Cleaning the Streets is Easy with a Vacuum Truck!

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From industrial tanks and reservoirs to bustling city streets, a vacuum truck cleans and hauls away waste with ease. A vacuum truck is simply a truck that is equipped with a tank and a pump, which is primarily designed to suck up liquid, sludge, slurries, dirt, and other material both above and below ground. The waste is then transported to a disposal or treatment site. The most common material that vacuum trucks remove is sewage — human excreta mixed with water — but they are also a great way to clean streets. Here are the four benefits of choosing Vacuum Truck Services in Houston, TX.

1. Versatility

Not all vacuum trucks are created equally. There is a wide variety of models and makers that suit different cleaning jobs better than others. You can choose between both wet and dry debris vacuum truck services in Houston, TX. These industrial vehicles are equipped with water tanks that can hold up to 1,500 gallons of waste, and debris tanks that can hold up to 2,000 gallons. Vacuum trucks are also equipped with odor control and spill prevention apparatuses to ensure there is no possibility of the public being exposed to harmful or hazardous materials.

2. Safety

A vacuum truck is not only safe for a properly trained crew to operate, but it improves safety for communities and animals. Vacuum truck services in Houston, TX, remove trash and waste that litters the street and settles in gutters. Litter can easily fly across the front or back window of a car and startle a driver or obstruct the view out a window. It is also possible for drivers to mistake garbage for an animal or other object causing them to swerve, so it is important that upkeep be maintained to reduce the possibility of an accident or collision. Maintaining clean streets also reduces the risk of wildlife or pets consuming trash or debris that could be detrimental to their health. There is less chance of animals being killed or injured by cars on the roadways when debris is removed.

3. Environmental Protection

Not only do vacuum truck services in Houston, TX, make communities look better but the regular cleaning also protects the environment. Hazardous waste and metal particles are often left behind from trash and passing vehicles. If the waste and particles are not properly dealt with, they can cause a lot of harm. This debris can be absorbed into the ground, and travel via rain and wind into rivers, creeks, bays, and beaches.

4. Reduce Damage

Abrasion is one of the most common causes of automobile finish damage. If left unchecked, debris can cause serious damage to cars, especially the undercoating. Vacuum truck services in Houston, TX, reduce the risk of vehicle damage and also eliminate potential damage to roadways. Storm drains can quickly become clogged if garbage is ignored and allowed to pile up. This causes runoff pathways to be blocked and water is able to build up on streets, which over time, can lead to erosion. Clean up is especially important in areas where construction or developmental crews are working. Visit our website for more information.

Wastewater Lift Station – How Does it Work?

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What is a Lift Station?

Most homeowners or business owners don’t often think about wastewater lift stations until something goes wrong, but wastewater lift stations are crucial to the proper disposal and storage of sewage and wastewater.

A wastewater lift station is used to pump wastewater or sewage from a lower level to a higher level when the gradient of the area doesn’t allow for a natural flow. This is how it works:

Sewage is stored and fed into a pit and once it reaches a certain level electrical instruments will recognize that the pit is full and automatically activate the pump. When that happens, the sewage will be pumped out to its next destination. It’s a simple system, but if it’s not maintained properly, it can cause a lot of complex and costly issues.

The Elements of a Wastewater Lift Station

There are two main components of a wastewater lift station: the controls and the wet well. The controls do just that: control the lift station, acting as the “brains” of the station. The wet well is a basin where the wastewater is discharged. The wet well also holds the pumps for the lift station.

If you have a wastewater lift station for your Houston home or office, it’s important that you ensure it is maintained regularly to avoid any costly and time-consuming disruptions in its service. You want to prevent any clogging or back-ups, and ensure your wastewater lift station in Houston is regularly cleaned.

Why is Regular Maintenance Important?

The majority of wastewater lift stations are stored underground to prevent contagion and health risks. Sewage, after all, can release poisonous gases like methane and hydrogen sulfide into the atmosphere, and can also spread pathogens and diseases. It’s crucial for your health and for the health of others that sewage is always properly contained and disposed of, so it’s important that all sewage disposal systems are working and properly maintained to avoid the spread of diseases and harmful chemicals.

Consult a professional to take a look at your wastewater lift station in Houston to ensure that all the elements of the station are working as they should. You should also hire someone to ensure proper maintenance of your lift station on a regular basis. Proper maintenance of a lift station can save you a lot of headache and money in the future, as disruptions to sewage disposal systems can be very costly, stressful, and time-consuming. Wells need to be pumped out and cleaned to avoid clogging and build-up, valves need to be greased, and the lift station should be properly inspected and regularly cleaned to ensure optimal performance. A professional drain specialist will also check to see if all the electrical equipment is working properly.

Don’t wait until there’s a problem with your wastewater lift station before you talk to a drain specialist. Avoid the future hassle and financial cost by hiring a professional and experienced drain specialist to inspect and maintain your wastewater lift station in Houston. You’ll be happy you did.

How to Keep Grease Trap Clean and Safe

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Grease traps are often a major hassle for restaurants and commercial kitchens, but their regular cleaning and maintenance results in a much better experience with them. Grease trap cleaning is very important, as it keeps the grease traps functional, keeping fats, oils or grease (FOG) from entering the public sewer system, and also keeps your pipes flowing and prevents backups or noxious gases from leaking out.

Stopping Those Nasty Clogs

Grease traps, in general, help keep your business’s pipes flowing, but also helps the public sewers by preventing FOG from entering the system and clogging it up. When you pour FOGs down the drain, they will cool down and solidify, resulting in a mass growing on the inside of your pipes until it fully blocks the pipe. If these FOG make it to your municipal sewers, this can cause a blockage that affects entire city blocks and results in you being fined heavily to pay for the cleanup. This is why grease trap cleaning is very important. Depending on the size of your business, traps, and laws in your area, you may need to clean your traps at least once a month to keep everything flowing properly.

Cleaning Your Grease Traps

Ideally, when you need a grease trap cleaning, you should consider using a professional cleaning company like Drane Ranger. While you can do the job yourself, you need to ensure you have all the necessary equipment, such as respirators, rubber gloves, coveralls, scraper, wrench, bucket & scoop, and a shop vacuum to suck everything out. Doing it yourself is going to be very unpleasant, and while you can clean out most of the FOGs and such from your grease trap, you likely do not have the equipment and expertise to deal with the intake and outtake outlets properly, or the capability to do maintenance checks on all the parts of the system to ensure that nothing needs to be repaired or replaced.

Safety is a Concern with Grease Traps

If you don’t perform regular grease trap cleaning, or do the bare minimum required, you may be risking your staff or customer safety. While grease traps gather FOG, they also gather up food particles that make their way down your sinks. These food particles over time are going to break down and start letting off noxious sulfur fumes, which not only smell bad but can be a health hazard.

What Not To Do With Grease Traps

Many may think of doing something to try to delay the next time they need a grease trap cleaning, but some of these things can be harmful to your grease trap, pipes, and sewers. Do not pour boiling water into the trap; this will liquefy any FOG and send it into the sewers to solidify again, causing a very expensive backup in the future. Do not put chemicals, bleach, additives, or drain cleaners into a trap. These will destroy the bacteria that is in the trap breaking down the FOG, and risks environmental damage. Do not add extra biological agents, enzymes or bugs to the system, as these may emulsify the grease and allow it to pass straight into the municipal sewer.

Hire a Professional Cleaner for Your Grease Trap Cleaning

To ensure you get a proper clean, and proper maintenance and repairs to your grease trap system, contact the professionals at Drane Ranger today to book an appointment for cleaning your grease traps.

What Happens Due to Poor Septic Tank Maintenance

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Without proper septic tank maintenance, you run the risk of your septic tank failing. Not treating and disposing of sewage in a sound environmental or safe fashion can cause the leakage of substantial amounts of chemicals such as ammonia or fecal coliform into surface water and nearby wells.

Septic tanks are the same as other major appliances, and they need routine septic tank maintenance. The purpose of a septic tank is to stop solids from entering the drainfield. If they reach this area, they’ll clog the small spores in the gravel and soil below; resulting in sewage backing up into your house or surfacing in your yard.

There are signs to watch for to make sure it doesn’t happen, but you should never let your tank get to this stage due to lack of septic tank maintenance.

Signs You Need Emergency Septic Tank Maintenance

• Your pipes aren’t clogged, but your drains empty slowly.

• Sewage backs up into your house.

• You noticed a smelly wet spot in your yard.

• Your septic tank pipes to a stream or ditch.

• Your sink or washing machine is piped to a stream or road.

• When the ground is wet from rainfall, you experience issues with your drains.

• A wet spot appears in your yard when you’re doing laundry.

• You need to pump your septic tank more than once a year.

• The grass around or over your septic tank is greener than the rest of your lawn.

If you’re experiencing any of the above, you should contact a septic tank maintenance company as soon as possible. As we mentioned earlier, the best practice is to care for your tank on a regular basis. If you find this idea distasteful, the good news is you don’t have to do it yourself because there are companies who offer this service.

A septic tank maintenance company can inspect the effluent filter or sanitary tee outlet to make sure it’s functioning properly as well.

How Does a Septic Tank Work?

To understand the importance of septic tank maintenance more fully perhaps it would be easier to first understand what they do and how they work. Simply put, a septic tank is an underground watertight tank that’s usually made of plastic or concrete, and it’s divided into two compartments.

Your septic tank receives all household or business sewage and separates the liquid part of waste from the solid portion. The liquid portion passes out of the tank after around 24-hours. Your septic tank has three purposes: first it collects the solid materials, secondly it allows some bacterial breakdown of waste materials to happen, and third, it acts as a storage chamber for undigested solid materials that need removal. This is where regular septic tank maintenance comes in.

To help with septic tank maintenance, you should also check your plumbing fixtures regularly for leaking toilet cisterns or leaking taps, and have them repaired.

If you’re looking for a company specializing in septic tank maintenance in Houston, we can help. You can call us to make scheduled visits to your property to inspect and maintain your sewage system. For more information, visit our website.

Wastewater Lift Station – Tips for Finding the Best One

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Wastewater lift stations are the types of things that most people do not even think about until they need one. Yet these handy devices are integral for many small businesses in Texas. Essentially, they help wastewater move when gravity is against you, helping your business stay clean and within local regulations. If you are looking for a wastewater lift station in Houston, then here are a few tips to help you find the right one, and some advice on making sure it keeps running as efficiently as possible now and into the future.

1. Look at Wet Well Materials

Wastewater lift stations can be roughly divided into two parts: the wet well and the controls. The wet well itself is essentially a basin housing the inflow and pumps. For a wastewater lift station in Houston, the material will generally be fiberglass or concrete. Some are metal but these are increasingly rare because of their malleability and cost, especially compared to fiberglass.

2. Think about Design and Controls

While most wastewater lift stations run on their own, it is always important to consider the design and controls of the device. For the controls, you will need to think about ease of use. Are the controls simple and easy to decipher? If you needed to, could you shut it down or make adjustments as necessary? Look for a device that makes operation easy so that you can take control when necessary.

3. Connect with a Qualified Lift Station Maintenance Company

If you own a wastewater lift station in Houston, then it will require maintenance every once and awhile. This can be anything from routine check-ups and tune-ups to actual full repairs on broken stations. Since lift stations are actually quite complicated devices, it is best to leave these sorts of jobs to professional companies like Drane Ranger. Since we have the experience and tools necessary to keep lift stations working at their absolute best, we can make sure that your lift station is working as efficiently as possible, and for longer.

4. Make Sure Your Lift Station Gets Regular Cleanings

Lift station cleaning is one of the most important aspects of many local businesses. Without regular cleanings, your lift station can actually be vulnerable to costly repairs, which is why so many companies choose to have regular, scheduled lift station cleanings through an experienced and professional company. For people with a wastewater lift station in Houston, many choose Drane Ranger. We can make lift station cleaning easy and effortless, coming at regular intervals to ensure that your lift station is clean and working as efficiently as possible.

If you have or need a wastewater lift station in Houston, then be sure to contact Drane Ranger. Our maintenance packages and repair services can ensure that your lift station works for years to come. Without the right services for your lift station, you could end up paying more in costly repairs, plus the fact that a dirty lift station will work much less efficiently.

Why Should Restaurants Clean Their Grease Traps Regularly?

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As a business owner you are well aware of the vast amount of tasks that you need to do on a daily basis to maintain your business and keep it running smoothly to maximize profits. Sometimes certain tasks that are more important are prioritized while you forget about the basic tasks, such as cleaning out your grease traps. It is important to regularly do your restaurant grease trap cleaning no matter what else comes up, because it can cause your business problems quickly if it is not taken care of.

Tank Damage

Something that isn’t apparent right away when dealing with your restaurant grease trap cleaning is the damage that can happen to the tank if you don’t perform regular cleanings. If you don’t clean out the system regularly, food particles in your traps can start to decay, which will produce hydrogen sulfur gas resulting in sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is a dangerous chemical that can damage the integrity of your grease trap system.

Offensive Odors

When you start to ignore your restaurant grease trap cleaning your customers may not notice it, but rest assured your kitchen staff and guests will eventually notice the rancid odor of a clogged grease trap system when food particles start to decay. Offensive odors lead to customers turning away and a bad reputation, giving you another reason to clean your grease traps regularly.

Fines

Fines levied by the county or city can cost your business precious profits, and if you aren’t taking care of your restaurant grease trap cleaning you could have city inspectors knocking at your door. When your grease trap gets too full, it stops doing what it’s supposed to, and starts sending fats, oils and greases (FOGs) into the municipal sewer system. If too many FOGs enter the sewer system it can cause clogs and backups on a large scale causing issues for everyone. Serious damage means serious fines.

Clog Costs

You might think you are saving money by putting off a restaurant grease trap cleaning, but in the end the cost of regular maintenance is cheaper than dealing with a fully clogged system. If your grease trap system starts to build up too much too often you may start to get build up that is far more difficult to remove. This means more time and more money to clear the trap. Grease traps not properly maintained will cause clogs and backups all over your restaurant, from drains, to toilets and dishwashers.

Detect Needed Maintenance

One of the less thought of benefits of regular restaurant grease trap cleaning is the fact that when you have a company come and clean your traps they can also check on the health of your grease trap system. Having someone capable of detecting any potential issues in your system can allow you to fix the issue before it becomes a major breakdown and avoid major repairs in the future. The expertise of a professional grease trap cleaner is an invaluable investment.

If you are a restaurant owner in Houston and need a professional expert restaurant grease trap cleaning service, contact Drane Ranger today.

How often should a septic tank be pumped?

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How often should your septic tank be pumped? You are probably wondering this as well if you have just recently bought a home that needs septic tank pumping, instead of draining waste water into the regular sewer system. The tanks come in different sizes and they fill differently, depending on the size of the tank and how often it is used, that is, the number of people living in your home. You can usually make an estimate based on these factors and have it pumped on a planned schedule.

Maintenance

If there are four people in a house with a 500-gallon tank, the estimate is that septic tank pumping should be done once a year. If there were only two people in the house, then the tank may only need emptying every two years. Not all tanks are 500-gallon sized, so check the size of the tank before you make that estimate. Of course, you don’t want anything to go wrong with the tank which is why the regular maintenance, and ‘good health’ checks on the tank are so important. Keep your mind on the regular need for pumping the tank so that it doesn’t let you down when you least expect it.

Proper Use

You can make a better estimate by considering not only how many people are in the house, but also how the tank is used. Efficient tanks fill up more slowly if only water is put down the drains and only biodegradable materials and paper down the toilet. As long as the items flushed break down quickly there will be fewer problems. Things that don’t break down as quickly are things like disposable wipes, dental floss, cigarette butts, coffee grounds and cooking fats that float in the tank and don’t decompose for a long period of time. People usually find that septic tank pumping is needed more often when these types of items are flushed or put down the drains.

Did you know that using a garbage disposal also contributes to how fast the tank fills? It’s almost like having another person living in the household. Grease, oil and fat cause problems too because they don’t mix in with the water in the tank but instead float on top, or clog the system completely. You will need to call the septic tank pumping crews more often in these situations. Lists are easy to find that tell you what not to put down a household drain if you are on a septic system.

If you have made a reasonable estimate using these tips and advice from the septic tank cleaning company, be sure to make a note to remember when its time for a septic tank pumping. Don’t put it off until the last minute. It is better, in fact, to schedule the cleaning for a specific period of time so that the regular maintenance does not become overdue.

The last thing you want is for something to go wrong. Sewage leaks can be disastrous. Keep in touch with Drane Ranger if you know you will need septic tank pumping services soon. They can help you schedule routine maintenance and give you peace of mind that nothing will go wrong with your septic tank.

The Importance of Commercial Grease Trap Cleaning and Maintenance

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A clogged grease trap, and the headache that comes with it, is one of the most devastating crises a restaurant can deal with. A backed-up grease trap often requires that the restaurant be closed until the traps are properly cleaned, and the drains and grease trap are working properly again. What’s more unfortunate in this scenario is that it can be prevented by using a commercial grease trap cleaning service.

Most businesses can’t afford the loss of having to shut down for any reason and its even worse when they must pay a restoration company out of pocket to fix the damage, thus causing more financial loss. A quick solution is to hire a commercial grease trap cleaning company for regular cleaning and maintenance.

Commercial Grease Trap Cleaning and Maintenance – Purpose of a Grease Trap

Commercial grease traps are made to prevent grease, fats, and oils from entering the sewer lines or a business’s septic system. When they’re not monitored and cared for they cool and solidify. Then they stick to the inside of the plumbing, trap particles and eventually the clogging gets so bad that waste water can’t pass, and the gunk backs up into the kitchen’s drains and sinks.

Grease traps are key to stopping these wastes from getting into the plumbing. Commercial grease trap cleaning ensures that the holding tank for the flowing wastewater leaves through a pipe below the buildup of grease, fats, and oils caught by the grease trap. While these particles rise to the surface.

Caring for Grease Traps

The ideal way to stop a plumbing emergency and keep your customers happy is with a commercial grease trap cleaning company that will regularly service your grease traps. Depending on how busy your establishment is you should have your commercial grease traps cleaned every 30 to 90 days.

A thorough and proper commercial grease trap cleaning includes pumping out the contents of your trap and not just skimming the oils, grease and fats off the surface. The wastewater and corrosive food solids must be completely cleared away.

Save Money with a Commercial Grease Trap Cleaning Service

Below are the top 3 ways you save money hiring a professional cleaning and maintenance service.

1. When you schedule regular cleaning, the potential clogs can be stopped before they become issues. This way you can focus on the important parts of your business such as your customers, your employee’s safety and your products and service. A commercial grease trap cleaning company also hauls the mess away.

2. Better efficiency. When you maintain important areas of your business with a commercial grease trap cleaning company your business will run smoother. You won’t have any financial surprises you can’t afford.

3. Safety issues are thwarted when a commercial grease trap cleaning company takes care of the build up of oils and fats. When they clog you run the risk of harming other businesses near you.

If you’re looking for commercial grease trap cleaning in Houston, we can help. At Drane Ranger we offer regular cleaning and maintenance for your business’s traps. We can also suggest ways to care for it between our service calls. For more information or to book an appointment you can visit our website.

How to Get Rid of Septic Tank Problems

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Keep it Functional

Septic tanks perform an important function, as they store and break down sewage so that it can be disposed of safely and sanitarily. It’s important to practice septic tank maintenance in order to prevent back-ups, leakages, and other nasty environmental problems. If you own a septic tank, ensure that you have a trained professional on call so that you can keep your septic tank functional and safe.

Avoid Expensive Repairs

One of the main reasons to make sure your septic tank receives regular maintenance is to avoid costly repairs in the future. Poorly-maintained septic tanks will lead to disruptions or failures in the system, and can cost you thousands of dollars to fix or replace. Whether you use your septic tank in an industrial or residential setting, septic tank maintenance will help you avoid expensive costs that will inevitably arise if your septic tank is not maintained or altogether neglected.

Fortunately, you don’t have to deal with the ‘ick’ of maintaining a septic tank on your own, and we wouldn’t recommend it! There are trained professionals and specialists that offer a number of services for septic tanks. A professional will ensure your septic tanks are regularly cleaned, drained and properly inspected to avoid any future problems.

Safe Disposal

Not only does sewage stink, but it can also carry a number of pathogens and diseases, so it’s imperative that your septic tank maintenance program involves the safe disposal of the sewage. Most people don’t want to get their hands dirty, so to speak, with disposing of sewage, which is why trained professionals will do it for you. Whether your septic tank is small or large, whether you own one or many, septic tank maintenance experts will ensure your sewage is safely and sanitarily disposed.

Inspect and Pump Your Septic Tank Frequently

The average residential septic system should be inspected at least every three years by a septic tank maintenance professional. They should also be pumped every three to five years, depending on the volume of use. That said, it’s important to consult with a septic service professional to determine how often your septic tank should be inspected and pumped. Depending on the household size, the total wastewater generated, the septic tank size, and the volume of solids in wastewater, your septic tank may require more frequent service.

When in Doubt, Don’t Flush

One of the main causes of septic tank issues has to do with what goes down the drain. Everything you flush down the toilet, grind in the garbage disposal, or pour down any faucet, will end up in your septic system. It’s important to remember that septic systems aren’t trash cans, and that nothing besides human waste and toilet paper should end up in your septic system. Items such as flushable wipes, feminine hygiene products, diapers, condoms, cigarette butts, pharmaceuticals, coffee grounds and household chemicals should be disposed of in a trash can, not flushed down the drain. These products can cause serious disruptions and clogs to your septic tank, and will require you seek immediate septic tank maintenance.

Wastewater Lift Station in Houston – The Benefits of Using a Lift Station

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Are you looking for a wastewater lift station in Houston? If you are, we have some tips for finding a company to help keep your plumbing and sewage disposal system working around the clock. It can become a nightmare quickly when a lift station is down. If it’s a bad situation it can even make it to the evening news; and no commercial or industrial business wants to take responsibility for such a mess.

Hiring an experienced wastewater lift station in Houston to support you can greatly reduce the chances of a catastrophic failure. For those of you who don’t know how they work, we’ll begin with a brief description:

Sewer systems go into a central collection point (lift station). The basin is usually made of fiberglass or concrete and is kept in a hole in the ground. The second part of a lift station is the wet-well controls. The sewage flow is discharged into the basin where the wet-well is.

The wet-well has one or two pumps and its function is to pump the fluids into a downstream point which is either another lift station or a treatment plant. A company that maintains a wastewater lift station in Houston must be an expert at what they do.

Knowing this information and the benefits of a lift station will help you find the best wastewater lift station in Houston.

Tips to Finding a Wastewater Station in Houston

The main benefit of a lift station is that it’s easy to take care of, thus there are less opportunities for something to go wrong. There are three main roles of a company that cleans and keeps it running smoothly.

Wet-Wells Inside Maintenance – Wastewater Lift Station in Houston

When a wet-well isn’t kept properly a number of problems can ensue, such as sewer infrastructure damage, backups or environmental spills. It’s important that they are checked and cleaned regularly.

Lift Station Repair – Wastewater Lift Station in Houston

When a lift station breaks the consequences range from standing water, to unpleasant odors and serious health or environmental issues. Help from an expert is crucial if the plumbing relies on the sewage lift station.

Safe Disposal of Sewage Materials – Wastewater Lift Station in Houston

When sewage materials are sent to a disposal site via a pump, it’s important that the pump is working properly at all times. This is another job of a maintenance company.

Each wastewater lift station in Houston has unique features that must be accounted for. Some aspects will affect the operation, others may affect required safety procedures. A wet-well hazard assessment should be done before installation. Proper planning ties into the water, timing, safety, and disposal aspects to make sure the maintenance and cleaning are done as safely and efficiently as possible.

If you’re looking for a wastewater lift station in Houston, we can help. You can call us to make scheduled visits to your property to inspect and maintain your sewage system. For more information you can visit our website.