Cesspool Problems & Symptoms

How do you know when you have problems with your cesspool or septic system?  You may experience one of the following symptoms.

  • Sink won’t drain?
  • Toilet doesn’t flush?
  • Bad odor by the front door?
  • Washing machine won’t drain?
  • Toilet gurgles when you flush it?
  • There is water in my basement.

Here are some troubleshooting tips:
First if you have a basement go there and locate your septic pipes.  They would be the pipes with the largest diameter  (3″-4″) and there you will see these pipes all lead to the lowest point of the basement.  This is where the waste traverses from the home to the septic system.  If you knock on these pipes and it doesn’t have a hollow sound then your septic system is either full or clogged.  Both of these problems we can fix.  If these pipes do have a hollow sound and do not appear to be full of water then see if other sinks will drain.  If they do drain then the sink drain itself may be clogged and not the entire septic system.

These are all symptoms of a cesspool or septic system that needs to be serviced. Here is what you can do as a homeowner to deal with the issue. Call us (631) 878-6800 and report the problem. Do not panic and we will send someone to your home as soon as possible. In the meantime, do not run the following; washing machine, dishwasher, or bathtubs until we arrive and troubleshoot the problem. Also it wold be easier and less costly if you have a copy of the survey of your home unless you know exactly where the septic system or cesspool is located. The water in the septic system or cesspool should go down slowly overnight so even if we cannot arrive that evening we can be there early the next morning.