Plumber or Septic Professional: Who Should Fix Your Problem?

A plumber primarily works on the piping throughout a house. The home's water supply, pipes, toilets, and any other fixtures inside a house are a plumber's domain.

The septic system is mostly outside the house. A septic tank contractor deals mostly with your home's wastewater and septic system along with the main sewer line from the home to the septic system.

When Should You Call a Plumber?

If you experience an emergency with your home's plumbing but are not sure who to call for a repair, there are some ways to tell if a job would be best suited for plumber or septic contractor.

There are several instances in which a plumber can fix your issue. If a clog is in just one drain or one plumbing fixture, the issue is likely isolated in one area. A plumber can fix these issues.

If your problem is water backing up into your house, you first need to find out if the backup is in just one part of your home or is occurring in multiple drains. A part of the septic system called the cleanout may be the cause of this issue. There is a short piece of pipe sticking just out of the ground near the septic tank. The pipe has a cap on it you can remove. Remove the cap and look into the pipe.

If you cannot see any standing water, you can call a plumber to fix the problem. No standing water indicates there is a problem between your house and the system cleanout. This area does not involve the septic system directly, which means a plumber needs to repair this issue.

When Should You Call a Septic Company?

If more than one fixture seems to be clogged at the same time, you may need to call a septic contractor. Multiple clogs occurring simultaneously indicate there may be a clog in your main sewer line leading out to your septic tank. A main line clog will eventually cause most all drains in your home to back up and not drain.

If you check your cleanout as mentioned above and you can see standing water, there are a couple of issues that need attention. There could be something blocking the area between the tank and the septic cleanout. The other indication is a possible overflow of the septic tank. These issues are best handled by a septic tank contractor.

If you see standing water outside your house near the septic tank or you notice bad smells coming from the area around the septic tank, you should call a septic tank contractor. This issue indicates the septic tank is reaching capacity and in need of a septic tank pumping.

Some of these issues seem like they could be dealt with by one type of professional, but not all plumbing issues are created equal. If you need help with your septic tank or other septic tank services, please contact us at AAA Pumping Service.