Now go inside. Flush every toilet. Run every sink for 30 seconds.
Pro tip: Use a metal probe rod. Poke the ground every 2 feet in a line from the house. When you hit concrete or fiberglass 2-3 feet down—bingo. Do not open the main giant lid. That’s where the swimming pool of horror lives. Instead, locate the smaller inlet baffle lid (closest to the house). how to unclog a septic tank yourself
Remove the cover. Look inside. If the waste is up to the very top of the pipe, you have a blockage. Now go inside
You can fix this yourself for the price of a pizza, not a plumber’s yacht. Pro tip: Use a metal probe rod
Now go take a shower—but keep it short. Your bacteria are working.
The Situation: You flush the toilet. Instead of a graceful swirl, the water rises like a horror movie villain. The shower drain gurgles a desperate goodbye. Worst of all? That smell near the backyard access port.
Your septic tank is clogged. Not just full (that’s a different beast), but clogged. Solids have formed a dam, or the baffle is blocked.