Why is it that clogged drain issues always show up at the worst times? You’re mother-in-law visiting? Expect a backed up toilet. College kid coming home? Stopped up tub. Knowing whether your home runs on a septic system or via city sewer lines cuts down on repair time and should keep complaining to a minimum. Here’s a plumbing tip to differentiate the two systems.

Plumbing Tip – For a full septic tank look for:

• Pooling water on lawn. Smell that? It’s backed-up waste collecting on your lawn because the drain is full of debris and other solid waste. Another tell-tale sign of septic blockage? Greener, healthier grass right over the tank.

• Slow drains and toilets. Keep an eye out for sinks and toilets that are slow to drain. Also, watch for sewage back up in sinks and tubs. Both are strong indications you have a full septic tank and/or sewer blockage in your septic system.

Plumbing Tip – And for sewer drain clogs:

• Shower drain back ups. If you notice water bubbling out of your shower drain each time you flush a toilet, you most likely have a sewer drain clog. When flushed water has nowhere to go it flows back up the pipes and into the tub drain.
• Bubbling toilet. Run water in the sink closest to the toilet. If you see bubbles or rising water in the toilet bowl, it’s probably not a toilet issue but a clogged sewer line.

A qualified plumber will know how to unclog drains with either system. However, you will need to call a septic company to pump out your septic system if your septic tank is full.  Call your local plumbing contractor and bring peace and good draining back to your household.