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About Sharon McCarthy
Expertise
I can help with most questions about residential plumbing problems including septic systems, and some questions about irrigation. I have no experience with commercial installations or codes.

Experience
I have been a sole-proprietor service plumber in two small towns north of Phoenix Arizona for 26 years.

Publications
I had a monthly column in the United Steelworkers of America, local 1033, newsletter 1978 to 1982. I wrote an article for "The Theosophist" in 1977. I've written dozens of letters to the editor in many newspapers.

Education/Credentials
High school and three years of college. My step-father, having worked 40 years in the plumbing trade in Chicago, taught me for two years. The rest has been hands-on experience.

Past/Present Clients
Many hundreds of good people in Cave Creek and Carefree Arizona

You are here: Experts > Home/Garden > Home Improvement/Repair > Plumbing in the Home > toliet emptys into bathtub (yuck!!)

Plumbing in the Home - toliet emptys into bathtub (yuck!!)

Expert: Sharon McCarthy - 11/11/2009

Question
QUESTION: First time homeowner, not very repair savvy. I have a 9 yr old 16x70 mobile home on well/septic tank with 1 1/2 baths. Plumbing has not had much use cuz I drove a truck and was only home 2-3 days a month.
First sign of a problem was toliet did not flush completely, it left tpaper in the bowl after flush. I tried plunging and that backed up water into the bath tub and shower. Bath tub/shower wont drain now. At WalMart I bought a product by Instant Power named Main Line Cleaner and poured it down the clean out. I also used RotoRoter Clog Remover in the shower and tub drains, neither helped. Kitchen sinks and drains are working ok as are sinks in bathrooms. Any help you can offer is appreciated cuz I'm very wary of being ripped off. BTW, I did read other related questions asked of you regarding similiar problems and your answers are very helpful and easy to understand, I help you can hope me.lol

ANSWER: Dear Mike,

  Some debris or roots have collected either in the pipe going to the septic tank or at the opening to the septic tank. You will very likely need to have the line snaked. I understand your dread about being ripped off. There are probably more shady plumbers than in any other trade.

  Plumbers tend to see dollar signs when people call and sound like they don't know what's wrong, or use wrong terminology. Some people, when the sewage backs up, think the septic tank is full and call a pumping service. Most of these guys will drive right out and pump away, knowing full well the problem is not the tank. An easy 4 or 5 hundred for them. This drives me nuts!!

  I'll give you a brief rundown how it all works. All the smaller pipes going from your sinks and tub "Tee" into the larger toilet pipes. If you have two toilets, those pipes will meet somewhere under the house, and one main line will exit the house and continue on to the tank. Your main line is full of backed-up sewage, and can't go down. The water will come up at the lowest point, which is a tub. Your sinks are draining only because they are higher. That water will come up in the tub!

  Many houses have one or two pipes sticking up a few inches out of the ground, usually close to the building. These pipes will have caps on them with a square knob on top. These are called "clean-out" pipes. If you have a clean-out, this is where a plumber will feed the cable in to unblock the pipe. Otherwise he'll have to go through a vent pipe on the roof, or remove a toilet and run the cable down the hole.

  A septic tank has one basic function, to break down the solids that come through the sewerline. Billions of anaerobic bacteria live in the tank busily chewing up all the food particles and waste. Some of the heavier broken-down material sinks to the bottom, the rest mixes with the water and goes out a pipe at the rear of the tank to a leach field.

  Most leach fields are large shallow pits, maybe 4 feet deep. Perforated pipes are run parallel across the pit, then those pipes are covered with gravel, and then dirt on top. This is where the water goes out. From the tank to the field, and across the field through the perforated pipes, the water "leaches" into the ground.

  Most of the homes in my area are on septic systems. I have dealt with sewer back-ups hundreds of times. I'd say in 90% of the cases, there is something blocking the pipe going to the tank, or at the opening of the tank. It could be roots, or an accumulation of paper and waste. Often this blockage occurs where the pipe enters the tank, especially if a lot of solid matter is floating in the tank and the bacteria level is low.

  The fact that you have spent so little time at home may be a big factor. The bacteria need "food" [meaning waste matter] to flourish. If the tank sits unused for periods of time, solids can accumulate and block the opening of the tank. If this is the case, a snake may be able to break through this, but sometimes the snake cable can't make that turn down into the tank. In this case, the front end of the tank may need to be exposed, or in other words, dug up. Most tanks are one to three feet deep, depending on how far they are from the house.

  Every tank has two concrete block plugs on top, one near the front and one near the back. These plugs have wire handles on them, and they can be lifted up to expose the front and rear openings. I have opened many of these plugs. Often there is a layer of solid slushy matter right below, preventing the water from entering the tank. Usually poking a broom handle down there will break this loose and water will pour down from the backed-up pipe.

  This condition indicates that the tank needs more bacteria. The products you poured down your drains contain this bacteria, but the bacteria can't break up a clog, it can only begin working when it's IN the tank.

  Regarding finding a plumber, I always recommend asking people at an Ace Hardware store. Ace people are very helpful and usually have a list of the good local service people. Or, if you think you're up to it, you can rent a rooter machine and try doing it yourself. I wish you luck with this! sharon

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Great initial response Sharon, thanks! The man that sold me land has been in real estate quite awhile and he thought the same as you. But he also thought the tank should be pumped out cuz it was 9 yrs old, we called a company he used and they charged $195 to pump tank and $125 to "jet out" sewer line, high pressure water blown into sewer line to clear it. It says on receipt "tank gallons:1050", is that gallonage pumped out or the size of my tank? Didnt think to ask him cuz we were eating dinner and I was HUNGRY!! Is Rid-ex a good product to use or is there something better? Thanks again Sharon, your were a great help and you gave me additional information I can use in the future!

Answer
Dear Mike,

  Well, I did say MOST septic pump guys will scam and overcharge you, but not all. Luckily the realtor knew a good guy!

  I am honestly not sure about your first question, if that's how much material they pumped, or if that is the capacity of your tank. Could be both. Some tanks are 1000 gallons, give or take. Call the man and ask him! I never mind if someone calls me for my opinion or asks a question. Sounds like he's a good guy.

  Rid-ex is fine. It contains the bacteria that lives in the tank. There is a powdered form and also a liquid Rid-ex. Some people tell me they put yeast in their tanks. Yeast is food for the bacteria, but it's not the same. "Anaerobic" bacteria is a type that does not need oxygen. Since a septic system is a "closed" system, there is little if any exposure to air. This bacteria is very specific, and necessary for proper functioning of the tank.

  I'm always glad to help! Thanks for the kind words. I am a great believer in self-reliance. I haven't gotten rich from plumbing, but I don't care that much for "things". If I'm doing a job and the homeowner wants to learn how, I'll show them. Plumbers who rip people off make me furious. I work for a lot of older folks, many who are widows, and they are very vulnerable.

Regards, Sharon

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