My septic tank backed up into the house and broke the toilet seals- is it safe to stay given the fumes?

Question

Last night, one flush in the half bathroom of our 3/1.5 house sent both toilets and the tub gushing sewage all over both bathroom floors! Awful! We mopped/bleached/dried.

This morning, the tank was pumped out and we were told:

1) Can use both bathrooms again, but only for a few days to a week (temporary measure).

2) Must get new drainfield (around $2000)

3) This work will take a couple of weeks

4) Must get seals in bathrooms fixed - they broke during flood - and that's what's causing the smell - so it can't be done until after the other work is done first.

******So....I am wondering******

1) This is our first home. Does the about sound right for the North FL area? We have soil that drains very well.

2) Does it sound likely we'll also need a new tank/system or something else major?

3) Is it safe to stay in the house with the nasty fumes? Our friend said it could make us sick (and I have repiratory promblems).

4) Can it also make our cat sick?

Answer 1

I am 65 and raised the The Tampa area. I have lived almost entirely with septic tank homes.

A septic tank must be pumped every 3 to 5 years to keep your well field draining well. We also have excellent percolation (drainage) that is how we were able to go so long.

We made this mistake when we built our house 29 years ago and did not pump for 15 years. Our drain field solidified plus tree roots, I am sure, although I did not look for them and we had to install a new drain field also. I learned my lesson. We pump every three or four years now.

Were It I, I would call a plumber and speak to him about the problem. (a different one) I think I would have the seals replaced and stop the stink. Your septic is empty now and will take a while to fill up. Plus when they do the drain field they have to empty the tank again and it is included in the cost.

If your line is NOT draining you may have TREE ROOTS in the line. They can grind them out for a few hundred dollars instead of thousands. Did you use Roto Roter? I have always had good service from them in Tampa (Riverview a suburb).

De stink the inside and get your house livable again. Get pricing from three people on the drain field. Get referrals. I would say if you wait a month it certainly will not hurt.

How long have you been in the house? If it is builder new, you need to speak to the builder. If it is previous owner new the septic should have been pumped before you bought. (but you will do better next time).

Just remember washers, dishwashers and all the bathrooms make a lot of water waste, so do not wait too long.

Good luck. I realised I didn't answer the tank question. I think short of an earthquake they really do not break, they redirected our new drainfield a different direction. But we have a couple of acres. If you have a smaller lot they will have to dig up the old one and connect the new drain piping to the septic and lay them in the trenches (if I remember gravel goes under the pipes to make the drain bed.) Then they cover it.

Answer 2

It is possible that your drainfield may need replacing, I have no idea of the age of it but they can get plugged. I'd suggest getting a second opinion by a local professional. As far as needing a new tank it would depend on if the tank is damaged or broken and is leaking sewage, in my opinion I wouldn't think the tank needs replacing. It would be safe to stay in the house unless the fumes are causing you distress. But I would suggest replacing the wax rings on the toilets if this is where the gas is leaking in from.

The cat licks his/her own butt, I doubt the smell will affect him/her in any way. Since you had an overflow into and probably onto the floors it's probably going to take a few days to dry out completely, open some windows, run some fans I think this could also be contributing to the smell.

$2,000 for a new drain field is a reasonable price in my opinion. If everything else in the plumbing system has been/is working correctly, I couldn't foresee any other additional repairs. The house drains to the septic tank and then overflows into the leech bed, drain field. If the drain field pipe(s) get plugged the tank just fills eventually, the only cure I'm aware of is to dig it up and replace it.

Answer 3

Wow! I'm moving to FL! $2000 is cheap for a new drainfield. Up here in the frozen north country, (CT) even having a septic system fixed starts at $10K and goes up from there. As me how I know. Nahh, nevermind. I don't want to talk about it. When the tank is pumped, this only removes the items that can't be broken down through the normal natural processes. The rest of the waste matter simply floats to the surface of the tank and is sent out to the leeching fields to dissapate back into the Earth.

What seals are you talking about? If you mean the wax gaskets under the toilet, they don't last forever and aren't all that hard to do. Again, I know.

Not knowing what fumes are present, I cannot say for sure if it's safe or not. The concern with city sewars would be the buildup and release of methane gas which is highly explosive. Definately not safe. A septic system like yours probably doesn't bring a big worry with methane gas, just odor. But it could.

Normally, I'd adivise against calling any government agency and asking for help. In your case, it might be advisable to contact your town or city health department and asking the question. Or if you know anybody in the fire department, they have a variety of different kinds of gas detectors they use and can put a number on it.

I wouldn't worry too much about the cat. Cat's are incredibly tough and seemingly resistant to almost any kind of disease or parisite the critters they kill and eat that could send a human to the hospital. Vere few cats I know of have died from anything but old age.

Answer 4

1. You need to have a septic tank pumped out every year or so, depending on how many people are in the house. The longer you go without pumping, the more bound up the system gets and eventually gets completely compacted, just like constipation. If its been 4 years or more, write the check and get it done.
2. Its possiblt to rescue your system by adding a bacterial product to the tank and or flushing it directly into the field drain by inserting a semi flexible tube (1 1/4" black plastic) into the overflow and forcing it through with water from the hose. This is a self remedy for the extremely handy homeowner.
3. Don't light any matches or cause sparks or open flame. The test fro the Black Plague was to smell the air. Actually, the smell is a result, not a cause. But, who wants to smell that . . . .
4.Provide the cat with plenty of clean water so it is not inclined to drink otherwise.

Answer 5

I can't answer all your questions, but yes, I do know the fumes can make you very ill. People have died from asphixiation in those fumes. I would leave for now since you have respiratory problems. And yes, your cat will be more prone to problems because of his reduced body weight.
I also have a septic tank and often, when you care for these "smaller" problems, you can often save the tank, at least for a few years.
The drainfield also really has not much to do with how well your soil drains. We live in Northern Nevada on very sandy soil and the drainfield is for drying out the excess water in a sanitary manner. You don't want those things draining into the water table (we also have a well).

Best of luck to you!! I hope all goes well!

Answer 6

yea a mouse can swim up from ur septic tank around all those pipes and bends into ur toilet an bite u on da balls went ur sitting watching the world go by LOL Silly man ;)

Answer 7

your problem could be caused by tree roots . it may just be the tank had not been pumped for a while .get more oppionions .there is a lot of scamers out there out to line there pockets with your money.

Answer 8

no....To my understanding, sewer gas is pretty dangerous.....when remodeling they put duct tape over the pipe until they replaced the old toilet witha new one...be safe...call a plumber..better safe than sorry