The First Call
What you tell us on the phone determines how we show up, pump truck or service van. We ask where it's backing up, whether an alarm is sounding, or when the tank was last pumped.
Repairs, Maintenance & Improvements
Septic Repairs, Maintenance & Improvements in Colorado
Outside of a regular pumping schedule, alarms blare, filters clog, you forget where your underground lids are located, etc, etc. Usually it's a small fix, but left unattended could lead to bigger problems. Most emergency calls come down to a failed part or clogged filter, while the rest of the system remains sound. Let A-1 Septic Service find the problem and fix it for you.
You Have a Septic Problem, Now What?
Arriving & Assessing
Once we arrive, we can look at what you can see and hear first. Oftentimes, there's more to the story that an untrained eye cannot see. Let us get the full picture and tell you our plan of attack.
Checking County Permit Needs
Some repairs are filed with the county and some are not, and the line is not obvious. We work out which side your job falls on before the work starts. Getting that wrong turns a repair into a problem at the next property sale.
House or Septic Problem?
Not every drainage problem is the septic system, and it is worth ruling that out early. A blocked house drain typically is not solved by pumping a septic tank. We will refer you to a trusted plumber and save you a septic bill.
Making the Repair
Filters, floats, lids, risers and distribution boxes are straightforward once the ground is open. Whether it finishes in one visit depends on the part and what we find underneath. We will tell you which it is before we start.
Septic Repairs, Maintenance & Improvements We Provide
Septic repair is not one job. It is a short list of components, each failing in its own way and fixed on its own terms.
- 01
The Sewer Line to the Tank
Cracked, offset or a belly in the line between the house and the tank can have similar indicators to a failed or clogged system. Nothing at the tank may be wrong, so pumping it doesn't give lasting reprieve. Repairing or replacing the line will improve drainage performance.
- 02
Risers and Lids
If somebody has to dig for your lids every few years, that is a fixable problem. Risers bring the openings up to the surface and cap them with a secured lid. Every future septic tank pumping, inspection or repair then starts without a shovel. From December through February, frozen ground and snow cover make risers and buried lids harder to reach in emergency situations meaning increased cost to you.
- 03
Effluent Filters
If you have a filter and your alarm is sounding, there is a strong chance the filter is clogged. A clogged filter chokes the whole house and mimics a full tank. Pulling and cleaning or replacing it is the smallest job on this page. We can show you how to clean your septic filter or add you to our 6-month service list.
- 04
Baffles and Tees
The baffle wall stops scum from leaving the tank for the soil treatment area (STA). When that corrodes away or snaps off, solids start traveling out with the effluent quickening the end of life for your STA.
- 05
Pumps, Floats and Control Panels
Some systems are designed with a pump, a float switch and a control panel. Although the pumps have a generous lifespan, they do eventually burn out. We will evaluate where the problem lies and can potentially replace a failed component. In other cases, pump replacements are required to keep your system from backing up.
- 06
Distribution Boxes
A distribution box splits flow between the trenches in your Soil Treatment Area, and only works when it sits level in the ground. If the ground settles, the box tips, and one trench takes everything while the others stay dry. We replace and re-level it so the field loads evenly again.
Common questions
Septic Repair FAQs
These come up on the phone more than anywhere else. Some have a straight answer and some genuinely depend on what is under the lid.
Can I shower if my septic alarm is going off?
Better not to. The alarm means the tank or pump chamber is holding more liquid than it should. Every shower, flush and wash load adds to a volume that already has nowhere to go. Keep water use to a minimum until somebody has looked at it.
How long do I have after the septic alarm goes off?
There is no fixed number of hours, and anyone quoting you one is guessing. It depends on the spare capacity in the chamber and how much water the household uses. One person who stops using water has far longer than a full house that does not.
Which septic repairs need a permit, and which do not?
It depends on the repair and on the county. Adams County requires a permit application for installation, expansion, major repairs and minor repairs. It also names work that needs no permit. That is anything not involving a tank, leach field, sewer line or effluent line. Risers, lids and distribution boxes are the examples given.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace a septic tank?
Repair is almost always the smaller job, so it is worth ruling in first. The real question is whether it will hold, or whether you will be back next year. If the same part has failed twice, the fault usually sits somewhere else.
Can a cracked septic tank be repaired?
Sometimes, depending on where the crack is and what the tank is made of. A crack above the liquid line is a different proposition to one below it. Somebody has to open it and look before answering honestly.
Will homeowners insurance cover septic tank repairs?
Policies vary, so the only reliable answer comes from your own carrier. Cover is more commonly available for sudden accidental damage than for gradual wear or age. We can document what we found and what we did, which is what an insurer asks for.
Why do my lids have to be dug up every time, and can that be fixed?
Older systems were often buried with the lids well below the surface. Risers extend the openings up to grade and finish with a secured lid at ground level. It is a one-off repair that saves excavation on every visit after it.
Get in touch
Book a Septic Repair
You do not need a diagnosis before you call. Tell us what you are seeing, whether an alarm is sounding, and when the tank was last emptied. That is usually enough for us to arrive with the right parts.
Call 303-659-0610 or email info@a-1septic.org. A-1 Septic Service has been family-owned and operated, proudly serving Colorado since 1976. Emergency calls are answered around the clock, and there is no added fee for the hour. We repair in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Larimer and Weld counties.
If nothing is broken yet, septic tank pumping is the cheaper conversation. If a sale or an addition is driving this, start with a septic inspection. Businesses can use commercial septic pumping. Where a repair genuinely will not hold, we also handle septic installation and replacement in Adams and Weld counties. Everything we do is listed on our services page.