can be the reason for a backed up septic tank. There are 3 ways to unclog a clogged drain:
- Using baking soda and white vinegar.
- Using hot boiling water.
- Manually unclogging the drain.
Method 1: Unclog Drain With Vinegar And Baking Soda
Your septic tank may be backed up if the drains are clogged. If you believe that’s what causes it, you can try this method yourself.
There are some drain unblockers suitable for septic tanks. Both baking soda and vinegar are suitable for your drain and won’t kill the beneficial bacteria inside the cesspool or septic tank.
Follow these steps for a smaller clog:
- Pour ½ cup of baking soda down the supposedly clogged drain. Give it a few minutes.
- Then add 1 full cup of vinegar. You need to let it sit there until the bubbles stop (it happens usually within 30 minutes).
- Lastly, use hot water to flush the drain.
Method 2: Plain Boiling Water
A simple solution but it works as long as the clog is small. If you can’t find the vinegar and baking soda, this method is just perfect for you.
Your drain can get clogged from the soap, grease, hair clumps, etc. They also contribute to a backed up septic tank.
The boiling water is a perfect solution to unclog drains, pipes, and so on from such stuff. You need boiling water not just hot water though.
This is what you should do…
Just keep pouring boiling water down the drain for a while SLOWLY. That should remove all the stuff that is keeping the drains clogged.
However, don’t pour the boiling water down the PVC pipes. That will soften the joints of your PVC pipes.
Methods 3: Use An Auger To Unclog They Drain
This is what I do when the first 2 methods fail me. Just before calling the plumber, I try this and you should too!
For a substantial clog, you need an auger to deal with it. The cable of the auger should be long enough to reach the clog.
Now, if your auger can reach the clog, push it into the pipe and try to unclog it. Except for some rare cases, you should be able to unclog the drain to fix your backed up septic tank.
Now, watch this video to see how this method works.
Don’t get frustrated if neither of the above methods works and certainly doesn’t use any chemicals.
Call a plumber to unclog it instead. A backed-up septic tank can lead to various undesirable situations. So, it’s a good time to call a septic tank pumping and cleaning company.
Weekly Drain Maintenance By Home Remedies
Most people forget the fact that your septic system is designed to function trouble-free years after years.
But due to lack of regular maintenance, you will notice the septic tank water is flooding the yard.
So, you will have to call the professional septic company more frequently and pay a hefty fee. But you can easily keep your septic functioning for more years with regular maintenance.
You can simply follow the steps mentioned above once a week. Even if you run out of baking soda, you can simply use the white vinegar to keep the drain unclogged.
Just put a cup of white vinegar down the drain and let it sit for 30 minutes before you flush the drain with hot water.
Do this at least twice a month and you will have fewer incidents of a clogged drain and eventually full septic tank problems.
Once you fix the septic tank or a septic tank fix it for you, you can use just hot water or baking soda & vinegar to keep the drain unclogged.
That way you can avoid paying the service company more frequently.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
It’s NOT harmful to your septic tank. But don’t try harmful chemicals like bleach and ammonia because they will kill the good bacterial and disrupt the ecosystem inside the septic tank.
Yes, Root Killer is perfectly safe to use in your septic tank. It won’t kill the beneficial bacteria of the septic tank or cause harm to the surrounding environment of the septic system.
Beneficial material helps to break down the sewage in a septic tank.
Closing Remarks
Baking soda, Root Killer, and there are some of the great drain unblockers suitable for septic tanks. They are great home remedies for backed up septic tank as well.
But, don’t deal with the septic tank directly if you don’t have minimal training. You can try to unclog the drain or pipes yourself and see if the problem gets fixed.
If not, call a septic tank pumping company to deal with the backed up septic tank.
About Author
