I live in an old house that about 60 years ago started out as a dairy milk house. I have been here for the last 40 years and have never had a problem with sewer line. I don't have regular septic tank, but an old system with 2 concrete tanks that operate like an oxidation pond. One that that receives waste straight from the toilet with the broke down waste going in the next tank and the over flow going out to the another drain. I know this is really old system and I do have it pumped out on regular basis. It was drained a year ago. A few days ago the toilet stopped up. I have done all the usual steps to unclog from in side. Then I started flushing the out side line. Still stopped/slowly draining. During flushing the line some stool flushed out. I know this should not be happening. Can someone please help me understand why this has happened? Never been a problem before. The outgoing lines were replaced about 25 years ago and they are cracking. I know they have to all be replaced. No problem, will do that as soon as the other problem is resolved. Sorry for such a long post just wanted to give a clear view of our situation. Thanks in advance.

 

It's hard to say without knowing what you have. Normally there are baffles inside tanks to prevent anything from traveling directly from the inlet to the outlet. In your situation it could be almost anything. Maybe your baffle has broken/fallen. Maybe a scum layer or other debris has changed the flow inside a tank.

One option is to open up the tanks and have a look. That would also be a good time to have them pumped/cleaned out. You could also get a plumber to run an inspection camera up the line. Unfortunately a camera can't fix anything so that inspection fee will be money spent but at least it might give you an idea what you're dealing with.

 

I'm pretty sure it doesn't have baffle. But opening the tank are my next step. They shouldn't need pumping out since they were just pumped out last year, but under these circumstances I'll probably have too anyway. Thanks for your response. I'll post back what I find.

 

The first concrete tank behaves like a septic tank (or the first, larger, chamber of a dual chamber septic tank.). I should not have leaks or perforations other than the inlet and outlet.

The second allows further decomposition. If the second tank is perforated then it acts as the leach field, and is called a seepage pit. For a 2 chamber septic tank the second chamber has no perforations and also serves as an extra buffer to inhibit grease (scum) and sludge from exiting o the leach field.

Draw and post a picture showing the tanks and where you saw the stool.

 

Just curious..... if there are no perforations then all the liquid must exit via a leech field line.... correct ?
If that is correct.... how does that buffer the grease from floating out ?

 

Both chambers of the 2 chamber septic tank have baffles for inlet and outlet.
Yes there is a leach field line and field, except for a system using a seepage pit (as non-contiguous perforated chamber 2 or chamber 3 instead of a leach field).

 

Thanks for the information.