If you aren’t sure where the ends of the pipes are in your yard, contact a septic specialist to locate the system for you. You won’t know exactly which leach field pipe has a clog unless you hire a septic specialist to check them with a camera. Otherwise, you need to expose the ends of all the leach field pipes.
You can buy sewer jetter hoses from your local hardware or yard care store. You will need to clean each leach field pipe with the sewer jetter in order for the system to work correctly again. It may be difficult to feed the sewer jetter into the pipe, but it will be easier once water flows through it when you start cleaning.
You can buy pressure washers from hardware or yard care stores. Ask the employees if they offer equipment rental so you don’t have to buy the pressure washer. Avoid using an electric pressure washer since it won’t provide as much power for cleaning the leach pipes.
Most pressure washer intake valves are made for hoses with a 1⁄2 inch (1. 3 cm) diameter. Check the manual for your pressure washer to see if the valve size uses a different size hose.
Wear safety glasses while working with a pressure washer so you don’t accidentally spray your eyes.
If the sewer jetter doesn’t push further into the pipe, then the clog may be too large to break apart. Either try using a mechanical auger or calling a septic specialist to replace the section of pipe.
Wear gloves when you remove the sewer jetter since it could be dirty and have bacteria on it.
Even if some of your leach field pipes don’t have clogs, cleaning them will reduce the chance of a clog forming in the future.
If you aren’t able to find the distribution box in your septic system, hire a professional service to locate it for you.
You can buy a mechanical auger from a hardware store or online. Find out if the hardware store offers equipment rentals so you can use an auger without having to pay the full price.
Some of the roots may get stuck on the end of the auger. Pull out as many of the roots as you’re able to so they don’t come loose inside your pipe again.
Don’t pull the auger out of the pipe while it’s still running since the end may whip around and hurt you.
You can get a sewer jetter from your local yard care or hardware store. Don’t run the sewer jetter while it’s outside of the pipe since it could whip around and hurt you.
Limit the length of your showers or how much water you use in a bath to help save on water.
Avoid putting chemical cleaners down the drain since they can kill the natural bacteria in your septic system that breaks down solid matter.
You can buy copper sulfate from a yard care store or online. Copper sulfate dries out the tree roots and kills them after a small amount of time. You can also add the copper sulfate directly to the septic system’s distribution box if you’re able. Repeat the process 2–3 times a year to keep tree roots from growing.
You can buy root barriers from garden supply stores or online. Don’t put root barriers completely around a tree or shrub since you could limit its growth and cause it to die.
