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
Aerobic treatment system
For every homeowner, maintaining a septic system that includes the septic tank is a very important task that will ensure the system stays running efficiently for many years. A home's septic tank is dependent on natural bacteria and enzymes to break down and digest waste and keep everything flowing through the system. Without the bacteria additives and enzymes, waste would build up in the tank and eventually create a blockage. The result can be septic system back up in the plumbing system which can spill in the basement and even the drain field. This would result in a very costly repair bill. In order to keep the bacterial from being killed, it is important not to put chemicals in the plumbing system that can kill the bacteria. One item that people use and pour into the plumbing system is vinegar. Many harsh chemical cleaners can harm a septic system and some can kill the bacteria additives and enzymes in the septic tank. Using vinegar is one way to avoid using harsh chemicals and the bacteria will not be killed so you do not have to worry about damaging your septic system. Because vinegar is a pungent acid, you should wear protective gloves, especially if you have any scratches. As well, make sure you do not splash any vinegar in eyes. Most experts recommend using vinegar in septic system maintenance because it will not ruin the septic system.
Septic Tank Maintenance
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.
How To Properly Clean Your Septic Tank
Septic tank systems are common in rural areas. Homes that are not attached to a municipal sewer system use these as a form of sewage treatment. A septic system carries the waste from a home into the septic tank. Regular maintenance and checks are required to keep it all working the way it should. Over a period of time, the sludge builds up in the container. It is necessary to pump out this sludge and keep the tank working the way it should. Symptoms Of A Choked Septic Tank There are some distinct symptoms that indicate a sludge build up and you will need to hire the services of a reliable septic tank cleaning company to have it cleaned out once every few years. These personnel are trained in carrying out sewage treatment and pumping. You should call them the minute you detect foul odor in the vicinity of your home. Water accumulation in the yard or above the container is another indicator that there is a blockage. Do not delay in calling them the minute you notice any of these indicators. Professional cleaning companies have trucks that have powerful vacuums attached to them. They carry out the job in an efficient manner. The tank will have some water in it even when the sludge has been cleaned out. This is very normal and cleaning the tank regularly is very important.
Clean Your Septic Tank Before the Party!
A septic system works as a mini sewage treatment facility mostly built on homes located on areas wherein access to local sewage system is quite difficult. While most are built to last a lifetime, improper septic tank maintenance can lead to damage and early malfunction of the septic system. Thus important points must be remembered in order to keep an effective septic tank system. The following are the most important points in proper care. Controlling water input Water input may seem to have no effect in everyday use, however too much water going down the tank may cause major problems. Overloading the tank with water may slow down the anaerobic digestion process in the system that makes effective. Overflows on the drain field or seepage field may happen that may include floating scum other than the liquids inside the tank that may further cause health and environmental problems. Periodic septic tank inspection While this may only be necessary every several years,it is important nevertheless to avoid abrupt problems occurring to the system. Depending on the capacity of the tank, periodic maintenance procedures must include inspection of the overall septic tank system. It should include checking levels of accumulated solids, floating scum and the water being discharge by the system to the drain field. Understanding the above items and applying them in everyday use may lead to more effective septic tank. Proper septic tank care may not seem important to most home owners since its functions are well hidden in the household, however if willfully neglected may lead the owner to suffer costly repairs, as well as health and environmental issues.
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 Tampa Bay . Hopefully, these tips will help.
SEPTIC TANK CARE | WHO TO CALL FOR SERVICE IN Tampa Bay
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]