This page gives a guide to key InspectApedia.com articles on solving problems with frozen septic systems or frozen water supply systems.

Help for Frozen Septic or Water Systems - Winter Freeze Problems

How to Thaw Out a Frozen Pipe Building or Avoid Future Frozen Pipe Damage

For our readers in Southern U.S. or other countries and who are not used to having frozen pipe problems, we recommend these articles:

• DE-WINTERIZE a BUILDING how to avoid terrible water and mold damage when thawing out a building where pipes may have frozen and burst
  
• FAUCET, SILLCOCK ANTI SIPHON LEAK REPAIR install or repair frost-proof sillcocks (hose bibbs or spigots)
• FREEZE-PROOF PIPES how best to protect pipes from freezing
• FROZEN PIPE THAW-OUT find and un-freeze frozen water supply pipes or hot water heating pipes
• PIPE FREEZE-UP POINTS - where are pipes most-likely to freeze-up?
• WINTERIZE - HEAT ON PROCEDURE how to protect buildings from freeze damage when heat will be left ON
• WINTERIZE - HEAT OFF PROCEDURE how to protect buildings from freeze damage if heat is to be left OFF (or there is no heat)
• WINTERIZING an RV or MOBILE HOME freeze protections for mobile homes

Frozen Aerobic Septic System Components: now what?

Given recent freezing temperatures across much of the U.S. South in 2021, we have been receiving many reports of frozen aerobic septic system components, broken sprinkler heads, or over-filling aerobic septic tanks. 

In normally-warm climates where freezing wasn't a worry, septic installers probably did not install aerobic piping and components to be freeze-proof.

Sometimes we can find an obvious freeze-risk part such as a pipe that's above ground, and can thaw it using a hair dryer. (Take care not to use open flame torches lest you damage the piping or cause a fire.) 

You don't give your location but in your cases, too, "abnormally cold "- may mean that aerobic septic effluent piping or spray heads are frozen. If so you won't get the system working until temperatures warm; Then you will want to check for broken spray heads that may need replacement.

Until temperatures rise and frozen septic components thaw, make the absolute minimum use possible of water and thus wastewater production so as to avoid flooding your aerobic septic tanks or worse, causing a sewage backup into the building. 

These articles can help:

• AEROBIC ATU SEPTIC PROBLEMS
• AEROBIC SEPTIC WINTERIZING
• CAMPING & EMERGENCY USE TOILETS
• CHEMICAL TOILETS
  
• DISASTER ZONE TOILET GUIDE

On 2021-02-26 by (mod) - frozen Hoot aerobic septic system

@Anonymous,

Agreed that a frozen effluent line, frozen sprinkler head, pump failure, leak, and other problems can all cause a failure in the system.

An aerating failure is usually a failed pump or a leaky or damaged aerator air-line, but it could also be caused by a frozen effluent tank that in turn blocks air movement out of the aerator. Some onsite inspection is what's needed lest we keep adding to an endless list of "maybe's".

On 2021-02-25 by Anonymous

Thanks. The red light that goes with the alarm on the Hoot is steady, indicating aerating problem, not rising sewage. If it's not rising sewage would anything that froze cause aerating issue. Thanks

On 2021-02-25 - by (mod) -

@Anonymous, Yes indeed; if the pumping system or any other effluent-moving component freezes that can result in rising sewage in the tank and an alarm sound.

On 2021-02-25 by Anonymous

Can an air filter in a Hoot aerobic system freeze and cause alarm to go off?

 

Frozen water supply piping: no hot water

The frozen point is somewhere in the common cold-in to the water heater or in the hot-out from the water heater before it branches off to all of those various locations.

Take a look at the suggestions

at PIPE FREEZE-UP POINTS

and then grab a hair dryer and see if you can thaw the freeze-point; when you find it you'll know where you need to add a heat source and fix cold drafts so as to avoid having the problem over and over.

 

...

Continue reading at SEPTIC TANK & DRAINFIELD FREEZE PROTECTION, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• ARTESIAN WELL FREEZE PROTECTION
• CHEMICAL TOILET FREEZE PROTECTION
• DE-WINTERIZE a BUILDING
• DRAIN FREEZE PROTECTION
• FAUCETS, OUTDOOR HOSE BIBBS
• FREEZE & FROST PROTECTION - home
• FREEZING FORCE of ICE
• FROST HEAVES, FOUNDATION, SLAB
• FROZEN AEROBIC SEPTIC or WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM
• FROZEN PIPE THAW-OUT
• GREYWATER FREEZE PROTECTION
• SEPTIC FREEZE-UP SOLUTIONS
• SEPTIC TANK DEPTH - how to find the top of the tank
• SEPTIC TANK & DRAINFIELD FREEZE PROTECTION
• SPA / HOT TUB DRAIN / WINTERIZING PROCEDURE
• WINTERIZE A BUILDING - home
• WINTERIZE - HEAT ON PROCEDURE
• WINTERIZE - HEAT OFF PROCEDURE
• WINTERIZING an RV or MOBILE HOME

Suggested citation for this web page

SEPTIC FREEZE-UP SOLUTIONS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING FREEZE PROTECTION

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Citations & References

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