$10,000 Bonus

Wouldn’t we all like a $10,000 bonus for this year on our paychecks?  If you have been living in your home for 10-15 years, then a $10,000 repair bill may actually be in store for you if you haven’t properly maintained your septic tank.

One of the best and easiest ways to extend the life of your septic tank is through regular pumping.  Many experts agree that regular pump outs of your septic waste water tank will extend the life of your tank and system for many years.

A new septic tank will cost anywhere from $10,000-$15,000 (or more!) depending on the size of your home and your needs.  If you never pump, and are not mindful of the contaminants that you put in your septic tank, the average life span of your tank will only be around 10-15 years.  That is about a $1,000 a year for use of this septic sewer system.

Instead, give yourself a bonus on your paycheck or at least eliminate an unplanned for bill!  Have regular pump outs of your septic tank.  Watch the amount of water you use and be conscious of water conservation techniques.  Have a professional clean the inlet and outlet drains on a regular basis (annually is recommended) to ensure proper functioning.  Perform the recommended annual maintenance on your septic system, and call your sewer-septic professional for help if problems occur.  These routine check-ups are a small price to pay for the health and longevity of your septic tank.  You will save money in the long run.

Septic System Warning Signs

We all have had home repair issues.  The sewer septic is one area that none of us wants a problem with.  As homeowners, it is our responsibility to know the warning signs of when things may be going wrong with our septic system.

Your septic tank and sewer system is an important, expensive piece of your home.  It provides wastewater disposal for the entire plumbing system of the house.

Signs of impending nightmares include toilets that are slow to flush or have ‘remains’ in them after flushing.  Drains that are slow to drain are also signs of potential clogged drain lines.  Often, these lines can be ‘cleared’ with a simple plumbing technique, but in other cases more serious services are required.  Never place chemicals in any drain to help speed the drainage as these chemicals can actually destroy the bacteria that helps break down the solid waste.

Standing water in the area of the leach field and septic tank generally indicates a leak in the sewer septic system somewhere.  A qualified professional should be contacted immediately in these cases.

Foul odors or smells coming from the yard where the septic tank is generally indicate that the septic tank lid is cracked or broken, or that the tank itself has a crack.  A smelly septic tank odor and area is a very bad sign, and requires immediate help from a qualified professional.  In some states, civil penalties can be assessed for sewer septic tank failures.

Drain Smells

Do you ever have a sulfur smell that comes from your kitchen or bathroom drains?  Here are some helpful hints to solve your foul smell that has not been alleviated by traditional cleaning.

Make sure your drain pop up is properly cleaned.  Pop up the drain stopper, clean off any residue that has attached itself to the assembly.  This residue can build up and cause blockage and bacteria that will lead to further drainage issues.

Next, check to see if there is any blockage in the drain itself and clean out the blockage.  You can stick a long screwdriver in the drain to pull out any hair or gunk that could possibly cause further problems.  Then flush the drain with very hot water to push any small particles through.

If this blockage is thick, you may have to disassemble the elbow pipe under the sink and clean it out as well.  The elbow holds a small amount of water that is supposed to block sewer gases from coming back up the pipes and home.

Sometimes it is these gases that you smell along with bacteria that is formed from the gunk clinging to your drain stoppers.  You can try this mixture to clean your smelly drain and get rid of musty and other unpleasant odors: 1 cup ammonia, 1 cup white vinegar, ¼ cup baking soda and 1 gallon of water.

If the odor persists you can try leaving a pan of cat litter in the dry sink.  Keep the door closed and replace the litter every couple of days until the smell is gone.