If you have a septic system in your yard, you need to be prepared for sewage backups. While they don't happen often, sewage backups can occur when the tank overfills. Your tank can overfill when there's too much time between servicing, or during heavy rain storms. When an overflow occurs, the contents of your tank will back-up into your bathtub, leaving you with a disgusting mess to clean up. If your septic tank has backed up into your bathtub, here are some instructions to safely take care of the mess.
Wear Protective Clothing
If you've got raw sewage in your bathtub, you'll need to clean it up as soon as possible. However, before you start the clean-up, you'll need to take some safety precautions. Because raw sewage poses a serious health threat, you should wear protective clothing during the clean-up. You'll need to wear long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt. Put on a pair of rubber gloves, and tuck your shirt sleeves into them. You'll also need to wear protective goggles and a face mask. This clothing will help keep the raw sewage off your skin.
Open Your Septic Cover
If the raw sewage won't drain out of the tub, you'll need to remove the septic cover. Removing the cover will open up enough space for the sewage to flow back into the tank. Locate your septic system and dig a hole to uncover the septic tank. Carefully remove the concrete septic cover. If you have an above-ground cap, simply remove the protective cap.
Once you have septic tank uncovered, contact your septic company to schedule an emergency service call. To prevent future repeat problems, you should have your septic tank emptied once every three to five years. It's also a good idea to have it emptied after a series of heavy rain storms, especially if the ground over the septic system remains soggy for an extended period of time.
Clean Your Drains
After your septic system backs up, your drains will be contaminated with raw sewage, including your tub drains. That contamination can lead to clogs and foul odors. To help prevent those problems, you should have your drains cleaned after any sewage backup, especially those that stem from your septic system.
If your septic system backs up into your bathtub, you'll need to act fast to clean up the mess. Talk to a septic service like Honest John's Septic Service Inc about ways to prevent future backups. If you continue to have problems with sewage backups, it might be time to have a new septic system installed.
Share27 March 2017
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