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One of the most ignored structures in homes is the septic tank. Homeowners wait until sewer drainage problems occur before they start looking for a plumber to assess the defects. Well, it may be bad news since multiple incidents could arise from a lack of septic tank maintenance services. For that reason, let’s discuss some of the maintenance activities recommended for your septic tank.
Main Maintenance Services For Your Septic Tank
You should be fully responsible for maintenance and repair matters to avoid any structural and performance inconveniences the septic system may display. Certified and skilled plumbing professionals in Chattanooga, TN, recommend the following for increased septic tank efficiency and lifespan
Proper Installation
Some soil-based septic tank systems are installed at wrong locations, including sites with inadequate soils, unrecommended soil types, near high groundwater tables, and steep slopes. Conditions at these installation locations can cause hydraulic defects, making your septic system fail. Additionally, the circumstances can make waste from your sewer tank contaminate nearby water sources.
Unluckily, if the authorities notice your sewer tank is polluting the environment, you may be at risk of facing charges that could make you get hefty fines or even jail time. Ensure you look for a skilled septic tank plumber to assess a proper location to install the tank to prevent it from being defective and be free from facing the harsh penalties of authorities. However, if you already got your system installed in the wrong location, you can visit a septic tank maintenance company to help you relocate the tank to safer grounds.
Avoid Septic Tank Overloading
Sometimes you may overwork your home’s septic tank unknowingly. Problems such as leaking faucets, running toilets, and water-wasting fixtures are the primary sources of overloading your system. Septic systems collect and store all the wastewater coming from drains in every part of your home, be it the bathroom, kitchen, sanitary sinks, or toilet.
These defects could redirect a lot of unnecessary water into your septic tank, making it fill up. It, in turn, makes you look for septic tank pumping services now and then, and this could be expensive in the long run. If you have leakages in your home, you can ask the plumber you contract to offer pumping solutions to help you get the leakage problems solved.
Additionally, the plumbing experts from your trusted septic tank pumping company should help you replace conventional fixtures with water-saving ones such as aerated faucets, dual flush toilets, and low-flow showerheads. It helps bring down the cost of pumping because the tank doesn’t fill up quickly.
Frequent Cleaning
You should have plumbers perform septic tank cleaning in your home after the septic tank pumping process is complete. Cleaning helps prevent the tank walls from getting rusty and corroded and problems that can lead to perforations on the septic tank. You don’t want to have perforations on your septic tank since it’s a very costly and hazardous affair. When your septic tank leaks, the sewage could permeate through the ground upwards and find itself on top of your aesthetic and well-maintained lawn.
Apart from damaging your lawn, the sewer spillage will cause health problems since the outdoor air quality will become contaminated. When you, your kids, or pets come in contact with the sewer waste on the lawn, the next place you may find yourselves is a healthcare facility or a veterinary clinic in Chattanooga, TN. To avoid such problems, ensure you look for a well-trained plumber who specializes in septic tank pumping. Amateur or quack plumbers could find the cleaning job disgusting.
Get a plumber that loves doing the job. Also, professionals should use less harsh and eco-friendly chemicals to clean the tank. Otherwise, it could be zero work since highly concentrated cleaning chemicals can corrode the walls of your septic tank. It’s recommended to use cleaning products that have environmentally-friendly labels and biodegradable or water-base features.
Responsible Disposal of Garbage
Although having a garbage disposal in your home will prevent your kitchen sink from blocking, it comes with several repercussions. You should know that a garbage disposal is responsible for almost half of the waste that enters your sewer system. To be on the safe side, you should seek advice from your trusted plumber about which brand and type of disposals have the most robust grinding features.
A better solution is simply dumping food waste in a tightly sealed waste bag and contract a credible garbage collection provider to pick the waste and dispose of it correctly. It will reduce the strain of your sewer system to decompose the waste, meaning the tank will take more time to fill up. If loads of waste find their way into the septic tank, it may be hard for it to break them down. For that reason, the tank will get full, requiring septic tank pumping services often. It only means you will incur expensive service costs.
Also, some homeowners in Chattanooga, TN, aren’t concerned with what kind of waste enters their drains. Some products such as cigarette butts, pharmaceuticals, cat litter, bones, diapers, and dental floss are nonbiodegradable. When these products get in your sewer system, they aren’t broken down into smaller particles. It, in turn, makes the sewer tank fill up quickly, making you unexpectedly rush to look for a company that offers septic tank pumping services.
Signs You Need Prompt Septic Tank Pumping Services
As said earlier on, several residential property owners wouldn’t know if they have a septic tank in their homes until the sewer system starts malfunctioning and displaying symptoms of inefficiency that include backups and pools of sewer in the yard. At this moment, they would rush looking for a reliable septic tank pumping company and end up getting conned or receive poor-quality septic pumping solutions.
To avoid such inconveniences, here are the signs to help you realize in advance that your sewer tank needs to be pumped. It’s necessary because you’ll take time to evaluate all providers of septic tank services and pick the best company and even bargain for discounts.
Family Size
The rate at which your home’s septic tank will fill up depends on how large your family is, how often the plumbing fixtures and appliances are used, and the size of the sewer tank. These are the main factors to consider while scheduling a septic tank pumping service. Suppose you haven’t pumped your sewer tank in the last five years. In that case, it is high time you visit a reliable septic tank pumping company before you start experiencing unexpected signals.
On the other hand, if you have a large family, you need to schedule regular inspection services to know when to request septic tank pumping services. You should pump your septic tank at least once in three years if your house has more than three members.
Standing Water in The Yard
If you notice wastewater in your yard, the probable cause could be a full septic tank underneath that’s leaking sewer to the ground. If you don’t get quick septic tank pumping services, the problems could be hazardous as it may attract insects such as cockroaches and flies to the wastewater and later on find their way into your home. When such insects contaminate you, they could cause digestive problems for you and your family.
Always ensure you cover all the food in your home especially if you notice pools of standing wastewater in your yard. You should also request septic tank pumping services immediately.
Backups and Slow Drains
There’s nothing more filthy than seeing wastewater take long to drain in your kitchen sink, toilet, or bathroom. The main problem for such incidents could be clogged drains. However, it could be possible that your sewer tank is full and needs to be pumped. These are signs you can’t ignore for long. Instead, you should contact a reliable company that offers prompt septic tank pumping services.
Professional assigned to you should find out if the septic tank is in good condition, and they will assess your drain pipes and clean them to eliminate any clogs. Delayed services may lead to a more complex problem, sewer backups! When the sewer backs up in your home, you’ll need to evacuate and seek septic tank pumping and cleaning services.
Afterward, you’ll also be required to look for a recognized company offering professional sewer damage restoration services. Again, delayed sewer damage restoration can damage the whole flooring, forcing you to replace your home’s flooring. To avoid these costly services, ensure you involve a plumber immediately you notice a sign of slow drainage.
Bad Odors
Nobody wants to experience stinky smells in their homes in Chattanooga, TN, especially when hosting visitors. It can not only endangering your guests’ health but also raise eyebrows at the quality of cleanliness in your home. Blocked sewer vents and full septic tanks can redirect foul odors back into your home through drain openings of sinks and bathrooms.
Additionally, foul odors from pools of wastewater in your yard could sneak into your home, causing inconveniences. Ensure to contact a professional for septic tank pumping services when such issues arise. Plumbers from the septic tank pumping company can also help you with drain and vent cleaning services.
Benefits of Regular Septic System Maintenance
Maintenance, including septic tank pumping, is considered costly in some homes. If you wait until something breaks down in your home to get a technician to fix the issue, more complex problems may be imminent. You may be required to replace the whole system or frequently look for a technician to fix the issues because of continuous breakdowns. To curb such inconveniences, the best way to go is to get professionals to create and implement suitable maintenance service plans.
Prevents Damage
Regular maintenance ensures the system runs effectively for years to come. Pumping your tank and cleaning it regularly ensures all the excess waste residue and water is eliminated. If you don’t get your septic tank emptied often, the waste particles can clog openings in your system, leading to backups. Frequent pumping facilitates the smooth movement of the wastewater from your home to the septic tank.
Saves Money
Routine septic tank maintenance means ensures the tank lasts longer. It eliminates the need for unexpected and early replacements. Cleaning your septic tank is affordable since it only needs to be conducted once in two years. A properly working tank eliminates repairs involving problems such as backups, drain pipe leakages, and clogs.
Increases Property Value
Consider scheduling regular septic tank maintenance and repair service plans if you’re planning to sell your home in the future. Potential homebuyers will often check the current state of plumbing systems in homes listed for sale. These systems include septic tanks. The buyers will want to know how often the systems are maintained and if they have ever displayed structural and operational defects.
A well-maintained septic system boosts the resale value of existing homes. Contrary to that, if you abandon your septic tank and only look for a plumber when it develops issues, you may incur a loss when reselling your home since its value will depreciate. You should schedule regular maintenance solutions such as septic tank pumping to increase the value of your home in Chattanooga, TN.
Get Quality Septic Tank Solutions Today!
Metro Plumbing, Heating and Air of Chattanooga, TN, offers a wide range of septic plumbing solutions, including pumping, sewer line camera inspection, and sewer line and septic tank repair. Our professionals are available for plumbing emergencies in your home, including upgrading the septic tank. You can also rely on us for damaged system replacements and fixing leaking drain pipes.
