Cleaning and Repairing Your Septic System
The very concept of running water and plumbing dates back to the Roman days, when lead-coated pipes carried fresh water to houses and public baths. Today’s plumbing and sewage disposal systems are much larger and more advanced, of course, and cities and towns have huge networks of public water utilities, such as sewage treatment plants and fresh water pipes. But some properties are too remote in rural areas to connect to those utilities, so they make use of septic tanks and septic systems instead. Around 25% of all American homes use them, and these septic systems are independent and self-contained for convenience. Still, a homeowner should be ready to call upon septic tank repair services or septic pumping crews to help keep the system in good shape. When is it time to look up “septic tank emptying near me”?
How Septic Systems Operate
A septic system can dispose of dirty water, filter it, and return it to the natural water cycle, and do all of this practically all on its own. To begin with, the house will flush all dirty water through pipes that all feed into a large underground tank, the septic tank. This tank can hold many gallons of content at once, and store two to three days’ worth of water during the filtration process. In here, bacteria colonies will break down organic waste, and particles will settle at the tank’s bottom to form a thick sludge. Fats and oils will float to the top, and relatively clean water is in between. After a few days of this, the water passes through a filtration grate (which further cleans it), and it passes deeper into the system.
Now, this water passes through a series of branching pipes that are just under the sol’s surface, and the water leaches out through nozzles and holes. This allows the water to get filtered as it leaks through loose gravel and dirt, not to mention more bacteria colonies, and this means that safe, clean water re-enters the natural water cycle. All of this takes place in the drainage field on the property, and it concludes the septic cleaning process.
Maintenance For Septic Systems
A homeowner will need to look up “septic tank emptying near me” when their property’s septic tank is full enough, and septic services will arrive to help. Bear in mind that the thick sludge in a septic tank has no means of leaving the tank, so it continues to build up over time. Once the tank is one third to one half full, it is time to look up “septic tank emptying near me” or “septic pumping nearby” to have that content removed. Looking up “septic tank emptying near me” online may show several different companies who can perform this service, and the homeowner can choose one at will. Once on the premises, these workers will dig up the tank’s hatch, open it, attach a large hose, and pump out all of the contents into a tank that the work truck carries. The truck then hauls this material away.
If a septic tank is very old, such as 20 years old or more, it may start leaking and breaking down, and that is not to be desired. So, the homeowner can look up septic installation crews and ask them to unearth the old tank, remove it, and install a fresh new one in its place. That new tank might be a different size than the old one, if desired. Also, if the filter grate is clogged and blocks water flow, it must be removed and cleaned off, then replaced. The owner should not simply remove it to restore water flow, since that grate’s filters are important. Damaged or worn out filter grates should be repaired or replaced right away.
Meanwhile, the pipes in the drainage field may get clogged on the inside, so workers can be hired to dig them up and scour their insides with pressurized water to clean them off. Damaged pipes can be repaired or replaced as needed, too. Finally, the property owner should make sure that no one drives motor vehicles across the drainage field, since a vehicle’s weight will compress the earth and block the natural filtration process there.