A functioning septic system is of vital importance to keep you and your family healthy. Malfunctioning septic systems can cause water to back up in your system and make your house flood with sewage water, which can be hazardous for your family and also damage your house. The most important choice you have to make when evaluating your malfunctioning septic system is whether to repair it or have it replaced. In order to make this choice for your malfunctioning septic system, there are a few things you should think about.

Water level in the tank

The first thing you need to examine when your septic tank malfunctions is the water level in the tank. If the water level is lower than the outlet pipe, it's very possible that you have a clog in the pipes and need to have the pipe cleared or replaced. This is a procedure that a plumber easily can do, not damage that forces you to change the entire system. If the water level is above the outlet pipe, the fault might lie in the tank or in any of the screens inside the outlet. In this case, you want to have your tank pumped before attempting any further repairs. If you've recently pumped your tank, you might want to have a plumber to evaluate the system and also possibly replace the tank.

Damaged pipes

If you're experiencing a pressure drop when using water in your house, you should examine all visible pipes and fixtures for cracks and rust. If you discover any soggy spots of soil on your property where you know your septic system runs, you should also dig up the pipes for examination. If this is the reason for your malfunctioning septic system, you only need to replace the broken pipes or fixtures, and there's no need to replace the entire system.

Flooding drain field

The most worrying cause for septic system failure is if your drain field seems to be flooded and there's no visible cause for it in the pipes. This means the bacteria in the drain field are fully fed and can't take anymore sewage, or that the soil has been exposed to too much sewage which causes it to overflow. In this case, you have few other options than to replace your system or parts of your system. You need to move the drain field to a different location while replacing and digging down new pipes. You might also want to opt for alternative septic tank systems, like those through Biosystems 2000, where you also get a new tank with different compartments for solids and fluids, which might help prevent the same thing from happening to your drain field again.