Maintaining a healthy septic system can prevent the risk of septic back up and curb foul smells. Often when you smell a foul odor coming from your septic tank it is one of the first signs of a septic system problem. Worse, when there is heavy rain it can cause some components to your system to fail, which allows the smell to be more potent.

If your septic system is emitting a less-than-fresh odor simply because of a change in weather, specifically when there has been heavy rain, contact a professional septic system company to inspect and perform maintenance on your septic tank or leach field.

Why do septic tanks smell when it rains?

When it rains, the air becomes heavy and doesn’t allow for proper release of methane gases through your vent. As a result, the gases stay low to the ground with the atmospheric pressure, which results in a foul smell. If you have a loose toilet gas ring somewhere in your home, the added pressure from the rain can push these gases through into the house resulting in a bad smell. Even the tiniest hole can allow methane gases to leak.

Can a septic drain field flood from too much rain?

When you experience heavy rains the ground becomes saturated, which, in turn, impacts your drain field. A saturated drain field can create a number of problems for your septic system. Heavy rains result in a rise of the liquid level in your septic tank, which increases back-pressure on gases in the tank. These gases have nowhere to go but into the drain, vent, and waste system in your home. The result is a foul smell caused by a flooded drain field.

How do I get rid of septic tank smells?

Septic odors often are caused by gases in the system. You can do a number of things to prevent or eliminate a bad smell coming from your septic tank.

1. Run water through your drains frequently. Typically, houses with more than one bathroom suffer from septic smells more often when it rains because one of the bathrooms is used less often. By running water in all your sinks, showers, toilets, and drains every couple of months, you can prevent this kind of issue.
2. Septic System Pumping & Tank Clean Out 
3. Contact a professional to perform a soil and percolation test in the leach field.

Septic Medic is located in Dingmans Ferry, PA serving Delaware Township and all areas of Pike County. Dealing with a foul smelling septic tank or drain field early is key to preventing costly damages.

Septic Emergency? Contact us immediately at 570-828-7444

Additional Septic Services include:

• Septic System Alarm Response and Emergencies
• Septic System Installations
• Clogged Drain or System Backup
• Tank Repair and Replacement

If you live in Pike County, PA or the surrounding area then you know about frigid winters. If you have a septic system then you should also be aware of the problems that can arise during colder months. Luckily, there are some steps you can take to avoid emergency winter septic problems. View our septic system preparation plan to help you curb any potential problems. When the temperatures drop in Northeastern Pennsylvania, contact Septic Medic for maintenance, repair, or emergency.

How to Prepare Your Septic System for Winter

Protect your septic system from harsh cold weather conditions and keep it working at its best throughout the winter. There are several steps you can take to avoid septic system problems during the winter. The most important thing is to prevent pipes and parts of your septic system from freezing. Freezing can cause pipes to crack or cause a septic back up, which may result in an emergency septic pumping.

1. Get Your Septic Tank Pumped. We’re often asked, “Can You Pump A Septic Tank in Winter?” The answer is yes! Septic tanks can be pumped all year round and winter clean outs are generally not a problem, however, it is recommended to have your septic tank pumped before the winter weather hits. When the ground freezes it can make it harder to access the tank if there is an emergency.
2. Keep Snow Plows Off of the Septic Drain Field. It’s important to know where your septic tank and drain field are and make sure to keep snow plows off them. Plows could damage the ground which, in turn, can damage your septic system.
3. Run Hot Water in Your Home. When the temperatures drop below freezing for an extended period, be sure to frequently flush your system with hot water. You can do this by planning your laundry, dishwasher cycles, and hot showers so that your system gets a dose of warm water frequently throughout the day and evening.
4. Don’t Leave Water Dripping in Your House. Keeping faucets dripping may help you avoid frozen pipes in the house but it can harm your septic system. A gradual stream of water can overload a septic system which will actually cause pipes near the exit to your home to freeze.
5. Insulate and Prevent the Drainage Field From Freezing. Add one to three inches of mulch on the drainage field, pay particular attention to areas that do not have adequate grass cover. Mulch or straw insulation will stop melting snow from saturating the ground and reduce the chance of flooding. Insulation can also help to prevent underground septic components from freezing.
6. Schedule a Septic System Inspection. Before the temperature drops, make sure your septic system is thoroughly inspected, and if needed, make recommended repairs. Septic Medic will check your system for leaks, which can be particularly damaging in colder months, and sure all pieces are properly insulated.

Septic Medic Pike County, PA, Delaware Township and surrounding townships. We’re here to help you prepare your septic system for the colder months and resolve any septic emergencies in this winter.

Septic Emergency? Contact us immediately at 570-828-7444

Septic Medic Services Include:

• Response to Septic Alarms
• Septic Tank Repair or Replacement
• Septic Maintenance for Tanks & Leach Fields

Septic tanks serve a purpose that is not always apparent to those who live in highly populated or densely populated areas. Neighborhoods and homes that are located in these areas often have the benefits of sewer systems that are able to flush away and eliminate any waste water. But what about homes that are in less populated regions, or don’t live in a part of a town or city that offers a sewer line connection to their home or property? This is where septic tanks come into play; a homeowner with a septic tank, however, needs to be aware of some septic problems that may crop up, especially if regular maintenance and check-ups are not performed.

A septic tank system is generally designed to drain into a leach field. The maintenance and upkeep of the septic tank, as well as what you put down your drain, impacts the overall health of a septic system and leach field. When you eventually run into an issue with the leach field, there can be a number of issues. Some of the symptoms that will let you know a leach field are failing are:

• Strong odors emanating from either the septic tank or the drain field region
• Reluctance for water to flush normally, as well as noises coming from different pipes throughout the home
• Standing water or wet spots located in and around the leach field
• The toilet, shower or sinks backing up with water

Now while these are the symptoms, we still need to discuss what could actually be causing the leach field problem in the first place:

• Bio-mat building and sludge build up
• Lack of consistent septic tank cleanings
• Broken drainfield pipes or soil that has compacted too much
• Overuse of the septic system
• Roots of trees that can get into the important elements of the septic system

So how is a leach field problem then fixed? There is no “quick-fix” unfortunately, but the good news is that by process of elimination and with the help of a septic repair company that has years of industry knowledge, it can be diagnosed with ease. One of the first methods one can employ is actually prevention: preventing this from happening in the first place by getting septic tank draining on a regular basis, having your system checked at least once a year by a professional and determining your needs based on your system usage. A next step is to check if there is a clog in the system somewhere, either in the drainpipe that leads to the field, or something further up the line that could be causing the system to become overloaded.

Sometimes it requires a new trench system to replace the current one so that it drains better and more efficiently, or you may even need a septic tank replacement. Other times, you will find that it is a quick and simple fix. Ultimately, it depends on the nature of your particular septic tank setup and how your lawn is set up.

Septic Medic will diagnose septic drain field problems and perform leach field repairs quickly and efficiently.

Contact Septic Medic to discuss installation, maintenance, repair and replacement services for your septic tank system. 

What is a Sand Mound Septic System?

A sand mound, or turkey mound, is one of the common alternatives to septic drain fields in the Pike County, PA region. The turkey mound, an elevated sand mound, is a better choice for individuals who cannot risk a traditional drain or leach field due to either higher water tables in the region. A sand mound is also a great choice when your property has soils of differing extremes, such as too permeable or not permeable enough – be sure to have professional septic soil & percolation tests done when you install a new septic system.

How does a sand mound work?

Elevated sand mounds are built up from the septic tank and dosing chamber at various depths; and these depths are then determined by the particular layers of the soil and may change based on an individual’s particular property. The dosing chamber is what releases the effluent into the mound, and this is done in doses, not all at once. In this manner, it helps to distribute waste efficiently.

How to Fix Drain Field Problems

The majority of septic problems tend to occur below the surface, and without the proper tools and know-how, you could end up wasting a lot of time and still end up with no answers. So what exactly can you do if you have a septic emergency or need a septic system repair or tank replacement?

Contact a professional septic system company in Pike County, PA with the expertise and knowledge necessary to diagnosis your septic problem!

Common Septic & Sand Mound Problems

One of the more difficult aspects of owning a septic tank system is that it is not always simple to diagnose or spot an issue on your own.

1. The elevated sand mound is unable to hold water.  Heavy rains can back up the entire septic system or cause problems with system components.
2. The sand mound can become clogged with sludge or grease. In this particular instance, the portion of the mound that has been clogged needs to be removed and the sand scarified. The sand mound then will need to be replaced to the original levels.

Professional Septic Repair in Pike County, PA

Septic Medic is here to meet all of your elevated sand mound needs in Pike County PA and the surrounding areas, including Bushkill, PA and Milford, PA. Whether you’re running a mound system or a traditional septic tank setup, emergency situations can happen at any time – we are here to provide fast and reliable service!
 

Septic Emergency? Contact us immediately at 570-828-7444

Additional Septic Services include:

• Septic System Alarm Response and Emergencies
• Septic System Installations
• Clogged Drain or System Backup
• Tank Repair and Replacement