If it's been a while since you inspected the leach lines in your septic system, do it soon. Leach lines, or leach fields, receive, process, and disperse effluent, or liquid waste, into the soil beneath them. If the lines clog up, effluent can wreak havoc on your septic system and/or house. Leach line inspections can protect your septic system and home over time. Learn why you should inspect your leach lines below.
Why Are Leach Line Inspections Important?
With the right care and maintenance, leach lines may potentially last up to 50 years before they completely fail. If you inspect or check your leach lines every two or three years, you can find things in your septic system that can shorten the lines' lifespan. Sludge buildup is one of the things an inspection can find for you.
Sludge contains human waste, toilet paper, and other solid waste that you create or use in your home during the day. Solid waste should remain inside your septic tank after it leaves your home. If sludge escapes your septic tank and travels into your leach lines, it can form small blockages or clogs inside them.
Clogged leach lines can allow raw waste to soak into your grass. The waste can also release toxic sewer odors into the environment. Eventually, the problems occurring in your leach lines can wreak havoc on your home's plumbing system.
For example, raw sewage may overflow your toilets or clog your drainage pipes. Odors may waffle out of your sink drains and overpower the clean air in your home. The pipes hidden behind your walls or beneath your floors may also fill up with waste and leak into your home.
You can prevent or address the issues above by inspecting your leach lines.
Who Can Inspect Your Leach Lines?
Leach lines can be difficult to inspect without a plumber's help. Most septic systems rely on multiple lines to process effluent. If you don't inspect every line thoroughly or completely, your septic system can fail.
During the inspection, a plumber will check the quality of your lines. The lines contain special holes called perforations. The perforations in your lines should be clear or free of solid waste. If the perforations contain pieces of solid waste, a plumber can unclog them for you.
A plumber will also check the soil quality beneath the lines for you. The soil should be damp but not bogged down with wastewater. If the soil is soggy or mushy, the lines may collapse in the near future. A plumber can dry out or drain the soil so that it doesn't damage your lines over time.
Learn more about septic field line inspection by contacting a service provider.
