What Your Drain Field Can Tell You About Your Septic System

February 12th, 2014 Posted in Drain Field
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Your drain field is an important part of your septic system. Although it’s the final phase of your system, it can tell you a lot about what is happening in your septic tank, pump and pipes. Keeping an eye and nose on your drain field can alert you to problems within your septic before they result in a septic failure, helping you avoid costly issues in the future.

Signs To Watch For In Your Drain Field

Your drain field should be where wastewater goes after it has undergone basic filtration and cleansing within the septic tank. The drain field is meant to filter any remaining impurities from the water before it returns to the ground water supply. However, when the system is not working correctly, the water entering the drain field will not be filtered as it should be. Some signs to look for in your drain field include:

–        Wet areas. If there are wet or boggy areas, especially during dry seasons, your septic may be failing or experiencing difficulty.

–        Odor. A strong or unusual odor coming from the drain field is a serious cause for concern. Call your local septic professional if you notice unpleasant smells near the drain field area.

–        Grass color. Watch the color of the grass growing above your drain field. If it’s a brighter green than the surrounding grass on your property, it can be a sign of a back-up as the bacteria-rich fluid actually fertilizes this particular area.

–        Waste material. If you see any type of debris in the wastewater in your drain field that should have been filtered, you may have a serious problem with your septic system.

Whenever you notice any of these changes in your drain field, it is a good time to call your septic professional for an inspection.

Posted on behalf of Seagraves Plumbing, Sewer and Septic

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Keep Grease And Fat Out Of Your Septic System

February 12th, 2014 Posted in Septic Tank Pumping
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One of the most common culprits of septic problems is grease and fat, which can find their way down the drain and into the septic system. Just like unhealthy fat can clog the arteries in your circulatory system, fat and grease can clog up your drains and septic as well. Once they’re poured down the drain, they will begin to build up in the pipes and septic system until they are either removed or contribute to a complete septic system failure. The best way to avoid these problems is to teach your family the importance of keeping these items out of the drains.

Preventing Grease Overload In Your Septic

Grease and fat collect inside of your plumbing, sewer lines and eventually end up in your septic tank. This accumulates on the top layer of your tank, and can eventually push down the liquid underneath, pressuring it out into the exit pipes and leach field. If this fatty substance goes into the exit pipes, it can clog these pipes and drain holes. The best way to prevent this from happening to limit the amount of fat and grease going down your drains in the first place.

Make a point of removing all fat and grease from plates and pans before they are rinsed in the sink. Have a metal container to pour hot grease into after cooking, which can be later disposed of in the garbage. By scraping fat and grease from plates and pans and wiping them out with a paper towel before trying to rinse them in the sink, you will remove the majority of the fat which can end up in your plumbing and septic system.

Even with preventive measures, some oils and fats can and often do make their way into the septic system. The only way to remove it once in the system is to schedule regular septic tank pumping before it causes problems. Be sure to work with a septic professional in your area to keep your system in peak condition, and you’ll be able to avoid potentially damaging and expensive problems in the future.

Posted on behalf of Septic Service Pro

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Are Your Trees Attacking Your Sewer Pipes?

February 12th, 2014 Posted in Sewer Lines
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Few things on your property are as attractive to tree roots as underground sewer pipes. Tree roots are naturally designed to go in search of water and nutrients in the soil, both of which travel through your sewer lines in your yard. It should be no surprise that these strong and relentless roots will wrap themselves around your underground sewer lines, looking for cracks to invade. Over time, these roots can overtake your sewer pipes, causing them to crack, clog or even burst.

Preventing Sewer Pipe Tree Root Invasion

If you have large trees in your yard and older sewer lines, it’s usually only a matter of time before they meet under your lawn. There are only a few ways to prevent tree root invasion: remove the trees, move your sewer pipes, or consider relining or replacing your old sewer pipes. While you can use hydrojetting to clear out roots or even have your clogged sewer lines cleared with an auger, this is only a temporary solution. To resolve the issue for good, it’s wise to consider some more permanent solutions.

  • Tree removal. While not a popular or inexpensive option, removing the trees and their stumps is one way to prevent invasion of their roots into your sewer lines. Stumps can continue to grow roots, so they usually must be removed as well.
  • Replacing or moving your sewer pipes. Moving your pipes is one option, but there is a chance the tree roots will just follow. Replacing older, fitted pipes with newer options like joint-free polyethelyne pipes can prevent tree root invasion.
  • Relining existing pipes. Many sewer companies offer relining of existing pipes with an interior coating which fills cracks and holes, preventing future tree root invasions.

Call your local sewer professional to discuss ways to prevent future damage to your sewer lines from your beautiful trees, and you may find they don’t have to be sacrificed in order to protect your plumbing.

Posted on behalf of Keith Lee, Metro Septic and Plumbing

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Preventing Septic Problems During Big Events

February 12th, 2014 Posted in Septic Tank Pumping
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A septic emergency can easily ruin a big party or holiday get-together at your home. Although you can’t necessarily predict or prevent all septic emergencies, there are things you can do to reduce the chance they will happen during your next big event. Having extra people in your home and everything that goes along with hosting a party can put extra strain on your septic system, increasing the likelihood of a problem at the worst possible time. Use these tips to reduce the additional strain, and to help prevent any septic problems from ruining your next event.

–        Food. Big events usually mean plenty of food. Keep the food out of your septic system by either scraping the plates thoroughly before rinsing them in the sink, or using paper plates to eliminate the risk altogether.

–        Water usage. When you know you will have guests for the day or even a few days, try to ease the water load during their stay by doing all laundry, dish washing and other large water tasks before they arrive.

–        Rent a portable toilet. For large outdoor parties, take the strain off your septic by renting a portable toilet which guests can use outside. Renting a portable toilet is usually less expensive than having a septic problem, and can also make it easier to ensure bathroom needs are met when there are more guests than bathroom availability in your home.

–        Pre-pump your septic. Before the holidays hit or before a large event at your home, schedule septic tank pumping and inspection to prevent any issues occurring while you have guests.

Understanding the limits of what your septic system can handle before hosting a large event is an important part of your hosting responsibilities. By preparing ahead of time, you can most likely prevent most septic emergencies from happening when you least expect it.

Posted on behalf of Mike Smith, A-Flo Free Septic

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Buying A Home With a Septic System

February 12th, 2014 Posted in Septic Tank Pumping
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Many homes are equipped with a septic system, especially those outside of city limits. If you are considering the purchase of a home with a septic system, it is important you know the size, type and state of the system which is currently in place. A new septic system can be very expensive to replace, a large expense you don’t want to be unexpectedly saddled with soon after buying a new home.

 

Questions You Need To Ask The Seller

Most routine home inspections don’t include inspection of the septic system. Although the laws are different in every state, in many states it is the responsibility of the buyer to ask questions about the septic system. Here are some basic questions you need answers for before you buy any home with a septic system:

  • Date of last pumping. Ask for documentation showing when the last septic tank pumping was performed. Most systems are pumped every 2-3 years at a minimum, and you’ll want to make sure the date of the last pumping was well within this time frame.
  • Size of septic system. Find out the capacity of the system currently in place. Septic systems are typically built for the amount of bedrooms in the home. If any additions were made after the system was put in place, it may be too small.
  • How many people lived in the home. If over five people were recently living in the home, the septic system may have required more frequent pumping in order to keep up with the demand.

Armed with this information, contact a septic company to discuss the implications of purchasing a particular property. It would be prudent to have your own septic system inspection performed before buying the home. If it will need to be replaced soon, it could affect the price you are willing to pay for the home unless the seller is willing to replace it as a condition of the sale, which is important information to have before extending a purchase offer.

Posted on behalf of Tony McAdams, A-1 National Sewer and Drain

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