How To Repair A Septic Drain Field

If you’ve recently started to face backwashes from kitchen sinks and toilets, and your backyard has grass growth more lush and softer than usual, chances are your septic drain field is clogged, and there’s a need for repairs.

But a leach line repair has to be one of the most complex things, which is why in this article, we’ll tell you how to repair a septic drain field.

What Is a Septic Drain Field?

For an optimal septic drainfield repair, you need to know what it is. A septic drain field, which is sometimes called a leach field or disposal field, is an important aspect of a septic system. 

It's where the last step in cleaning up wastewater happens before it goes out into the environment. Your septic tank collects all the waste from your home. After the solid waste falls at the bottom, the liquid waste, or effluent, flows to the septic drain field. 

A drain field is usually made up of a succession of holes in pipes that are installed in trenches filled with gravel. These pipelines let the wastewater flow out and into the ground around them. 

As it moves through the soil, harmful things like bacteria, viruses, and too many nutrients are naturally filtered out and neutralised. This makes sure that the water that gets into the groundwater is safe.

Common Causes of Septic Drain Field Failure

So, what are some of the common causes of septic drain field failure? Well, the drainfield is the most significant portion of a septic system. This is where water from the tank is stored until it soaks into the soil, which is where most of the treatment happens. When a septic system's drainfield stops working, it's usually for one or more of these four reasons: 

• Age of the system: A drainfield lasts around 25 years on average; this depends on how it is used and cared for. 

• Too much water: Dripping faucets, running toilets, and broken water softeners add excess water to the septic system, which might overflow your drainfield. People who live in or visit the system more than usual can also overload it.

• Blocked pipes: Roots from trees can get into a septic system drainfield and stop the wastewater from soaking into the ground. Also, if you don't pump the septic tank on a regular basis, sludge might build up and block the drainfield pipes. 

• Crushing damage: Heavy things like cars, horses, and buildings can crush pipes and compact the soil, which can hurt the drainfield. Don't put buildings on top of a septic system.

Now that you understand the common causes of septic failure, let us learn about the signs that you need a septic field repair.

Signs You Need Septic Drain Field Repair

For an optimal septic leach field repair, you need to be aware of the signs that scream “your drain field needs a repair”. These causes are easily spottable, so you just have to keep your eyes open a bit.

Your Yard Looks Swampy

While walking in your backyard, if you feel like the soil of your backyard is soggy or watery, there’s a chance that you need a septic system pumping. Keep an eye out for:

• Wet areas that don't go away, even when it's dry

• Soft ground or sinkholes over the drain field

• A bad smell like dirt near the wet spots

This is basically untreated sewage water backwashing and making its way into the backyard.

There’s a Persistent Sewage Smell in the Air

If you do not notice sogginess, you can still spot it from the smell. If you smell something like a rotten egg or faecal smell, chances are you’re smelling the untreated sewage water, and you need a leach line repair urgently.

Don't try to hide the stench or hope it goes away. The fact that trash is sticking closer to the surface than it should is a warning flag.

Your Drains Are Acting Up

If you feel like, after washing your hands, the water isn’t draining fast enough, or that flushing clogs the toilet more often, do not ignore it. This is a sign that your drain field needs repair. Some other signs are gurgling sounds in sinks, showers, etc.

Your drain field, not your pipes, could be the problem if you've already had your tank pumped and the problem continues coming back.

One Patch of Grass Is Suspiciously Lush

If you notice one patch of grass is overgrown and lush, it’s unusually green, and there are a lot of plants and weeds in that area, it isn’t something you should gaze upon; rather, it’s a sign that your leach field needs repair. 

This is because these things thrive with the nutrients carried by your waste, and by default, the wastewater. Remember, what you can't see is just as vital as what you can. Too much garbage on the surface can be very bad for your health, especially if youngsters or pets are present.

How Leach Line Repair Works

Now, before the repair starts, there are some initial processes that you need to keep in mind before you go ahead with the repair.

Septic Drainfield Repair Methods

Now, we’re already aware that drain fields are a vital feature of septic systems, but they can get clogged and need to be fixed. There are many methods to achieve this, and the best one for you will depend on how your field is doing. These are some popular ways to restore a drain field.

• Additives: If the damage is minor, like if the drains are just clogged, then the repair can be done in a simple manner with the help of additives like Accelerator by Dr. Pooper. It not only unclogs the drain field but also boosts beneficial bacteria that prevent future clogging.

• Jetting: Jetting is a way to clean up the obstructions in your drain field by using water at high pressure. A jetter is a specific tool that goes on a hose and goes into the drain field. The high-pressure water breaks apart the obstructions and sends them out of the system.

• Terralift: Terralift septic repair is a method that employs compressed air to raise the clogged drain field and make it easier for water to flow. A terralift machine is put into the earth, and the air pressure breaks up the obstructions and raises the drain field.

• Mechanical aeration: Mechanical aeration is a procedure that uses air pumps to make air bubbles in the drain field. The bubbles in the air assist in breaking up the obstructions and make the drainage better.

• Installing clean-outs and vents: If solids are building up in your drain field and causing clogs, adding clean-outs and vents can help. Clean-outs are holes that let you take the solids out of the system, while vents let air in and break up the clogs.

Role of Septic System Pumping in Drain Field Repair

Now, if you’re wondering how you can prevent the drain field damage, you need to engage in septic system plumbing every 3-5 years. It is not a repair method, but rather a prevention tool used to maximise the lifespan of your entire septic system.

It removes all the solid sludge, which prevents the septic system from clogging. Remember, Pumping doesn't fix a broken drain field immediately, but it does alleviate stress, let wastewater flow properly, and give the drain field time to recuperate from being overloaded with water.

Routine maintenance, where you use Accelerator by Dr. Pooper for the initial 6 days daily, and then once every 2 months, combined with pumping, can maximise the lifespan of your septic system.

Conclusion

Remember, the Drain Field is one of the most important parts of your entire septic system, and maintaining it is absolutely crucial when it comes to the health of your septic system. Using products like the accelerator by Dr. Pooper makes sure that your septic system maintains maximum longevity, and you save a lot of money on repairs later on.

FAQs

1. Can a leach field be repaired?

Yes, minor damage or blockages can often be repaired without replacing the entire field.

2. How much does it cost to repair a leach line?

Repairing a leach line usually costs between $1,000 and $5,000, depending on the damage.

3. What happens if a leach line breaks?

A broken leach line can cause sewage backups, soggy soil, and potential contamination of nearby water.

4. How to fix a leaking leach line?

A leaking leach line can be fixed temporarily by diverting flow, but permanent repair requires unclogging or replacing the damaged pipe.