SEPTIC SYSTEM BLOG

Septic Tank Pumping and Maintenance Agreements

Posted by Jeff Rachlin on Sun, Aug 28, 2011 @ 01:48 PM

Consider this:

  • The average septic system today costs nearly $15,000, with some systems costing as much as $40,000.
  • Timely, proper maintenance will promote years of use from your system and avoid premature failure.
  • Nearly all real estate transactions require a septic certification. A system must be in complete working condition in order to pass certification, even if you never had a problem with your system.
  • The cost of a maintenance agreement is not much more than the cost of having your tanks pumped regularly.

    Septic System Installation      Septic System Inspection      pump septic tank

In Pennsylvania onsite septic systems are sized based on the number of bedrooms in a dwelling, not by the quantity of proposed occupants or the water usage by them. Management cycles and pumping are dependent on the size of the system, volume of wastewater the system is receiving, the amount of solids produced, and the percent of solids digested or retained.

 

Based upon these facts, it is impossible to determine an exact schedule of when to pump a system, clean filters, or repair system failures without constant monitoring. It is therefore important to have a responsible management entity (RME) monitor and maintain your system throughout the year in order to give you a financial advantage and peace of mind.

 

A balance of monitoring and management is needed to accomplish this. Typically, a good maintenance plan should include:

 

  • At least two system inspections per year
  • Pump septic tank/cesspool as necessary
  • Clean filters as needed
  • Check liquid levels of absorption area
  • Check integrity of tank baffles
  • Check integrity of septic tank/cesspool
  • Check condition of building sewer
  • Check condition of delivery pipes

 

If applicable:

  • Check pump wiring
  • Check pump alarm
  • Check pump controls
  • Check pump
  • Flush dosing pipes

 One of the biggest advantages to a maintenance plan is that emergency service will be performed at non-emergency prices if you need us!  If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at jr@onsitemgt.com.

 

Tags: septic tank pumping, Prolonging the Life of Your Septic System, septic system maintenance, Septic System Maintenance Agreements

Prolonging the Life of Your Septic System!

Posted by Jeff Rachlin on Wed, Apr 06, 2011 @ 08:28 AM

Maintenance and Management

Septic System Installation        Septic tank pumping chester county | How a septic tank works

Proper maintenance and management is an effective program developed to monitor, inspect and maintain all components of the septic system on a regular basis. Regular and proper cleaning is one way to help prolong your onlot sewage system. Make sure that the pumper opens the main access of the septic tank when cleaning it out. This allows the tank to be completely cleaned out. Never pump the tank through the 4 or 6" inspection port that is situated over the baffles. Only a small portion of the tank will be cleaned and risk of damaging the baffles inside the tank is high. Inspect the condition of the baffles. If missing, broken, damaged, or deteriorated, they should be replaced immediately. They serve an important purpose in helping to prolong the life of your system.

When the sludge and scum layers are not routinely pumped out, the area in the tank available for clarification decreases. Solids will enter the absorption area at an accelerated rate, and the absorption area clogs prematurely. Effluent forms over the absorption area onto the surface of the ground. Sewage finds its way to a stream or road ditch, or backs up into your home.

Water Conservation:

 Septic system maintenance    

Water conservation is and important factor in prolonging the life of any onsite disposal system. Reducing the amount of water used in the home decreases the volume of wastewater that must be renovated and helps to avoid hydraulic overload of the system. In addition, water conservation reduces energy costs and protects the groundwater supply.

Some things you can do to conserve water are:

  • Install water saving plumbing fixtures in you home. Theses would include water dams for toilets, water saver aerators on faucets and water saving shower heads. Most building codes require that all new construction have these water saving devices routinely installed.
  • Check your toilets periodically for leaks. This can be done quite easily. Place a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. Do not flush the toilet for several hours. If the colored water appears in the toilet bowl during this time, your toilet is leaking. Have it fixed immediately.
  • Fix leaking faucets.
  • Operate the dishwasher only when full. Do not pre-wash dishes for the automatic dishwasher unless absolutely necessary.  Wash dishes using a dishpan or plugging the sink. Do not let water run for washing.
  • Refrigerate a bottle of water for drinking to avoid letting the water run to obtain a cold drink.
  • Select the proper load or water level on your washing machine. Do not wash multiple loads of laundry, one right after the other.
  • Take a shower instead of a tub bath. Also try to limit the length of your showers.
  • Do not allow the water to run while brushing teeth or shaving.

Hazards To Your Onlot Sewage System

Contractors should pump the treatment tank through the main access, not the inspection port.

  • Do not clean paint from rollers or dispose thinners down the drain.
  • Do not flush large numbers of unused antibiotics.
  • Materials that do not rapidly decompose (e.g., sanitary napkins, coffee grounds, bones, eggshells, wet strength towels, disposable diapers, kitty litter, facial tissues, cigarette butts, baby wipes, etc.) should never be flushed into a septic tank.
  • Do not use garbage disposals. Garbage disposals increase a treatment tank's workload. The increased organic solids load requires more frequent tank pumping.
  • Do not dispose oils and grease products.

Do You Have Any Good Tips?

Post them here under comments!

Tags: septic tank pumping, septic tank & system inspection, septic system maintenance

Have you had your septic tank pumped this year?

Posted by Jeff Rachlin on Sun, Apr 03, 2011 @ 11:24 AM

OK, I confess!  I love this season!  Our thoughts turn from the winter season, to Hockey and Basketball playoff games, the beginning of the Baseball season, and the beginning of a new pace. Admit it. The last thing on your mind is your septic system.  That’s where we come in.  In our business, the spring is the time when we encourage preparation for the upcoming summer and fall seasons.  Many customers wait until “peak” season to call us (like this past July for example!)  for what we call “demand or emergency service.”

Now “demand service” isn’t quite as bad as it sounds; it refers to customers who call us needing septic services NOW.  Demand service is great for my business, but it’s hard on our technicians and sometimes our customers, too.

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Were you one of those customers?

If so, thank you, and we hope you were served properly for what you feel was a fair price.  The way I see it, I want to get the most for my money, and I treat my customers the same way.

"Our commitment to you is to use our knowledge to preserve the environment, conserve the valuable asset of your property, and to minimize or eliminate the costly expense of system failures."

We especially want to hear from you this season if there is something we did really well or something we need to do better.  Our team works very hard to get the job done and I’m proud of them.  So whether it’s a complaint or praise, we welcome you to share it with us.

As the summer approaches, there is one very serious question that you should ask yourself each year.  Do you know when your septic tank was pumped last?  Please, if you can’t answer this question “within the last 3 years,” call now for a septic tank cleaning and pumping.  Even if you have another company do it for you, please have it done!  Every year we are busy replacing systems that have failed due to improper maintenance.

Call us to schedule a pumping or to explain our maintenance plans and click here to download a discount septic tank pumping coupon! Thank you for your patronage.

Please comment if you have had emergency service and your thoughts on how to avoid the situation.

Tags: septic tank pumping, septic system maintenance