Are you the owner of a property with a septic tank instead of a city sewer system hookup? Do you suspect that there is something wrong with the system and are wondering what to do about it? In general, a septic system shouldn't break down any more often than the sewer system hookup that you may be used to. Even so, things will occasionally need to be fixed by a plumber or by a septic system professional. A few of the things that you might most commonly discover include:

1. Full tank: With a septic system, it can be all too easy to forget about it entirely until you notice an excessive smell or that your drains are only draining slowly. Fortunately, this is a relatively easy fix. Instead of a more complicated septic repair being necessary, you simply must pay to have the tank emptied out. If you already had the tank emptied in the past year or two, it's possible that there is an underlying issue that needs to be fixed. It could be that the drainage system has become clogged and needs to be unclogged or rebuilt in order to prevent the premature filling of your tank in the next year or two.

2. Plant roots: While it may sound gross to you, raw sewage can be great plant food. If you have any large trees or shrubs growing near where your sewage line is, the roots of the plant or plants in question may discover the sewage line as the plant searches for moisture and nutrients. If your sewage line has even a tiny crack in it, the roots will grow and force their way inside where they will proceed to clog up the system. If the roots are not removed and the line patched as part of a septic repair project, they can wind up completely clogging your sewage line and making it appear as though your septic tank is in need of pumping.

3. Non-biodegradable materials: Although a septic system functions similarly to a city sewage hookup, there are some differences. If you put non-biodegradable materials, such as paper towels or cat litter, down the drain, these things can wind up clogging the septic tank. If you've only recently purchased the property, you have no way of knowing whether or not the previous owners were careful about what they put down the drain or not. The only septic repair that may be needed is to pump out the tank and start anew, but you should also pay for an inspection, and you may have to pay extra to have the non-biodegradable materials manually removed from a clogged drainage pipe.

For more information, contact a company like Lentz Wastewater Management today.