Just a little more info
It has been a very mild winter compared to most, but the last week and a half has been highs in the single digits or negative temps for highs, lows from negative single digits to -22. We have about 2 inches of snow on the ground. But the main issue was that the septic filter was plugged, and popped out of its holder, and a bunch of crap, debris went into the second tank. The pump picked up some of the trash and sent it to the mound, and some of it plugged a drain back port that should allow the pipes in the mound to drain back to the tank so there isnt water in the pipes when the pump isnt running. There for no water, equals nothing to freeze. Well that drain hole was plugged with debris, and the water would stay in the piped, during that cold weather, the pipes in the drain field froze, the tank was full and couldnt empty, so the pump just kept running and trying to push water into frozen pipes, and burnt out the pump. The pipes in the drain field have 3/16" holes on the bottom to drain, instead of 1/4" that they use to use, because of a Wisconsin state law. Anyhow the debris that was pushed up in the lines has plugged the 3/16" drain holes in the pipes, and the water couldnt go anywhere.
Now the plan is, at the end of these pipes there is a cap, they are going to run a hot steam line into the end cap of these pipes to thaw from the end side of these pipes back to the tank. The water and debris that is frozen in these pipes should push backwards towards the end caps they are feeding the hose into, and clean out some of them 3/16" holes. Hopefully enough of them to allow it to work ontil spring, when it can be cleaned out better, or pull the pipes out and put new one in.
As for some of your questions, I havent been cleaning out the filter, because I honestly didnt know there was one there. I never had one in any of my other septics, and the installer never said anything to me. But now I know. I also havent had the tanks pumped out, again, I was never told I needed too, but now I know. My daughter has also been tossing stuff in there that she wasnt suppose to, but now she knows. It will be an expensive learning lesson for me.
All this happened now, and I am glad it happened now, rather then in a few week, because I would have been gone on vacation, and my house sitter wouldnt have know what to do, and could have ended up backing up into the house, and my yard.
Some other things that I need to change, I have a regenerating water filtration system that uses about 300 gallons 2 times a week, and dumps into the septic, I need to have that dumped elsewhere, or bypassed, now it is bypassed. I also have a water softener, bypassed now as well, but will need to figure something out with that as well. I dont have a garbage disposal, I was also told I may want to see about not dumping the washing machine in it as well. Not much happens in the middle of winter up here with such things, so hoping to get by until spring, which up here is usually in May.