Sewer Backup
Moderators: Greg, Mark, mhrAJ333, JD
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cindys0417il
I had my sewer backup yesterday and had all this gunk on my bathroom floor. The guy came last nite and rodded it out...my question is...is it ok to use that riddex stuff for the septic? How often do you need to rod out the sewer line? I don't know much about the septic and live in a park. I didnt have to pay for the rodding out but what precautions should I take so this doesn't happen again? I am very careful what I put down the drains. He said there was alot of toilet paper there. The park said not to use kleenex which I never do. I've only lived here 2 years...I did notice a smell coming from my vents and sometimes when I walked into my home..I could smell something under the deck...and lately, toilet was slow going down and heard gurgling sounds in the kitchen sink. What can I do to prevent this in the future?....it was a mess in the bathroom...I"m not even sure where it came from...it had to come from under the toilet right? Thanks for your suggestions.
Hi, I'm new to septic systems as well, having lived in our current location for only 3 years. Septic systems are designed to be like nature's way of getting rid of waste and recycling the water. There are several things you can do to better the situation. Be sure to use Scott toilet paper. Any kind of toilet paper will eventually break down, but the Scott does so better and faster than most. They have a fairly new version called "Extra Soft" and it gives you the feel of thicker tissue without clogging anything. Another thing to do is always be aware of what goes down your drain. No grease, cooking oils, as little food particles as possible, no bleach, etc. From what I've read small amounts of bleach like you would use during normal cleaning is OK, but I try to stay away from it, using Oxi-Clean instead. Anytime I buy cleaning products I always check the label to be sure they're OK for septic systems. The same goes with drain cleaners and I try to stick with enzymatic cleaners if ever needed instead of harsh cleaners.
Rid-X. Some say use it for preventive maintenance, some say there's enough bacteria in a healthy system already... For what it costs (maybe $5 monthly) I like to use it just to be sure. I have found another product from Roto-Rooter (found in my local Wal-Mart) and I like it much better. Rid-X is powder and takes a bit of flushing to dissolve good. This Roto-Rooter is a blue liquid and goes right down.
Unless you have some water traps that aren't properly filled in your plumbing system or something is terribly blocked, normally you shouldn't be smelling anything. And the mess you speak of shouldn't have came from under the toilet. If so then there's a seal problem. It could've overflowed out of the toilet and onto the floor. Hope this helps!
Rid-X. Some say use it for preventive maintenance, some say there's enough bacteria in a healthy system already... For what it costs (maybe $5 monthly) I like to use it just to be sure. I have found another product from Roto-Rooter (found in my local Wal-Mart) and I like it much better. Rid-X is powder and takes a bit of flushing to dissolve good. This Roto-Rooter is a blue liquid and goes right down.
Unless you have some water traps that aren't properly filled in your plumbing system or something is terribly blocked, normally you shouldn't be smelling anything. And the mess you speak of shouldn't have came from under the toilet. If so then there's a seal problem. It could've overflowed out of the toilet and onto the floor. Hope this helps!
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Koiflowers
- Posts: 80
- Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:01 am
We have an aerobic system because we live on the water. However, we had the septic man out recently. He had just returned from a 2-day course he had to attend to stay certified. We used Rid-Ex; however he strongly suggested that we switch to regular old Molasses. Very cheap and feeds the good bacteria in a way that keeps things in healthy proportion.
Just a FYI: We have a lot of weekenders (some show up 3 to 4 times a year). He said that not using the septic for 2 or more weeks could begin to throw the bacteria soup out of wack and could cause septic problems.
I wonder though, if you are in a park, are you on a central sewer where everyone is connected to one huge septic system? Our parks around here operate that way.
Just a FYI: We have a lot of weekenders (some show up 3 to 4 times a year). He said that not using the septic for 2 or more weeks could begin to throw the bacteria soup out of wack and could cause septic problems.
I wonder though, if you are in a park, are you on a central sewer where everyone is connected to one huge septic system? Our parks around here operate that way.
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Serena
The experts here will probably say more, but here's my two cents:
I use Rid-Ex (spelling???), or something similar, every three months.
I use the budget Scott 1000 toilet paper that states "safe for septic tanks" on the label. I don't use super soft at all.
I am very careful about no hair going down the bathtub drain and no waste going down the kitchen drains.
Haven't had any problems and have been in my place 10 months. The owner of the MHP said that my septic tank has never backed up. The septic tank is at least 35 years old.
I use Rid-Ex (spelling???), or something similar, every three months.
I use the budget Scott 1000 toilet paper that states "safe for septic tanks" on the label. I don't use super soft at all.
I am very careful about no hair going down the bathtub drain and no waste going down the kitchen drains.
Haven't had any problems and have been in my place 10 months. The owner of the MHP said that my septic tank has never backed up. The septic tank is at least 35 years old.
Serena wrote:The experts here will probably say more, but here's my two cents:
I use Rid-Ex (spelling???), or something similar, every three months.
I use the budget Scott 1000 toilet paper that states "safe for septic tanks" on the label. I don't use super soft at all.
I am very careful about no hair going down the bathtub drain and no waste going down the kitchen drains.
Haven't had any problems and have been in my place 10 months. The owner of the MHP said that my septic tank has never backed up. The septic tank is at least 35 years old.
Hey thanks for mentioning the issue with hair going down the drain. That's another thing I try to prevent as well as chunks from broken bars of soap. All of those things can clog the filter(s) in the tank and the holes in the leech field pipes.
Regarding the 35 year old system, I hope it's been pumped out since being installed. LOL.... Later!
Cindy, The first thing you need to do is find out who's end the problem really was on. In our park we have many problems with backups 99% of them are from things being flushed that shouldn't be.
It is possible that the smell you have is from a backup near you. The next time it happens call the park maintance and have them check it, if possible don't wait untill late afternoon or nights. There is nothing I hated more than a call at 6:00 with "It's been like this all day" added. Greg
It is possible that the smell you have is from a backup near you. The next time it happens call the park maintance and have them check it, if possible don't wait untill late afternoon or nights. There is nothing I hated more than a call at 6:00 with "It's been like this all day" added. Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
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cindys0417il
Thank you all for your replies.
Shadow...it regard to your reply:
"Unless you have some water traps that aren't properly filled in your plumbing system or something is terribly blocked, normally you shouldn't be smelling anything. And the mess you speak of shouldn't have came from under the toilet. If so then there's a seal problem. It could've overflowed out of the toilet and onto the floor. Hope this helps!"
I don't think it overflowed from the toilet tank because the water was still clear in the toilet bowl when I got home. My son went to my house and there was all this muck and brown water all over my bathroom floor and the only place it could have come from was under and around my toilet...no where else that I can see...The guy that came over to Rod it out said that there was alot of toilet paper in there and he said roots of the trees can clog it......from now on..I will use Scot toilet paper and use ridx maybe every couple months but what bothers me is all the muck that was on my bathroom floor when shadow says that this should not happen even with a backup of the sewer...has this happened to anyone else where this muck was all over the bathroom floor?...it looks like dark water with pieces of toilet paper...like from the sewer...please let me know..thanks.
Shadow...it regard to your reply:
"Unless you have some water traps that aren't properly filled in your plumbing system or something is terribly blocked, normally you shouldn't be smelling anything. And the mess you speak of shouldn't have came from under the toilet. If so then there's a seal problem. It could've overflowed out of the toilet and onto the floor. Hope this helps!"
I don't think it overflowed from the toilet tank because the water was still clear in the toilet bowl when I got home. My son went to my house and there was all this muck and brown water all over my bathroom floor and the only place it could have come from was under and around my toilet...no where else that I can see...The guy that came over to Rod it out said that there was alot of toilet paper in there and he said roots of the trees can clog it......from now on..I will use Scot toilet paper and use ridx maybe every couple months but what bothers me is all the muck that was on my bathroom floor when shadow says that this should not happen even with a backup of the sewer...has this happened to anyone else where this muck was all over the bathroom floor?...it looks like dark water with pieces of toilet paper...like from the sewer...please let me know..thanks.
Hi
Probably what happened was when the plumber was snaking the toilet and plunging he splashed the dirty water up and out of the toilet, and didn't clean up the mess.
I personally use Rid X every month without fail. Yeah, It may take a couple flushes...I pour in 1/2 a container then flush pour the other 1/2 and flush again.
The biggest thing with septic tanks is being vigilant on what you put down the drain. I personally make sure that when we have fried foods I let the grease solidify in the pan, then wipe it out with a paper towel into the trash.
If the wax seal under your toilet was leaking you would see a puddle of water around the base of your toilet. If it is a minor leak you may have to feel around the entire bowl to check it.
Yanita
Probably what happened was when the plumber was snaking the toilet and plunging he splashed the dirty water up and out of the toilet, and didn't clean up the mess.
I personally use Rid X every month without fail. Yeah, It may take a couple flushes...I pour in 1/2 a container then flush pour the other 1/2 and flush again.
The biggest thing with septic tanks is being vigilant on what you put down the drain. I personally make sure that when we have fried foods I let the grease solidify in the pan, then wipe it out with a paper towel into the trash.
If the wax seal under your toilet was leaking you would see a puddle of water around the base of your toilet. If it is a minor leak you may have to feel around the entire bowl to check it.
Yanita
The difference between success and failure is who gives up first!
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cindys0417il
Yanita,
IN regard to your reply ...
Probably what happened was when the plumber was snaking the toilet and plunging he splashed the dirty water up and out of the toilet, and didn't clean up the mess.
The mess was on the floor before the plumber even got there..My son went to the house and the mess was on the floor already and then the park sent over the guy to rod out the sewer line...also...you are right...I don't have any puddles of water by the rim of my toilet...it was never wet there...all I can figure is that mess came from under the toilet or under the garden tub..the garden tub was clogged at the time too...I just can't figure it out where this stuff would of came from....but it seems to be working ok now...I still have the smell in there though...and i've been cleaning and cleaning...but the smell that was on the floor is still there...maybe will be a while to get rid of??
Thanks for all your replies..
IN regard to your reply ...
Probably what happened was when the plumber was snaking the toilet and plunging he splashed the dirty water up and out of the toilet, and didn't clean up the mess.
The mess was on the floor before the plumber even got there..My son went to the house and the mess was on the floor already and then the park sent over the guy to rod out the sewer line...also...you are right...I don't have any puddles of water by the rim of my toilet...it was never wet there...all I can figure is that mess came from under the toilet or under the garden tub..the garden tub was clogged at the time too...I just can't figure it out where this stuff would of came from....but it seems to be working ok now...I still have the smell in there though...and i've been cleaning and cleaning...but the smell that was on the floor is still there...maybe will be a while to get rid of??
Thanks for all your replies..
Hi,
The backed up sewer would not of come from under the tub, it had to of come from the toilet bowl. Apparently someone flushed the toilet and it over flowed.
Anyways, the toilet is fixed, the mess cleaned up. To get rid of the smell you can go to the pet store and buy a product called Nature's Miracle. Use as directions say on the bottle. Yes, it is typically used for pet accidents but don't see why it wouldn't work in this case as well.
I consider this question answered with all the various post, so I will now lock it.
Look forward to your future questions.
Yanita
The backed up sewer would not of come from under the tub, it had to of come from the toilet bowl. Apparently someone flushed the toilet and it over flowed.
Anyways, the toilet is fixed, the mess cleaned up. To get rid of the smell you can go to the pet store and buy a product called Nature's Miracle. Use as directions say on the bottle. Yes, it is typically used for pet accidents but don't see why it wouldn't work in this case as well.
I consider this question answered with all the various post, so I will now lock it.
Look forward to your future questions.
Yanita
The difference between success and failure is who gives up first!
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