Pre-Holiday Tips for Your Septic System

Before you start planning your holiday parties and feasts, there is one area of your home that may need preparation. If you own a home with a septic system, it is important to consider how the holidays may affect your system. Extra cooking, cleaning and people all put stress on septic systems – you don’t want a septic failure to occur in the middle of your festivities. Here are some tips to limit stress on your septic and help prevent unexpected problems over the holidays.

Spread Out Water Use

Holiday preparations can mean extra loads of laundry, many dishwasher cycles, more toilet flushes and extra people taking showers. Excessive water use can impact your septic system. When possible, spread out water use. Try to stagger use of the dishwasher, showers and loads of laundry throughout the day; do as much as possible before your guests arrive.

Septic Tank Pumping and Maintenance

When was the last time your septic tank was pumped or inspected? If it has been a year or more, it can be worth the investment to schedule an inspection before your first big party or holiday event. A quick inspection and pumping if needed can prevent problems when you have friends and family to your home for the holidays.

Use Disposable Items

Many holiday traditions revolve around food. Every dish and fork you need to wash adds to the food, grease and water that goes down your drains. Consider using disposable plates, napkins and silverware to reduce the stress on your septic.

Give yourself of a holiday season free from septic emergencies. Plan and prepare to reduce stress on your septic system to minimize the chance of any backups or failures during the holidays.

Posted on behalf of:
Metro Septic LLC
1210 N Tennessee St
Cartersville, GA 30120
(678) 873-7934

3 Things You Should Never Flush Down the Toilet

If you have a home or business with a septic system, the toilet can be the nemesis of maintaining your system. Too often, items that can clog your filters or caused damage to your septic end up getting flushed down. Ask any septic technician that has been called to handle septic emergencies what causes the biggest problems and it is often things that are flushed down the toilet. Here are three things you should never flushed down the toilet if you want to avoid problems down the road.

  1. Plastics. Nothing made from plastic should enter your septic system. Unfortunately, there are many items that get used in the bathroom that are made from plastics and end up in the toilet. Feminine hygiene products, cotton swabs, prophylactics, bandages and other items should not be flushed, but thrown away.
  2. “Flushable” wipes. They may say they are flushable, but these wipes should not be disposed of down the toilet in homes with septic systems. Most of these wet wipes are not bio-degradable and can clog up your septic system.
  3. Cat litter. Most cat litter is made from sand and clay, substances that can clog pipes and create excess sludge in your septic tank. Keep cat litter out of the toilet to avoid plumbing and septic problems.

If you own a septic system, you do not want anything that will not breakdown to be flushed down the toilet. Urine, human waste and septic-friendly toilet paper should be the only items that go into the toilet. Keeping other items out can help protect your septic system and avoid emergency calls to your septic service company.

Posted on behalf of:
Septic Service Pro, LLC
Peachtree Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30334
(678) 292-8728

Avoiding Septic Emergencies

No one wants to wake up and find backed up sewage in their toilets, sinks and bathtubs. A septic emergency is not only disgusting and inconvenient, it can be very expensive. Although not all septic emergencies can be prevented, there are often signs that can warn you of a possible problem with your system. Here are a few signs that can help you recognize a septic issue before it becomes a major septic emergency.

Slow Drains

If you have one slow drain in your home, it is most likely a plumbing problem with that particular drain. However, if you have several drains that are slow, especially on the lowest level of the house, call your septic professional. There could be an issue with your septic system that is causing the slow drainage. If not fixed, you could wake up to a nasty sewage back up into your home.

Watch Your Drain Field

Your drain or leach field is a good indicator of possible problems with your septic system. If water or sewage is pooling in your drain field or there is a foul odor, this can be a sign there are issues with your septic. Ignoring this could end up causing a septic emergency and can even end in a complete septic failure.

Odor and Wet Spots

It is not just your drain field that should be watched for signs of septic issues in your outdoor area. Any wet spots in your lawn or rotten, sewage odors can be a sign of a problem. Sewer pipes under your yard can crack, break or become blocked, causing problems. These wet areas and odor can alert you to an issue below the surface of your yard.

At the first sign of any septic issues, call your local septic service company. It is almost always less expensive to have a septic repaired before it becomes a major septic emergency.

Posted on behalf of:
Metro Septic LLC
1210 N Tennessee St
Cartersville, GA 30120
(678) 873-7934

Do You Know When Your Septic Tank Was Last Pumped?

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.