Your septic system is your own personal wastewater treatment system. It is also a living ecosystem. Sadly, not many people know how a septic system really works or how to care for it. The most common mistake people make is to immediately look for a septic pumper if they are experiencing a backup in their home.
A soon-to-be client of ours arrived home to find their septic had backed up in their basement. They quickly called their septic pumper to pump out the tank, believing that their problem would be solved. However, after two more backups and two more pump-outs within a matter of a few months, they realized something more serious was going on and called our team for trusted septic tank plumbing services in Erin.
Why Pumping Your Tank Isn’t Always the Solution
Typically, a backup is just a symptom of an underlying problem. Far too often, septic pump-outs are performed unnecessarily. According to Ontario provincial guidelines and the Ontario Building Code, septic tanks generally only need to be pumped out about every 3 to 5 years, depending upon the number of people in the household and the general health of the system.
A pump-out is only legally required and practically needed when the combined sludge and scum accumulate to occupy one-third of the tank’s working capacity. If you are pumping multiple times a year, you aren’t fixing the problem—you are just temporarily emptying a container that has a broken exit strategy.
Understanding How Your Septic System Works
Although there are several types of septic systems, traditional systems have a septic tank and a septic drainfield or leaching bed. The septic tank typically has two compartments—one for solids and one for liquids. The solids, including grease, float to the top, and the wastewater goes to the second compartment. Naturally occurring bacteria break down the waste into bio-matter, and the liquids flow out through perforated pipes to the drainfield where the wastewater, or effluent, gets filtered through the soil.
Since both the inlet and outlet are located at the top of the tank, the water level inside the tank will always be high. This is normal. One gallon of wastewater into the tank means one gallon of wastewater out to the drainfield.
So, What Actually Causes a Septic System to Back Up?
When you need a reliable plumber in Erin or surrounding areas to investigate a backup, we often find it comes down to structural or mechanical failures rather than a full tank:
- Clogged baffle, inlet, or outlet due to grease or debris build-up
- Misaligned, collapsed, or broken underground pipes
- Tree root intrusion into the lines
- Pump, blower, or float failures (in aerobic systems)
- Flushing non-biodegradable items such as hygiene products, wipes, or paint
- Driving or parking vehicles on top of the septic system
- Overuse of anti-bacterial products, harsh bleach, or liquid fabric softeners
- Building a deck, garden, or hot tub on top of the absorption field
- Too much water overloading the system due to hidden indoor plumbing problems
- A failing or oversaturated septic drainfield
- A simple lack of proper regular maintenance
Trust the Local Experts
If you are dealing with a sudden failure, calling a generic pumper might just drain your wallet instead of fixing the root cause. Whether you need an emergency plumber in Georgetown for an indoor backup, or specialized septic inspections in Fergus, we have you covered.
Plumb Perfect Ltd. is a certified, local septic service company in Caledon and the surrounding Wellington, Dufferin, and Peel regions. Our friendly technicians can quickly diagnose the exact problem and provide the correct long-term solution with upfront pricing and written guarantees. We also make sure our neighbors have the right information to care for their septic systems so they can function at peak efficiency for years to come.
To learn the signs of potential septic trouble along with some “do’s and don’ts” of septic care, click here to visit our Knowledge Hub.
For professional septic repairs, maintenance, and detailed inspections, call your local experts at Plumb Perfect today at 1-888-458-1979.
