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In need of septic tank maintenance? If your residential or commercial property is not connected to the main city sewer system, your property probably operates with a septic system. Septic systems work by separating the solid and liquid waste and breaking it down in a safe manner. While it sounds kind of gross to have that operating under your property, the alternative is that it has nowhere to properly drain and ends up on your lawn. It’s probably in your best interest to keep this system functioning properly for as long as possible. Here are some small things you can do that will help your septic system last as long as possible.

Your Toilet Isn’t A Trash Can

Remember that your pipes, storage, and drainage systems have to handle anything that you throw down there. The only things that should go down your toilet drains are human waste, liquids, and toilet paper. Flushing things like diapers, hair clogs from a drain, cat litter, paper towels, or other personal hygiene items is a great way to fast-track your need to call someone in for septic tank maintenance. Remember as well that your septic system is not involved with the municipal sewer systems, so even if an abnormal product advertises itself as “flushable,” that may be defined by local municipal testing standards, not on your own property’s system.

Know Where Your System Is

Even in the city, tree roots can cause blockages in drainage and sewer piping. Keep in mind where your septic system is and where the piping runs and do your best to keep trees away from your pipes. It will be cheaper to dig out and kill a tree in your yard than dig up and repair your entire system later. Regular septic tank maintenance can include a service that checks your pipes and removes roots (through either blades or a chemical solution) so if this is a concern, contact a professional once a year or as required.

Don’t Dump Chemicals

Chemical cleaners and bleaches can kill bacteria in your home, but when you dump them down the drain, they also continue to kill bacteria in your septic system. This might sound like a good thing, but there are good bacteria in your septic system that is breaking down solid waste safely. Killing that good bacteria is a very easy way for that solid waste to build up. Things like gasoline, oils, antifreeze, and paint thinners are other common items that are really not good for your septic system; exposure to these often requires septic tank maintenance to get your system functioning properly again.

Keep an Eye Out

Pay attention to any strange smells from your drains in your home. Smells like sulphur or a rotten egg can indicate problems. Watch out for puddles of standing water near your septic tank. Water backups in your sewer drains or washing machines or a gurgling sound in your drains after a toilet flush can all be indicators of a problem. It’s best to call a septic tank maintenance company sooner rather than later because responsible maintenance is always cheaper than replacing a full system. Click here for more details.

Septic tanks perform a necessary service for many homes and businesses. Just like other im-portant parts of a building or home, they need regular maintenance and care. But if they don’t get that proper care, what can happen? And what happens if a septic tank is left too long with-out getting drained? We answer that question today and tell you why a septic tank pump out service might be the solution to your septic tank maintenance needs.

The Problems of Septic Overflow

The quick and easy answer to the question, “what happens if a septic tank is never pumped out?” is simply, “it overflows.” When left to their own devices, septic tanks slowly rise while “digesting” the materials that flow into it. Usually, there is a release that triggers when the di-gested material reaches a certain level, taking it to a “leaching field” (more on leaching fields below). While this process can sometimes be in equilibrium, where the material coming in and being digested is less than or equal to the material being moved to the leaching field, some-times the material will be too much, leading to an overflow that could have been solved by call-ing a septic tank pump out service.

Once your septic tank overflows, you will know. Mostly because the ground around your septic tank may become unusually lush and, more importantly, because a distinctive smell will arise. The combination of the material coming in and the “digesting” process can be overwhelming, and this will be pushed forward if the tank overflows because it was never pumped. By that point, you will need more than a septic tank pump out service.

Considerations with Leaching Fields

Leaching fields are where digested material from septic tanks are moved once the tank reaches a certain level. These fields are often made of sand and rock to absorb the liquid and any po-tential smell. Of course, depending on the leaching field, too much material from the septic tank can cause problems itself. This is why many people use a septic tank pump out service from trained professionals. They can regularly drain a septic tank while also ensuring that the leaching field is right for the tank and amount of material.

How to Prevent Septic Tank Overflow

The easiest, most convenient, and most reliable way to ensure that your septic tank never over-flows is to hire a septic tank pump out service. With trained professionals offering regular sep-tic pump out service, you can rest easy knowing that none of the above situations will happen. Plus, having an experienced professional regularly pump out your septic offers a chance to give it a quick inspection, meaning they can help spot potential problems early, before they become major and expensive repairs.

Drane Ranger is dedicated to making septic tank maintenance easy, simple, and affordable. Our team of dedicated professionals understands septic tanks, they know how to drain them properly, and they understand when maintenance needs to be done. If you are in need of a sep-tic tank pump out service, we can help. Contact us today to learn more about this and other services we offer to people in the area.

Maybe you have a septic tank, but you would prefer not to think too much about it? That’s not a good idea. Keep your septic tank in your mind, and keep it working properly. You will be glad you did. Being mindful about septic tank pumping can save you money.

Septic tank pumping prevents backups

Perhaps the reason that you don’t want to think about the job the septic tank is doing is because it is messy. And yes, that is true, but it is a lot less messy when everything is working smoothly. The last thing anyone needs is for the septic tank to get too full and break down. It will definitely save a lot of money to have it pumped out regularly in the proper way than it would to have it pumped after a backup has happened. Emergency pumping can be expensive, so have the septic tank pumping done on a regular schedule to avoid the mess.

As well, the community you live in probably has regulations against preventable sewage backups, so regular maintenance and septic tank pumping will help you avoid fines.

Septic tank pumping keeps things working

The septic system is important, and so proper maintenance is important, too. If it is neglected, or if the septic tank pumping is not done on schedule, the system will not work properly. A major breakdown is not wanted, and regular pumping is the only want to keep it all working properly. It will be very costly to have to replace or repair the system.

Septic tank pumping keeps everybody healthy

The septic tank’s job is to store raw sewage and break it down so that it can be disposed of safely. If it is not pumped regularly, it can’t be taken away safely. The way that the tank breaks down the materials stored inside is with a balance of raw sewage and healthy bacteria within. If it is not maintained regularly, the balance is disrupted and the bad bacteria and solids will build up. Maintenance involves more than regular septic tank pumping. The maintenance crews keep the system running smoothly, and at the same time they can check for damage, ensure everything is working, and see to its repair if it is not.

Septic tank pumping can serve as early warning

Don’t take your septic system for granted. It performs a very important function, and not keeping it working properly may result in health risks, higher costs, or a public disaster. Septic systems, whether it is a tank or a drainage field, do need to be inspected and pumped regularly. If there are unforeseen problems, the crews performing your septic tank pumping can spot and fix them before a more expensive emergency can occur.

If you are not sure how often the septic tank pumping should occur, then calling the professionals in your community can advise you regarding local codes and regulations. They will also explain details you need to know about your system and the preventative maintenance it needs. Keeping it in good working order will cost much less than repairing it when it backs up or breaks down. Contact us for more information.

Every time you use your faucets, your toilet, or even your washing machine, do you ever think about where the wastewater is going, and the pipeline that it takes to get there? For many people, these things don’t matter because they are on municipal water systems, and once the water leaves their home, it’s no longer their concern. However, if you happen to be on a septic tank system, everything that leaves your home, still stays on your property; it is being processed by your septic tank, either by holding onto it until it is pumped out, or by releasing water into a drain field—as long as you have had proper septic tank maintenance.

Septic systems are complicated to the untrained eye, and when issues come up, it’s not always obvious where it is originating from. Not getting to the root of the issue fast enough can cause a lot of damage to your septic system, and to your property. Without proper septic tank maintenance, things can go south quickly. The following are three of the most common septic failure problems, and how to avoid or deal with them.

Dealing with Clogs

Without proper septic tank maintenance, clogs are often the number one resulting issue that can occur. Clogs can be caused by a number of issues in their whole septic tank system, from overflowing to tree roots (mentioned later), or to the wrong kinds of items being flushed.

Overflowing of your septic tank is most often caused by improper septic tank maintenance, in the form of getting it pumped out. Your septic tank, based on the number of members of your household and the size of the tank, needs to be emptied out every few years. The more use your system gets, the faster it needs to be emptied: for most households, it will be every 3-5 years. Once your septic tank starts overflowing, it can back up into your pipes. You may find that water drains start to slow down, or in extreme cases, sewage comes right back.

If you have a clog and you have emptied your septic tank within the last couple years, then it is unlikely to be caused by overflowing. Instead, you need to start checking the pipes to your septic tank system. Septic tank maintenance involves more than checking on just your tank; you also need to make sure the wrong things aren’t being flushed so that clogs on the way to the tank are minimized. If the backup is at the tank itself, you may have a clog in the outlet baffle or effluent filter in the tank itself. You should also check the inlet baffle to the tank if you have access to it. You may be able to use a pole through the access port to push the clog free.

Root Problems

Tree roots are a huge problem when it comes to septic system piping. Part of your septic tank maintenance should be to check on the growth of your trees—especially the ones next to where your pipes are located. A clog in your septic system could be from tree roots; they are very capable of drilling into or engulfing pipes.

Leaks in Equipment or Pipes

Luscious green grass on your lawn is the dream, but what happens when one patch is far greener than the rest of your lawn? That is likely your septic tank outlet field, and it is getting too much wastewater from your septic system due to leaks or overflow. Proper septic tank maintenance will keep your tank healthy and prevent gross and dangerous environmental leaks onto your lawn.

If you need septic tank maintenance, including pumping, performed on your septic system, contact Drane Ranger today in the Houston, Texas region to book an appointment.