How Long Will My Septic System Last?

December 5th, 2014 Posted in Septic System Maintenance
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Installing a new septic system can set a homeowner back several thousand dollars, or more. It’s a major and necessary investment into a home where city sewer connection is not an option. Anyone who is buying a new home with a septic, or who already has a home with a septic system, may be wondering how long they can expect their system to last before it needs to be replaced. The good news is that many homeowners have been using the same septic system for decades by keeping up with regular maintenance.

Making Your Septic System Last

As a general rule, a well-maintained septic system can last up to thirty years. Many homes have systems that are even older, with repairs and replacement of certain components as needed. The trick to making your septic system last is knowing how to maintain your system. Considering the cost of replacement, it’s well worth the money and time spent on meticulous maintenance. To promote a long lasting septic system, try keeping up with the following tasks:

–        Pumping. Make sure your septic tank is pumped as needed. A full tank can cause several problems, including a septic backup.

–        Protect your drain field. You drain field is essential to your septic system. Keep all vehicles, equipment and even foot traffic off your drain field.

–        Watch your waste. Reducing your water use and regulating what’s put down the drain can extend the life of your septic system. Keep in mind, everything that gets flushed or put down your drains must be processed by your system.

–        Inspections. Have your system inspected at least every year. Your local septic service company can check all the components and replace parts as necessary. Many companies offer a service or maintenance plan, which can keep your system on scheduled maintenance for a fair cost.

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

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Tips To Reduce Heavy Water Use During The Holidays

November 19th, 2014 Posted in Septic System
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The winter holidays bring together family and friends to celebrate, usually with large meals and overnight guests. For many people, these gatherings are some of the happiest times of the year, filled with opportunities to spend time with loved ones. However, for septic system owners, these large parties and extra people mean more water use and a higher chance of septic failure. The best way to avoid a septic emergency in the middle of the holidays is to plan ahead, and reduce your water use during these festive occasions. 

Plan Ahead To Reduce Holiday Water Use

Having guests over for the holidays will mean more water used for cleaning, cooking and personal hygiene. If your septic system has been maintained, it should be able to handle some extra water use. However, there are still ways to reduce the amount of water going down the drain, lowering the impact on your septic system. Plan ahead for your big holiday gatherings to reduce the amount of water used within any 24-hour period:

  • Disposable plates and flatware. Washing dishes before and after large meals is a large use of water. Cut this down by using disposable plates and flatware during the holiday season, which don’t need to be washed.
  • Don’t run water down the drain. Instead of rinsing items like plates or vegetables under running water, keep a water container in the sink to collect rinse water. You can dispose of this water outside instead letting it go down the drain.
  • Wash laundry ahead of time. Reduce the amount of water used near the day of your holiday gatherings by doing laundry several days before, giving your septic a rest before the big day.

Cutting out any water that needs to go into your septic system will help reduce the chance of a problem during the holidays. In addition, scheduling a septic inspection and annual maintenance before the holidays is always a good way to ensure it’s ready to handle the busy season ahead.

Posted on behalf of:
Seagraves Plumbing Sewer & Septic
4980 Plant Atkinson Rd SE
Smyrna, GA 30080
(494) 792-2221

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Water Fixtures Every Home With A Septic Should Have

October 24th, 2014 Posted in Septic Tank Pumping
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If you own a home with a septic system, you should have an idea of how expensive these systems are to repair or replace. Maintaining your septic system should always be a priority, and reducing your household water usage is a great way of protecting your system while doing your part to conserve vital resources. Every drop of water that goes down your drains must be processed through your septic tank, causing wear and tear on your system. One of the best ways to protect your septic system and reduce the frequency of septic tank pumping is to reduce the amount of water used in your home through the use of water-efficient fixtures.

Low-Flow Toilets

Your toilets are one of the largest users of water in your home. In 1994, the first low-flow toilets began to be sold. The selling point was that these toilets only used about a gallon and a half of water per flush, unlike previous toilets which used three to four gallons. While these first models did not work well, the newer versions have improved greatly while still saving water.

Water-efficient Faucets

Obviously, turning off faucets and not letting water run straight down the drain is one way to reduce water waste. Another way to reduce the amount of water you use and put into your septic system is using water-efficient faucets which can reduce water flow by 30%.

Water-efficient Showerheads

Showers are another big use of water, with gallons upon gallons going right down the drain every time someone in your family takes a shower. Every home should have water-efficient showerheads which can reduce water use by an estimated half-gallon per minute.

Reducing water usage is good for your septic system and good for the environment. Additionally, make sure to schedule annual maintenance on your system through your local septic company to add years on to the life of your septic.

Posted on behalf of Septic Service Pro

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Water Conservation and a Septic System

August 16th, 2014 Posted in Septic Tank Inspections
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Septic systems are designed to handle a certain amount of water. Proper sizing of a septic tank for a home is a huge component in ensuring that the system will last for twenty-five or thirty years. But more than just proper sizing, water conservation will also help to extend the life of a septic system. Septic systems function at their highest capacity when they are not overloaded with too much water. By taking just two simple steps, people can ensure that their water usage is appropriate for their home’s septic system.

First, it is important that there are no leaking pipes, faucets, toilets, shower or bath heads, or outside plumbing fixtures. It is a good idea to check the plumbing inside a home on a regular basis to make sure that the toilets are not constantly running, there is no drip constantly leaking water, etc. A small lead can add up very quickly. Making sure that water is not leaking or constantly running is a first step in water conservation.

Second, it is important for people to consider laundry when they are trying to determine their water usage. By adjusting the settings on a washer per load (small, medium, large), people can conserve water. Also, by doing one load per day instead of waiting to do all the laundry for a five person family on one single day, the amount of water that will be flushed into the septic tank will be a more consistent level instead of flooding it all at once.

These two steps of water conservation can make a huge difference in the performance of a septic system. By treating water as a valued resource that is meant to be managed, people can help to ensure that their septic systems last for many years.

Posted on behalf of Septic Service Pro

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Recognizing When Your Septic System Is Having Problems

November 8th, 2012 Posted in Septic Tank Pumping, Uncategorized
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Every homeowner has maintenance and repair work to deal with on a fairly regular basis. One thing that most homeowners would like to avoid having to repair as much as possible is the sewer septic system. As with most things around the home noticing early warning signs that it might be having difficulties can prevent you from having a major problem or breakdown to deal with and can ultimately save you a bundle in both time and money.

A septic tank along with the sewer system that it is connected to is not a cheap nor particularly easy system to have to fix or replace. Your septic system handles all of the wastewater disposal for the entire house so as much as possible you need to be able to identify signs that something may be going wrong before the problem gets out of hand.

One of the first signs that something is not quite right with your septic system is your toilet flushing insufficiently. Maybe the flush is slower than normal or is not completing the job and emptying the bowl properly. Slow water drainage can signify a blockage somewhere down the pipe. It can also be a sign of an overloaded or backed up septic system.  Call a sewer septic professional immediately and have the problem checked out.

A clogged drain can usually be fixed quite easily but if it is left for too long it can cause more serious problems. A backed up septic system may only need septic tank pumping, but it needs to be done as soon as possible.  If the tank if too full, too much solid material will make its way into the leach lines and clog the leach field.

Another sign of problems with the septic system is foul odours coming from the tank or the leach field. Bad smells indicate a leak or crack in the tank, or a failing leach field and a professional should address this issue immediately.

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Top Four Ways To Protect Your Septic System

October 25th, 2012 Posted in Septic Tank Pumping
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If you live in a home dependant on a septic system, you probably already know that having to replace it is not an expense you want to face. Septic systems run thousands of dollars and must be in working order for most homes to be sold or even rented. As in most of life, a good offense is the best defense. Here are the top four ways that you can protect your septic system so it will last for many years to come.

 

  1. Use water efficiently. The more water you use, the more strain it will put on your septic system. Consider upgrading to water-efficient fixtures like low flow toilets and water-reducing showerheads. Make sure you fix leaky faucets and running toilets to keep water waste at a minimum.

 

  1. Dispose properly.  Putting waste that is not easily broke down into your system can clog and damage the septic components. Do not flush or dispose of feminine hygiene products, paper towels, cotton swabs, cat litter, coffee grounds or any other solid objects. Also do not dispose of chemicals down the drain, such as paint, cleaning products and oils, as they can stress the treatment within the system.

 

  1. Inspect and pump regularly. How often you will have to pump your system will depend on the size of your family, the size of your tank and how much water you use. Most homes will need septic tank pumping about every 3-5 years. Having your system inspected about every three years can alert you to problems that need to be fixed.

 

  1. Care for your drain field. Make sure no excess water from gutters and other sources goes into the drain field. Plant only grass above it and keep vehicles off the area to protect the components.

 

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Why So Many Opinions On Septic Systems?

July 20th, 2012 Posted in Septic Tanks
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If you have been researching septic systems on the internet or by talking to friends and neighbors, you may have noticed that are many different and conflicting opinions on how well a septic system works and what you can and cannot do if you have a septic system.  Some people will tell you that they have had their septic system for 20 years, never had it pumped out, and never needed septic tank repairs.  Others will tell horror stories about septic systems that failed within the first couple years.

Some people will tell you to use an additive and others will say that additives ruin your septic system.  Garbage disposals are another contentious subject.  There are just as many people who say that a garbage disposal will cause problems with your septic system as there are those who have been using garbage disposals on a septic system without any problems.

There are a couple reasons why there is so much conflicting information about septic systems.  One reason is that every septic system is different.  How well a septic system performs depends on the size, how well it was designed and installed, the soil underneath the septic field, how well the septic system is cared for, whether it gets regular inspections and septic tank pumping, and other variables.

In addition, a septic system can take a lot of abuse for many years before it finally fails.  Since it is buried underground, there is no way to tell that a problem is slowly developing other than periodic inspections and septic tank pumping and even those cannot give you a really good idea of the health of the drain field.  In most cases, there will be little warning that a drain field is getting clogged until the system starts to back up.

What one septic system can handle may cause another septic system to fail.  In addition, many people who say “we have been doing that for years without a problem” are actually doing harm to their septic system, but it hasn’t quite failed yet.  The best source of information on your septic system is from a local, reputable sewer-septic professional who has inspected and evaluated the condition of your system and can advise you on what your system can handle.

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Doing Laundry With A Septic System

July 20th, 2012 Posted in Drain Field
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If your home is on a septic system, taking good care of the system is the key to keeping it healthy and working great for years.  In addition to regular septic tank inspections and septic tank pumping, there are a few other things you can do to prevent premature septic system failures.  The laundry room is one area where you can make a big difference over the life of your septic system.

Septic systems fail when the drain field becomes too clogged with solid material to allow the liquid effluent to percolate into the soil.  Septic systems are designed with a septic tank that holds the waste water for a period of time to allow solid material to settle out of the liquid before the liquid flows to the drain field.

When you use a lot of water during a short period of time, all that water flows down the drain into the septic tank which reduces the amount of time that the water remains in the septic tank.  This flushes more solid material out into the drain field where it can accumulate and eventually cause the system to fail.

You can help avoid this problem and some expensive drain field repairs by not saving all of your laundry for the weekend.  Instead of doing ten loads of laundry on Sunday, do one or two loads each day during the week.  By reducing the volume of water going into your septic system in a single day, you allow the septic tank to have more time to do what it was designed to do.

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Helping Your Septic System With Low Flow Toilets

July 20th, 2012 Posted in Drain Field
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There are a lot of advantages to replacing your old toilets with new low flow toilets.  You’ll save money on your water bill and help conserve the environment.  One benefit of low flow toilets that is often overlooked is that low flow toilets can help extend the life of your septic system.

The reason is that septic systems can only handle a certain volume of water and in general, the less water that flows through the system the better it will work.  A septic system works by routing household waste water to the septic tank where it is held about 48 hours to allow solid material to settle to the bottom of the tank and oils and greases to float to the top.

A system of baffles holds these sludge and scum layers in the tank while allowing the liquid to flow out into the drain field where it percolates into the soil.  The more water that flows through the system, the less time the water is held in the septic tank and the more solid material that makes its way out into the drain field where it will eventually clog up the soil.

Older toilets use between 3.5 and 7 gallons of water per flush.  New low flow toilets use as little as 1.3 gallons per flush and perform just as well.  Saving a couple gallons per flush may not seem like much, but the average family of four uses about 75 gallons of water per day for flushing the toilet.  That’s about 27,000 gallons per year.

Depending on the type of toilets you have in your home, you can save anywhere from ten to fifteen thousand gallons of water per year by installing low flow toilets.  You can save big on your water bill while helping extend the life of your septic system with new low flow toilets.

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How Long Should a Septic Leach Field Last?

April 12th, 2012 Posted in Septic Tank Pumping
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Whether installing a new septic system or buying a home with an existing septic system, many homeowners are concerned with how long the septic system will last.  Homeowners are concerned about the entire system, but the reality is that it will probably be the leach field that fails and backs up the entire system.

A septic system is a simple concept that does a very complex job.  A septic system consists of a drain line that collects the household waste and allows it to flow into the septic tank.  A septic tank is little more than a large concrete or plastic tank with a few baffles in it.  At the other end of the tank toward the top is a pipe that is connected to a distribution box.  The leach lines are connected to the distribution box.

As mentioned, the septic tank is just a large holding tank where solid material settles out of the wastewater.  Other than cracking or disintegrating over time, there is not much that can go wrong with the septic tank as long as it is regularly pumped.  Regular septic tank pumping will remove the accumulated solid material and allow the septic tank to continue to do its work.

If the septic tank is pumped regularly, only effluent should be getting into the leach field and a properly designed leach field should be able to handle the effluent and last 30 years or more.  Where people get into problems is with poor maintenance, especially waiting too long between septic tank pumping.  If too much solid material accumulates in the septic tank, it will flow into the leach field and clog the lines and the soil beneath the leach lines.  In these conditions, the leach field can fail in just a few years.

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