Septic tank maintenance

January 14th, 2013:

What causes sand mounds to fail?

Jan 14th, 2013
by Service.
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In this article we will cover what causes sand mounds to fail? It may still be a puzzle to many homeowners how their sand mounds malfunction and then fail. Perhaps they forget that being a homeowner with a sand mound in their yard requires an extra special set of responsibilities. The sand mound is an unconventional form of septic system that is designed and made for properties that have soil that either absorbs too fast or too slow. It is above the surface of the ground so it is more prone to severe exposure to the elements such as rain and snow.

The sand mound or the raised mound is the result of highly technological innovations in the septic system industry. What causes sand mounds to fail? The following are just some of the reasons why they do:

  1. Root invasionThe complex root systems of higher plants such as shrubs and trees deeply go through the sand mound system, in search of nutrient-rich effluent. The moment they see a chance to gain access t that, they get into gaps and perforations that clog and damage the entire system. If they go undetected due to lack of inspection and maintenance, they will cause the sand mound to fail. .
  2. The sand mound area with vehicles and structuresHeavy structures and vehicles over your sand mound system area is not a very good setup for it. These components are heavy. Their weight compresses the soil, thus bringing about soil compaction that crushes the sand mound components. If the components of the sand mound are crushed, then leaks, clogging, and inevitable failure will come out of it. Immediately get rid of these from your sand mound area and make sure to call your septic expert for the necessary repairs that your sand mound needs.
  3. Incorrect usage of drains, toilets, and sinksIf you and your household don’t use your facilities the right way, you will end up with a very terrible sand mound system experience. Dumping non-biodegradable materials, paint, and grease in drains, toilets, and sinks will only cause severe clogging in the sand mound, resulting to clogging, backing up of effluent, overflow of effluent, and eventual failure of the system. Dumping strong chemicals will corrode the system’s components and will kill the resident bacteria. If bacteria are gone, then the entire sand mound system will stop. The sand mound system will fail and if not corrected at the soonest possible time, this will be reason enough for you to buy a new sand mound system.
  4. Not following the pump out scheduleWhatever reasons you may have for skipping your sand mound’s pump out schedule, it will never be justified once the sand mound starts to malfunction. Pumping out your sand mound is the most basic care that you could give your system. It clears the sand mound tank of gunk. This will ensure that the soil absorption area will remain clog-free and the process of wastewater treatment will go on smoothly. Discuss the pump out schedule with your septic expert because it depends on how many people live in your home. You just have to set a small amount every month for the scheduled pump out so that it won’t be very hard on your budget.

    Bacteria could be used to help prevent sand mound system failure. These are very reliable microorganisms that voraciously eat the solid waste in the sand mound’s tank. They even leave the tank odorless. They do not harm the surrounding environment at all because they do not have chemicals that pollute the bodies of water and the clean water supply in the area. It’s better to stick to the natural solution to and prevention of sand mound system failure. Chemicals and enzymes will only aggravate the situation and will even harm the physical components of the sand mound. Work with your septic expert so that you may be guided in caring for your sand mound system.

Rainwater can cause overflowing in sand mounds

Jan 14th, 2013
by Service.
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This is a short article explaining how rainwater can cause overflowing in sand mounds. Your new car was delivered a few months ago. The hype of the promotion, the new house, and the relocation was just too overwhelming for you and you didn’t even have a family yet. You were very thankful for the blessings that came for the past year. It was very hard for you to have left your hometown two years ago but you knew you had to do it for your personal and career growth. And there you were. You were slowly putting things together. In a big way, you were very courageous to have taken the risk of leaving your comfort zone. It only showed how strong of character you were and how determined you were in building a life for yourself.

The house that you bought was pretty contemporary. It was built five years before you moved in. Technically, you didn’t really have an idea about the history if its construction. You haven’t finished your garage and the driveway yet so you parked your car in the yard. You told yourself that you could just have the yard fixed up when everything was done and when you could move the car already. The weather was unpredictable in the area where you moved. Sometimes it drizzled, sometimes it was sunny, and sometimes it was just cloudy. You didn’t mind the abrupt changes in weather as long as your house was sturdy and safe.

The following morning, your boss called you up and told you that the office would not be open for two days because of the heavy rains. It was always that way every time there was a storm that came. A hurricane threat was always considered because of the weather’s unpredictability. When you looked out the window, the rain was indeed very strong. It was a good move when you thought of covering up your new car in the yard. There was no telling when something hard or pointed could get blown it and scratch the paint. But still, you worried at the strength of the rainfall. When you went to use the bathroom, the toilet, sinks, and drains backed up with sewage. The odor was very foul. You wanted to call the septic expert but it was still raining hard. You had no choice but to wait until the storm stopped. In the afternoon, the rain paused. You immediately called up the septic expert. You told him that it was an emergency so in just minutes, he arrived. He said that there had to be immediate modifications before the rain started again to prevent sand mound overflow again: 

  1. The gutter’s direction should be moved away from the sand mound area to prevent additional water from getting into the sand mound. Rainwater can cause overflowing in sand mounds.
  2. The car that you parked should be moved because this could have caused damage to the sand mound already.
  3. You should keep the pump out and treatment schedules that your septic expert recommended.
  4. Proper usage of toilets, drains, and sinks should be done by not pouring grease, non-biodegradable materials, and antibacterial solutions into them.
  5. You should also install a dry well beside your sand mound to make sure that the water load will not increase that much because of the dishwashers and washing machines.

Amazingly, in just hours, the septic expert was able to help you get things in the right track before the rains came again. When the septic expert left, heavy rainfall poured again. You watched the yard, toilets, drains, and sinks if they would be flooding or backing up again. As expected, the backing up didn’t happen. The dry well was yet to be constructed after the storm. With the minimal modifications that you made earlier, everything changed. You were comfortable in using your bathroom again. There is nothing better than being dry and warm in your own home during heavy rains or cold days. You then wished that work would be off for an entire week. Always remember that rainwater can cause overflowing in sand mounds.