Reasons Why You May Need A Backflow Preventer

November 16th, 2011 Posted in Backflow Prevention
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A backflow preventer is a device that prevents the water in your home from flowing backwards into the water supply.  If you are on a municipal water supply line, a backflow prevention device protects the municipal water supply from being contaminated and if you are on a well, it protects your well from contamination.

Normally, water pressure from the municipal system or your well pump keeps the water in your home flowing in the right direction.  However, there can be a drop in the water pressure due to a break in the water line, heavy sudden usage, or a variety of other reasons.  When this happens, it is possible that water in the water lines in your home or business can flow backwards into the municipal system or into your well.  A backflow prevention device stops this from happening.

There are many federal, state and local regulations that  require backflow preventers to be installed.  These are primarily directed at businesses, but in some circumstances homeowners are required to install backflow preventers.  Check with your local government or water authority to see if a backflow prevention device is required for your home or business and avoid costly fines and penalties.

If you are on a well, a backflow preventer is an excellent way to prevent contamination of the well.  Once a well is contaminated it can be expensive and difficult to get it cleaned up.  Sometimes drilling a new well is required.

If you have a sprinkler system, you need a backflow preventer.  Yards are full of pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals that can easily get into your sprinkler system.  In the event of a backflow, these chemicals will flow into your water supply line and the municipal system or your well.  No only is there a possibility of contaminating the well or municipal water supply, but when the flow returns to the normal direction all that contaminated water in your water supply line will flow into your home.

If you need a backflow prevention device installed at your home, call a reputable local plumber who handles backflow testing and installation.

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Aerobic Wastewater Treatment Systems

November 10th, 2011 Posted in Septic Tank Pumping
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Most households in the United States are either connected to a municipal wastewater treatment facility through the municipal sewer lines or use a septic system to treat wastewater.  In some cases, there is not a municipal system available and the property is not suitable for a septic system.  When a septic system is not a good option, many homeowners are turning to aerobic wastewater treatment systems.

Aerobic wastewater treatment systems work by collecting household wastewater in a tank buried underground and treating it through a natural process involving bacteria that break down and digest the wastewater.  In order for the process to work, oxygen must be pumped into the tank and there are other electrical components such as mixers and pumps.  The treated wastewater is then pumped to a drainfield similar to a septic system drainfield or to some other final treatment stage such as a sand filter.

Because these system use electrical components, they are more expensive to operate and need more frequent maintenance than septic systems which only need regular inspections and septic tank pumping. They also do not tolerate overloading or neglect as well as septic systems.  In addition, aerobic systems are less efficient in cold weather and may not be suitable for some northern climates.

On the other hand, aerobic systems are a good choice for sites that are not suitable for septic systems.  Many home sites cannot use a septic system because they do not have enough area to accommodate a drainfield, the soil is not suitable for the drainfield, or as a replacement for a failed septic system already in place.

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Septic System Maintenance Agreements

November 10th, 2011 Posted in Septic Tank Pumping
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A septic system maintenance agreement can provide peace of mind and help ensure your septic system works great and lasts a long time.  Septic systems need regular septic system inspections and periodic septic tank pumping to prevent system failure.  The cost of replacing a septic system can run well over ten thousand dollars so it is very important to have the system inspected and pumped when necessary.

The frequency of septic system inspections and septic tank pumping varies depending on the size of your system and your usage habits.  Most experts recommend having the system inspected every one to two years and pumping the septic tank every three to five years.  If you have a large system subject to light use you can probably go longer between pumping.  A smaller system subject to heavy use might need to be pumped every year.

Unfortunately, septic tanks are not equipped with a gauge to tell us when they are full and need to be pumped.  However, your septic tank inspector will be able to tell you whether the tank is getting full and needs to be pumped or whether you can another year or two.

The hard part about septic tank inspections and pumping is remembering to call your sewer septic professional to arrange for the inspection or pump out.  A septic system maintenance agreement will relieve that burden.  When you have a septic system maintenance agreement, your sewer septic contractor will automatically set up an inspection at the appropriate interval.  You won’t have to try to remember if you had your septic system inspected last year or was it the year before that?

Your septic system inspector will schedule a convenient time to inspect your septic system and will let you know if you need pumping or other septic system maintenance.  A septic maintenance agreement means one less thing for you to remember.

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Do You Know When Your Septic Tank Was Last Pumped?

November 10th, 2011 Posted in Septic Tank Pumping
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With the holidays approaching, your septic system is probably one of the last things on your mind, but if you don’t want to have to deal with a septic system emergency during the holiday season now is a great time to take care of any septic system service you may need.  Many homes will place additional loads on their septic system during the holidays due to entertaining, hosting guests, and holiday cooking and cleaning.

If your septic system is already operating at its limit, the additional holiday demands can push it over the edge and cause a septic system failure.  Not only will this put a damper on your holiday festivities, it can also put a dent in your wallet.  Save yourself some trouble and money and get your septic system serviced if you need it.

The frequency of septic tank pumping varies depending on a lot of factors such as size of the system and the demands placed on it, but most experts recommend having a septic tank inspection every two years and having the septic tank pumped when needed or about every three to five years.

If you cannot remember the last time your septic tank was pumped, it is probably a good idea to have it done now.  The same is true if you just bought a new home on a septic system.  No matter what the previous owner told you, having the septic tank pumped and inspected now will give you a “clean” start and establish a baseline so you will know how often you should have the tank pumped.  You can’t rely on the previous owner’s representations because their water usage habits were probably different than yours.

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Help Extend the Life of Your Septic System With Water Conservation

November 10th, 2011 Posted in Septic System Maintenance
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Conserving water can save you money on you water and energy bills.  According to EPA estimates, just replacing your bathroom fixtures with energy efficient faucets, showerhead, and toilets can save about 7,000 gallons of water a year.  That’s water you not only don’t have to pay for, but also water that does not end up in your septic system.  The less waste water that flows through your septic system, the longer you can go between septic tank pumping and the longer your drain field will last.

Septic systems work by accumulating wastewater in a septic tank where the solid material settles to the bottom of the tank.  The waste water then flows into the drain field where it leeches into the soil and is purified through natural biological action.  A properly sized and maintained septic system can provide great service for years, but like anything else, the more use it gets the more maintenance it needs and the sooner it will wear out.

Installing water efficient fixtures is a great way to save water.  In addition, if you use a dishwasher only run it when it’s full and avoid pre-washing dishes unless absolutely necessary.  In the laundry room, avoid running small loads but if you do, reduce the water level in the washing machine.  Also, doing too many loads of laundry in a short time period can overload your septic system.  Doing a load or two a day will allow your septic system time to treat and disburse the waste water.

Even small measures like not leaving the water running while shaving or brushing your teeth can help.  Over time, these small amounts add up to big savings and ease the load on your septic system.

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Septic System Flooding

November 10th, 2011 Posted in Septic Tank Pumping
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Flooding of your septic system occurs when the drain field or the septic tank is flooded by rising water from very heavy rain, overflowing creeks or streams, storm surge, or any other source of flooding. Flooding of the septic system will cause the system to stop functioning and may even cause untreated waste water containing raw sewage to back up into your home through the lowest drains in the house.

If your septic system has become flooded, stop using it immediately.  Even after the floodwater begins to recede, don’t start using the system again until the drain field has dried out and you have had the septic system inspected and serviced by a sewer septic professional.  Also, if you are on a well, have the well tested before using the well water to make sure it has not been contaminated by your septic system.

The septic field will not begin to function properly until the water table has dropped below the level of the septic field.  Using the septic system before this happens will result in untreated wastewater and sewage accumulating in the septic field and possibly making its way to the surface.  In some cases the leech lines in the septic field will have become filled with silt and soil and a new drain field will need to be installed.

If your septic tank was flooded, solid material from the bottom of the tank may have been disturbed and the scum layer may have been washed into the outlet pipe or drain field. The tank may have also filled up with dirt and silt.  Have the septic tank pumped and inspected by a sewer septic professional to make sure it is in good operating condition before using it again.

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Regular Grease Trap Cleaning Will Save You Time and Money

November 10th, 2011 Posted in Commercial Pumping
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The grease trap at your restaurant, commercial kitchen, or other commercial or industrial food production facility needs regular pumping and cleaning to stay in good working order.  Regular cleaning and pumping of your grease trap can also help avoid costly fines and plumbing repairs.

A grease trap is designed to catch the grease and oils that are present in the wastewater of commercial food service operations.  Wastewater from residences contains small quantities of oil and grease, but septic systems and municipal water treatment systems are designed to handle these modest amounts of grease and oil.

However, septic systems and even municipal water treatment systems would be quickly overwhelmed by the grease and oil in the wastewater of most commercial food preparation and production facilities.  For facilities on septic systems, that means the system will quickly become clogged, shutting down your business until you have some very expensive repairs done to the drain field and septic tank.

A facility hooked up to the municipal water treatment system would soon have a clogged sewer line and would also be facing hefty fines for discharging grease and oil into the municipal water treatment system.

Grease traps avoid these expensive problems, but they need to be cleaned regularly.  Otherwise, they will fill up with grease and solid food material and stop working leading to clogged sewer lines, expensive plumbing repairs, and fines.

Grease trap cleaning and pumping is a messy job, but a reputable sewer-septic contractor who handles commercial and industrial pumping can get the job done quickly and efficiently.  Set up a regular pumping and cleaning schedule to keep your grease trap in good working order and that’s one less thing for you to have to remember.

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Sell Your Home Faster With a Septic System Inspection

November 7th, 2011 Posted in Septic System
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If you are trying to sell a home in today’s highly competitive housing market, you need every advantage you can get.  With so many houses on the market, buyers can afford to be choosy.  If they find any reason not to like your home, they can find another one just like it right down the street.

A septic system inspection by a reputable sewer septic contractor can give you an edge over the competition when it comes to getting your home sold. Most home buyers will want to know the condition of the septic system before they finalize the purchase.  Generally speaking, the offer to purchase the home will be contingent on the home passing a septic system inspection or will allow the buyer time to have a septic system inspection performed.  In some states, septic system inspections are required by law before ownership of the property can be transferred.

If you are the seller, offers to purchase homes are few and far between and the last thing you want is for a serious potential buyer to discover a problem with the septic system.   Septic field or septic tank repairs can take weeks and in the meantime, the buyer may have found a different home to buy.

You can avoid these problems by having a thorough septic system inspection done before you list the property for sale.  This will give you plenty of time to have the system repaired before the house goes on the market and you will have a clean inspection report to hand to potential buyers.  You can avoid any unpleasant surprises and move quickly from offer to closing.

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Buying a Home With a Septic System

November 7th, 2011 Posted in Septic Tank Inspections
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If you are in the market for a new home, you will probably find out as much as you can about any house before you make an offer on it.  Remember not to overlook the septic system.  Many buyers pay for a home inspection, but a typical buyer’s home inspection does not include a thorough septic system inspection.

Don’t assume that just because the toilets flush and the sinks drain that the septic system is in good shape.  Replacing a septic system can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 so it is well worth it to have the system thoroughly checked out by a sewer septic professional with experience in septic tank inspections.

A septic system inspection should include having the septic tank pumped out, opened, and visually inspected.  The inspection should also cover the pipes leading to the drain field and typically includes a dye test to look for problems with the drain field.  The inspection may also include detailed inspection of the inside of the pipes using digital video cameras.

It is a good idea to be present during the inspection if possible.  Your inspector will be able to discuss any issues with you and also show you the location of the septic tank and drain field for future reference.  If problems are identified with the septic system, you can use the inspector’s report to negotiate a lower price for the home, have the seller make any necessary repairs, or you may decide not to make an offer on the home at all.

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Septic Systems and Garbage Disposals

November 7th, 2011 Posted in Septic System
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Whether or not to use a garbage disposal with a septic system is a topic that subject to some debate.  The conventional wisdom is that using a garbage disposal will cause your septic field to become clogged and fail much sooner than normal.

On the other hand, many experienced plumbers and sewer septic contractors claim that moderate use of a garbage disposal on a properly sized and maintained septic system is not a problem.  A few people even claim that garbage disposals are good for your septic system because they introduce organic material that help the good bacteria in your septic tank thrive.

With so many conflicting opinions by various experts, finding the right answer can be challenging.  However, research conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency concludes that use of a residential garbage disposer increases the level of suspended solids in the septic tank by 40 to 90 percent and increases the oils and grease by 70 to 150 percent.

What we can conclude from this information is that if you use a garbage disposer on a septic system, you will need more frequent septic tank pumping and may also be sending more suspended solids into the drain field which may contribute to clogging.  However, these solids are mostly organic materials that will decompose in the soil so it may not accumulate in the soil like non-organic material.

The bottom line is that most properly sized and maintained septic systems can probably handle the added load of a garbage disposal.  A reputable local sewer septic contractor can evaluate the load on your septic system and help you decide whether the convenience of a garbage disposal is worth the added load on your septic system.

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