Septic tanks are a great solution for remote or urban property owners who either cannot or do not want to be part of a municipal sewage system. A septic system is connected directly to the pipes of the residence or business and serves as an immediate filter and containment unit for water-bound domestic waste. There are certain risks related to the installation and maintenance of a septic tank; such risks have resulted in rules that need to be followed to protect the environment and property especially with the regular removal of the contents of the tank by a vacuum truck.
Frequency
Depending on the size of the unit and the household, a tank must be emptied every three to five years. This is necessary not only because of space limitations but also because the tank needs to be inspected with some regularity to check for cracks, leaks and blockages. Other reasons are as follows:
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- Emergencies – Pumping can also become necessary in cases of emergency. Sewage backup and drain clogging may occur due to blockages which need to be cleared immediately to keep the problem from escalating. Flooding can cause similar problems.
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- Precautionary Measure – Emptying the primary container can also be a precautionary measure when there are many household members; parties with many guests; or other circumstances where many people would be using the toilets.
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- Odors – Sometimes tanks are suctioned due to permeating sewer odors escaping from the system as that could be a symptom of leaking gas needing to be repaired separately. Evidence of septic failure must be attended to immediately by a professional repair company.
- Selling Property – It is also customary to pump out the septic system before selling property.
Septic tanks serve a very useful purpose for many households. As long as properly maintained by regular pumping, cleaning and inspections, they should correctly function under all conditions and for a long service life. Hopefully this information will be helpful in knowing how a septic tank is cleaned!
Follow these safety tips given below when inspecting your septic system:
1. Septic tank lid
Make sure that the access port of your tank is covered with a solid lid. Make sure that the lid is strong enough. Kids should not be able to open it. If you have no idea as to how to install the system, you can call a professional for help. The company will be more than happy to help with the inspection.
2. The tank opening
You should never lean over the septic tank opening. The reason is that the gasses that come out of the tank may knock you out. You may also fall in the tank, which may prove fatal.
3. Driving Over The septic system
Driving heavy machine on the ground where the tank system is buried is not a good idea. Actually, you may have to bear heavy costs in order to get the broken pipes repaired. So, make sure you don’t drive heavy equipment or machinery on the ground where you buried the tank system.
Contact Info:
Name: Billy Fowler
Email: info@asapadvancedseptic.com
Organization: ASAP Advanced Septic & Drainage, Inc.
Address: 5011 E Busch Blvd, Tampa, FL 33617
Phone: (813) 986-6070
How Is a Septic Tank Cleaned?
Improper maintenance of your safety tank could jeopardize the safety of your health, finances and of course the environment. Leaks, blockage and sludge build-up in the tank could contaminate the groundwater, soil and the even the nearby water bodies. Following the following septic tank maintenance tips will help keep your tank in good shape.Make Sure To Protect The Tank And The Drain FieldSafeguarding your tank from any physical damage would ensure the longevity of your septic tank. Never plant anything other than grass around your septic system. This is because the tree roots are capable of damaging the system. It is also suggested that you don't operate any heavy machinery near the tank or build a shed or structure above the system.Keep rainwater away from the drain fieldA soggy drain field leads to improper neutralization and absorption of liquid waste. Therefore go for roof gutters, landscaping and foundation drains to divert all the extra water from the septic drain field.Go For Regular MaintenanceThe solids in your septic system need to be pumped out from time to time. Ideally you need to pump your septic tank every three to five years to ensure its longevity. It needs to me mentioned that you should never attempt to open your septic system on your own since it contains poisonous gases and bacteria.
What Is Septic Tank Cleaning?
Now that you have chosen to maintain your septic system you are faced with a few question; how will you do it? Where will you start? How much money is it going to cost? Etc. Once you learn more about septic maintenance the more you will realize that choosing to maintain your septic system is a great decision that may potentially save you from terrible odors, clogging, and even more costly repairs.Your septic tank is container that relies on 2 things to work properly: gravity and bacteria. Gravity causes the waste to separate and settle in layers. Bacteria decomposes the waste.. Your septic tank is underground so you never know when you are going to have a problem. Using a septic treatment that contains bacteria and enzymes that boost the bacteria growth is the best and most reliable way to maintain your system. The best way to maintain your septic system is to monitor what goes into your tank and make sure to replenish the good bacteria in your tank.. Avoid harsh cleaners, anti-bacterial cleaners and soaps, and any items that are not organic. Because these items harm the good bacteria in your septic tank, it is important to use a septic maintenance product that contains bacteria and enzymes to replace and replenish those bacteria. Doing both of these things will make septic maintenance easy and affordable.
Septic Tank Installation, Repair and Replacement
An aerobic treatment system or ATS, often called (incorrectly) an aerobic septic system, is a small scale sewage treatment system similar to a septic tank system, but which uses an aerobic process for digestion rather than just the anaerobic process used in septic systems. These systems are commonly found in rural areas where public sewers are not available, and may be used for a single residence or for a small group of homes. Unlike the traditional septic system, the aerobic treatment system produces a high quality secondary effluent, which can be sterilized and used for surface irrigation. This allows much greater flexibility in the placement of the leach field, as well as cutting the required size of the leach field by as much as half.[1] The ATS process generally consists of the following phases:[2] The disinfecting stage is optional, and is used where a sterile effluent is required, such as cases where the effluent is distributed above ground. The disinfectant typically used is tablets of calcium hypochlorite, which are specially made for waste treatment systems.[3] The tablets are intended to break down quickly in sunlight. Stabilized forms of chlorine persist after the effluent is dispersed, and can kill plants in the leach field. Since the ATS contains a living ecosystem of microbes to digest the waste products in the water, excessive amounts of items such as bleach or antibiotics can damage the ATS environment and reduce treatment effectiveness. Non-digestible items should also be avoided, as they will build up in the system and require more frequent sludge removal.[4] Small scale aerobic systems generally use one of two designs, fixed-film systems, or continuous flow, suspended growth aerobic systems (CFSGAS). The pre-treatment and effluent handling are similar for both types of systems, and the difference lies in the aeration stage.[1] Fixed film systems use a porous medium which provides a bed to support the biomass film that digests the waste material in the wastewater. Designs for fixed film systems vary widely, but fall into two basic categories (though some systems may combine both methods). The first is a system where the media is moved relative to the wastewater, alternately immersing the film and exposing it to air, while the second uses a stationary media, and varies the wastewater flow so the film is alternately submerged and exposed to air. In both cases, the biomass must be exposed to both wastewater and air for the aerobic digestion to occur. The film itself may be made of any suitable porous material, such as formed plastic or peat moss. Simple systems use stationary media, and rely on intermittent, gravity driven wastewater flow to provide periodic exposure to air and wastewater. A common moving media system is the rotating biological contactor (RBC), which uses disks rotating slowly on a horizontal shaft. Approximately 40 percent of the disks are submerged at any given time, and the shaft rotates at a rate of one or two revolutions per minute.[1] CFSGAS systems, as the name implies, are designed to handle continuous flow, and do not provide a bed for a bacterial film, relying rather on bacteria suspended in the wastewater. The suspension and aeration are typically provided by an air pump, which pumps air through the aeration chamber, providing a constant stirring of the wastewater in addition to the oxygenation. A medium to promote fixed film bacterial growth may be added to some systems designed to handle higher than normal levels of biomass in the wastewater.[1] Another increasingly common use of aerobic treatment is for the remediation of failing or failed anaerobic septic systems, by retrofitting an existing system with an aerobic feature. This class of product, known as aerobic remediation, is designed to remediate biologically failed and failing anaerobic distribution systems by significantly reducing the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and total suspended solids (TSS) of the effluent. The reduction of the BOD5 and TSS reverses the developed bio-mat. Further, effluent with high dissolved oxygen and aerobic bacteria flow to the distribution component and digest the bio-mat.Doing so on single tank systems where solids do not have anywhere to settle, or there is no a clarifying area can do damage to the field lines as the solid matter is stirred up in the tank. Composting toilets are designed to treat only toilet waste, rather than general residential waste water, and are typically used with water-free toilets rather than the flush toilets associated with the above types of aerobic treatment systems. These systems treat the waste as a moist solid, rather than in liquid suspension, and therefore separate urine from feces during treatment to maintain the correct moisture content in the system. An example of a composting toilet is the clivus multrum (Latin for 'inclined chamber'), which consists of an inclined chamber that separates urine and feces and a fan to provide positive ventilation and prevent odors from escaping through the toilet. Within the chamber, the urine and feces are independently broken down not only by aerobic bacteria, but also by fungi, arthropods, and earthworms. Treatment times are very long, with a minimum time between removals of solid waste of a year; during treatment the volume of the solid waste is decreased by 90 percent, with most being converted into water vapor and carbon dioxide. Pathogens are eliminated from the waste by the long durations in inhospitable conditions in the treatment chamber.[5] The aeration stage and the disinfecting stage are the primary differences from a traditional septic system; in fact, an aerobic treatment system can be used as a secondary treatment for septic tank effluent.[1] These stages increase the initial cost of the aerobic system, and also the maintenance requirements over the passive septic system. Unlike many other biofilters, aerobic treatment systems require a constant supply of electricity to drive the air pump increasing overall system costs. The disinfectant tablets must be periodically replaced, as well as the electrical components (air compressor) and mechanical components (air diffusers). On the positive side, an aerobic system produces a higher quality effluent than a septic tank, and thus the leach field can be smaller than that of a conventional septic system, and the output can be discharged in areas too environmentally sensitive for septic system output. Some aerobic systems recycle the effluent through a sprinkler system, using it to water the lawn where regulations approve. Since the effluent from an ATS is often discharged onto the surface of the leach field, the quality is very important. A typical ATS will, when operating correctly, produce an effluent with less than 30 mg/liter BOD5, 25 mg/L TSS, and 10,000 cfu/mL fecal coliform bacteria. This is clean enough that it cannot support a biomat or "slime" layer like a septic tank.[6] ATS effluent is relatively odorless; a properly operating system will produce effluent that smells musty, but not like sewage. Aerobic treatment is so effective at reducing odors, that it is the preferred method for reducing odor from manure produced by farms.[7][8][9]
Septic Drain Field Problems and Repair: What to Look for and How to Get the Help You Need
Do you know people who have had to spend thousands of dollars for the repair or replacement of their septic systems? How about the expense of cleaning up or repairing the house and yard from damage caused by septic backup? Septic system backups create unhealthy and very unpleasant smelling conditions on your property, both inside the house as well as outside the house. If you have a septic system on your property, septic tank pumping should be a very high priority and concern. All septic tanks need to be pumped out (emptied) and the system inspected periodically. How often should you have your system pumped and inspected? Most septic service companies in Molalla recommend septic tank pumping is done every 3 to 5 years, depending on several variables. Those variables are septic tank size, number of people in the household and the amount of water going into the system. Having your septic system inspected can save money in costly repairs or replacement. Your local septic service company can inspect the valves, drain field, water inlet and outlets and the general condition of your tank to catch problems before they become a costly repair. Most septic tank pumping and service companies in Molalla will be able to make the repairs or replacements. Your local septic service company can also recommend additives to your tank to help control the sludge and scum that can be part of that expensive septic system failure that you want to avoid.
So, these are a few precautions that you may want to take if you are going to work on a septic tank system. This is important should you want to keep you and your family safe around the system. When in doubt, it’s a good idea to call a local septic service in Mango . Hopefully, these tips will help.
SEPTIC TANK CARE | WHO TO CALL FOR SERVICE IN Mango
Septic tank problems often occur with systems that are onion- shaped. The liquids and solids in a septic tank are separated by a baffle that comes in the form of a ball-shaped figure, or an inner sleeve shaped skin that has hooks attached to it at the top of the inner side of the neck. However, the wear and tear in the passing years may tear off the baffle allowing it to sink in the tank. Also, the ball in the receptacle may be knocked loose and disentangle itself. Most septic system problems begin with these two scenarios because liquid and solid wastes combine as they go through the soak away and this may cause a blockage.
One way to address septic tank problems especially if the baffle collapsed is for a homeowner to set-up a filter for his tank. Filters like these can be placed by a homeowner inside an outlet pipe, so that the septic system can function more effectively not to mention that it can save one a significant amount of money. However, if problems are more acute, a homeowner has no other recourse but to replace his or her old septic tank. Another concern that is related to cesspit are open, loose, or worn-out manhole covers.
Other problems that can be resolved yourself are solids blocking the soakway. A T-bar can used to unblock the passage. This very basic baffle is made of clay, but for those who want to replace it with a current version. The replacements units are generally reproduced in plastic to save on cost. However, one has to be careful with these baffles because if they are not correctly installed, the solids will still enter the soakway unhampered causing more damage. A homeowner would perhaps consider buying septic tank filler for him to solve his septic tank problems himself and save on the installation costs. On the other hand, this type of job is often better handled by a professional who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty.