Renter having a problem that I think may be septic tank but don't know enough to say

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amytippin

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We are renters from a major rental company in the metro Atlanta area. The home we occupy is 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and we have lived here since November 2014. We believe the home to be on a septic system and have not seen or heard anything about anyone coming to pump it in the time we have lived here.

Yesterday, I was running the washing machine and went to use the master bathroom at the same time as a friend who went to the guest bathroom (the two toilets are back to back in the layout of the house if this means anything.) When he flushed, my master toilet made a gurgling sound, and when I flushed, the guest toilet made a gurgling sound also. I came back into the master bathroom about an hour later and there was water, dirt, leaves, and other debris in our bathtub, toilet, and upon inspection,also in the guest bathroom's bathtub and toilet. The washing machine had stopped at this point though we suspect it played a major issue with this problem. At some point, all additional water drained out and left behind only debris in the toilet bowls and bathtubs.

We went to purchase some septic tank cleaner. At Home Depot, we purchased Roebic K-57 Septic System Cleaner Emergency Care and placed it in the guest bathroom toilet and followed the instructions for toilet use. The guest bathroom bathtub filled about 4 inches high with water when we flushed it the second time but drained over a period of time. We made plans to contact our rental company but their maintenance office is closed for the weekend and at night so we contacted the emergency number for assistance. In the meantime, we left the home to seek a restroom elsewhere but our friend who is visiting us stayed behind. He ran the washing machine again without our knowledge and the toilet bowls filled to the point of almost running over. Still the water was mostly clear and filled with debris like leaves. dirt, white pieces of something, and hair/lint. Twelve hours out, the water has again drained out, but debris remains.

Our rental company's emergency service first started to send out a plumber but did not follow through upon calling us back and said if it was septic-related that there is not a lot that they can do. My husband is calling them back now that it is daytime to see if someone can help us now that it is during daytime hours as this all occurred later in the evening hours. I wanted to ask what type of blockage or clog this could be or where it would be located. I also wanted to know if my washing machine is the main cause. Per our lease agreement, we are responsible for maintaining the septic system by not flushing unusual items and using regular amounts of household cleaners but ultimately they will service major drain clogs, plumbing leaks, and water fixtures.

I am nervous because there is a byline that they have provided troubleshooting information and if the service call is found to be something that we could have fixed ourselves via troubleshooting that we will be charged for the service call.

a) Is this a direct cause of my washing machine? They did not provide the washing machine and therefore would not service the item.

b) The closest description in troubleshooting I can find is "drains draining slowly" where it advises to use liquid drain cleaner/plunge the offending drain or "toilet clogged" where it says to try plunging, then snaking, then contact for service if the clog persists. Neither of these seem to fully encompass the problem. I am concerned snaking will end up fixing the problem and therefore we will have to pay for the call. Is this a snake-worthy problem?

c) Could it be that it is a septic tank although the water is clear and there is no fecal matter as of yet? If not, what could it be?

Thank you for your time and assistance!
 
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On a properly sealed sewer OR septic system, you should not be getting leaves in the drainage lines.

You have a main line blockage, as at least two separate bathrooms and the laundry have backed up. Stay away from the liquid "drain cleaners".
 
This definitely sounds like a landlord problem. Unless you flushed a softball down the toilet, the drains should be working properly. Nothing you can do as a renter can fix this sort of problem.
 

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