Septic Tank Woes

Home ownership is fun!  Seems like if it's not one thing, it's another.  But I can honestly say that so far we have been lucky, things haven't been too bad.  Just time consuming.  Lol.

Our problems started about a week or two ago.  I ran a load of laundry in which flooded the laundry room.  Now, honestly I didn't think too much of it.  It was a load of blankets and I thought I over stuffed the machine and the water spilled out. . . the mess wasn't horrible but noticeable.  {And on a side note - I told Jerry about the incident and he did not look into it!}  The rug around the toilet had gotten washed every time I did laundry because I kept finding it wet. . . I thought the kids were doing it!

Fast forward to last weekend.  I was downstairs putting Chloe to bed and switching over the laundry and cleaning up the cat's stuff (litter box, food/water, sweeping, mopping, etc).  And as the washing machine started to drain the water from the basin I heard water pouring over and hitting the floor.  I ran into the laundry room and I find the toilet bowl over flowing with what I can clearly see as sewage.  It was everywhere!  So I told Jerry the next morning, that we had a problem. . . Heck, I wrote him a note for him to read in the morning when he got home - I still have it for proof!  {He still didn't LOOK in the laundry room}  He told me to only run one appliance at a time - that night I was also running the dishwasher upstairs and all three kids had baths. . . thought that maybe I was using too much water at once and it couldn't get out of the house at the same time.

So the next day I did what he asked.  I ran a load of laundry and only the washer machine was using water. . . It happened again.  So we went to Walmart and bought a plunger and a tiny toilet snake. . . Jerry said that the kids probably put something down the toilet and clogged it.  {Jerry still hadn't looked at it - do you see a theme going on here!?!? :-)}  When we got home, Jerry went down to unclog the toilet. . . he was downstairs a while. . .

He came up - not so happily, and reported that it was a bigger problem.  He ran to Walmart again to get a chemical to put down the drain to unclog the pipe.  The next morning, it still hadn't worked so that brings us to today!  I did some research on our Home Warranty and I found out if it was only a clog we were covered.  I had to do some talking to Jerry because he's a fix-it man and wanted to prove he could fix it himself.  But I finally got him talked into calling the warranty company and having them send out a certified plumber.  It was only a $60 service charge for us. . . and I'm sure after everything Jerry wanted to take apart and buy and break and fix and replace - it would just save me money in the long run! 

The warranty company considered it an emergency fix and sent someone out today.  Of course, it had to be after our doctor's appointment and picking kids up from school.  The plumber was suppose to be here around 5pm.  So while waiting, we did some more looking and talked to the plumber. . . he needed a accessible clean-out pipe in order for the warranty to pay for it.  Jerry and I couldn't find anything anywhere. . . but then again we didn't know exactly what we were looking for.  So with a quick call to his dad, we found out we had to dig up part of the septic tank.  Thank goodness Jerry knew almost exactly where the tank was and was able to dig up the top of it and found the manhole cover on top before the plumber got here.

Come to find out we do not have a clean-out point.  But the plumber was able to help Jerry dig a bigger opening and install a clean-out for us for $20 parts / $20 labor.  After they installed the clean-out point, the plumber called the warranty company to say "Yes, it is a clog that can be snaked.  Yes, there is an accessible clean-out port."  The warranty company gave the go ahead for the repair work and the pipe was snaked and opened up!  Everything is back to normal except the hole in the yard . . . which will be filled in once I buy a longer PCP pipe and cap.  Then if it ever happens again. . . the clean-out pipe is accessible without having to dig up the yard!

All-in-all, it was a pretty descent fix. . . I only had to pay $103.00 to have the septic tank unclogged and a clean-out point installed.  I am so thankful for that amazing plumber who helped Jerry out without charging us an arm and a leg.  It would have been so easy for him to say, no access point - not doing it.  And without the access point the warranty wouldn't have covered the fix.

We learned a lot about our septic tank today. . . and Jerry learned to check-out the "problems" I tell him about. . . even if he thinks I'm crazy!  :-)  Tomorrow is my disinfect-the-laundry-room-to-do-the-laundry-without-having-the-toilet-overflow day!!  Lol. . . it's the little things that make me happy.