Septic tank maintenance

February, 2013:

Septic system preventive maintenance

Feb 6th, 2013
by Service.
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This article will discuss the benefit of septic system preventive maintenance and how it can be practiced in every aspect of your life. Your preventive maintenance of leading a healthy lifestyle, taking supplements, and undergoing regular checkups give you a disease-free body. Reading and participating in discussions help you prevent your mind’s stagnation. Cooking a lot prevents your taste buds from being dull. Keeping your house clean and cared for prevents it from deteriorating especially during harsh weather. The same goes with your septic system. It needs preventive maintenance so that you will have a healthy and safe home for decades or even generations to come.

Since it is your own personal wastewater treatment facility, you have the responsibility of maintaining it so as to prevent malfunctions and failures. It is not a self-caring system. It needs you to make sure that it functions smoothly. Part of being a responsible homeowner is making sure that every component of the house works harmoniously with one another. If you fail to do this, then you would have to spend thousands of dollars in repair or replacement especially when you refer to the septic system.

Septic system preventive maintenance for your septic system should include the following practices of both you and your septic expert:

1. As much as possible, you should only dump biodegradable tissue paper and household wastewater into your septic system. You should keep away cigarette butts, car grease, kitchen grease, and feminine products from your system. Non-biodegradable materials are not broken down by the resident bacteria. They just stay in the septic tank to clog the system. This will eventually result to septic failure if not corrected immediately.

2. You should make sure that the fixtures are always inspected. Any leaks should be repaired immediately. Unrepaired leaks in the plumbing and septic system could cause backups in the system.  

3. You should not place heavy vehicles over your septic system. These cause soil compaction and physical damage to the septic components. You should know the exact location of your septic system so that you may not accidentally run it over or perhaps build any form of construction over the area. 

4. Be familiar with the exact location of your septic system so that you may have easy access to it during inspection and pump out treatments. You could ask the help of the department that issued the permit for your septic system’s construction and installation. But it would be faster if you trace the soggy or the dry grass on your lawn. These will let you know where the drain field and the septic tank are. Coordinating with your septic expert is also highly recommended to be sure but be ready for additional charges.

5. Have a septic expert perform the necessary steps before cleaning and pumping out:

a) A proper inspection will be conducted to see if there are hardwood plants over or around the septic system; if there are septic odors, pooling sewage water, and wet soil; if the sludge level is normal; and if there are damaged parts such as baffles.

6. Oxygen bleach (color safe) should be the only one used in the home and in washing laundry. 

7.  Maintain a schedule for your septic system preventive maintenance.

8. Have your septic expert apply septic treatments:

a) Porosity restorer to restore tanks, dry wells, and drain fields

b) Activator to restore the normal number of bacteria

c) Septic maintainer to protect drains, improve the function of the septic tank, control septic odors, and to quickly digest paper and detergents

d) Regular pump out treatments depending on the number of household members

Your septic system should have the need for septic system preventive maintenance on a regular basis so that it could reach its maximum lifespan. This way, you could also save a lot because you won’t have to buy another septic system or have your old one heavily restored.  Remember that your septic system could only function optimally with your diligence as a homeowner. Never rely on additives to do your responsibilities for you.

How much does it cost to have a sand mound pumped?

Feb 5th, 2013
by Service.
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In this article we are going to discuss how much does it cost to have a sand mound pumped? If the homeowner suddenly finds out that the septic system to be installed underneath their property is a sand mound system. This is installed for a household that is established on a property with a high water table and a soil type that could only accommodate a sand mound system. The sand mound is known to be a very sensitive system that needs extra care. It is more exposed to the elements especially during the cold season. This is where the construction fabric enters the scene. This is a special fabric that needs to be placed on top of the sand mound system before the topsoil. The construction fabric retains the heat inside the sand mound, produced by the metabolism of the bacterial population.

You have to replace the fabric before the cold season to make sure that the system doesn’t freeze up and fail. Since the sand mound is a type of septic system, you should always remember that it doesn’t veer that far from how you maintain the conventional septic system. It should also receive the basic pump out treatment. But since the sand mound is seen as extra-special, there are homeowners who think that pumping out their sand mounds is actually very expensive. But how much does it cost to have a sand mound pumped?

The cost of pumping out a sand mound doesn’t stray from the cost that it takes for a regular septic system to undergo the same treatment. You just have to tell your septic expert about the situation in your home as to how many members your household has. If you have two people in there, you much have your sand mound pumped out every 3 years. If there are up to 5 people, then it should be pumped out every 2 years. For a household that has 6 or more people, an annual pump out is recommended. An amount of 75-200 USD should be prepared for each pump out schedule. The costs in some areas go up depending on the services attached to the pump out service. To make your pump out schedules hassle or worry-free, you should learn how to set aside a budget every year or every month. Pumping out your sand mound should not be a very stressful task to do.

But before the actual pump out is done, there should be a very thorough inspection done by a true and credible professional. You could get referrals from the local health department because there are some pumpers that just suck the sludge and go when they get paid. The soil absorption system should be checked for heavy vehicle tracks or footprints because these may have already caused damage to the system. The contents of the sand mound’s tank should also be checked to see what is inside and if the bacterial population has been affected by the amount of chemicals present in there.

The right septic professional should be hired to make the pump out successful. After the pump out session done on your sand mound, the expert should make a report that contains the recommendations that tell you what improvements you should do to prevent malfunctions and failures in the future. It is sand to admit that not all “septic experts” are not experts at all. Some just go to your house and set the hose, suck the sludge, and leave right after you give them their pay. Homeowners who hire such people often end up with a malfunctioning sand mound again after just a few months.

Pumping out your sand mound is very inexpensive. It should be a routine that you should have in your household to ensure a long lasting system to treat your wastewater. It is really much cheaper to set aside a few dollars monthly, a few hundred dollars yearly or every few years than to spend at most 30,000 USD for a brand new sand mound. We hope that we answered the age old question of how much does it cost to have a sand mound pumped?

Will hydrogen peroxide harm raised mounds?

Feb 4th, 2013
by Service.
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I read it all the time on internet message boards. People are asking the same question. Will hydrogen peroxide harm raised mounds? You held your breath the moment you knew that you had a raised mound for your septic system. Well, the raised mound is known to be extra sensitive because it is an unconventional type of septic system. It is elevated or raised. It is a mound for a septic system. It is mandatory to be installed in a property that had a high water table. Not every homeowner is crazy about it but who are you to complain when your water table is high? You just have to deal with it.

Like the conventional septic system, you have to maintain and care for the raised mound. It is not like the usual septic system that is under the surface of the soil and could contain all that heat from the bacterial metabolism that goes on in there. For the raised mound, you have to regulate the heat with the help of a construction fabric. This special fabric should be checked before the cold season comes because if it is deteriorated when snow falls, the system will freeze over and fail. You wouldn’t want to wade in wastewater in your heated home, right? It is also necessary for you to have your raised mound treated and cleaned. It is not a secret that raised mounds are subjected to wastes and that harmful pathogens accumulate in there as well.

Among the many raised mound cleaning products that are out in the market, only a few are formulated to really give instant results at a low price. If you want an economical, fast-acting, raised mound friendly additive, then you have to consider hydrogen peroxide. Will hydrogen peroxide harm raised mounds? In knowledgeable and skilled hands… NO. So make sure that you coordinate well with your septic expert so that hydrogen peroxide could be safely used on your raised mound.

This chemical compound is usually overlooked and is actually part of everyday life. Many women never leave without this in their bags when their periods come. With hydrogen peroxide, blood stains could be easily and instantly removed. Large industries use pure hydrogen peroxide to disinfect their equipment and vicinities because it is low-priced and could easily be stored in bulk. H2O2 can also be purchases at 3% in 97% water. With such a weak concentration, this could be safely used inside the home. But there are others stores that have 30-35% hydrogen peroxide as well. Hydrogen peroxide can be purchased in large amounts and stored in your home just makes sure that the storage area is away from pets or children. The following are some other uses of hydrogen peroxide that you may already be familiar with: 

  1. Remove stains or spots with hydrogen peroxide. You could also soak your whites to improve the level of whiteness.
  2. Kitchen areas and components could be thoroughly sanitized after washing with hydrogen peroxide. Pathogens like Salmonella will definitely be eradicated.
  3. Lighten your hair color gradually with hydrogen peroxide.
  4. Remove toxic mold from your home with this chemical compound.
  5. Disinfect and clean any surface by wiping or spraying hydrogen peroxide on them.
  6. Bathroom areas and components could also be disinfected without harming the leach fields. Just dilute the chemical compound with equal amounts of water.
  7. Use 3% hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash for ten minutes everyday to eliminate bacteria and whiten teeth. But do not prolong this habit because it will result to cell damage of the oral cavity and degradation of the surface of your teeth.
  8. You could also soak your vegetables and meat in hydrogen peroxide to get rid of chemical residues, dirt, and bacteria before you cook them. 

People are asking, will hydrogen peroxide harm raised mounds? Hydrogen peroxide is safe to use on your leach fields just as long as you have your septic expert use it in proper concentrations so that it may only target the harmful bacteria and not the resident bacteria. In the process, the disarming leach field odors could be eliminated as well.

Casino grease removal

Feb 3rd, 2013
by Service.
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This article will cover casino grease removal. The thrill of not knowing what will happen just keeps Americans believe that they will finally get what they have always wanted all their lives. It cannot be denied that money is a big factor in this part of the American dream and in the fast-paced lifestyle that they have, it’s only to be expected that they would want to have a large sum of money in an instant. Gambling is an easy way to achieve a large winning. It may just be a simple scratch of a lottery ticket or a single run of the slot machine. Somehow, hope and luck coincide in trying to get to the pinnacle of financial freedom.

To own a home on American soil used to be the American dream. But these days, it’s owning a home and having everything else that you have always wanted. It may be a lot to digest but it is what most Americans want. This is the driving force whenever they bet money and in doing so, they have to go to casinos. There are many casinos in the US but Las Vegas is the known kingdom. It’s one of the reasons for its namesake “Sin City” or the “Land Where Dreams Come True”. Winning in a casino is what people hope and pray for. And when more people dream of winning, more people frequent casinos.

Casinos these days are more than places of luck and good fortune. They have been turned into resorts or vacation hotspots that have everything you could possibly need or want. It is usually an ironic thing not to teach kids about gambling when their parents bring them to casino resorts for a vacation. Nevertheless, both parents and children get to do what they want and everybody’s happy. Food establishments are never excluded in a casino. Restaurateurs take advantage of the tourism and the sheer attraction to casinos. Nowadays, there are myriads of restaurants and food centers in casinos just to make sure that the customers never leave the area when they have fun. These restaurants may be themed or may be smorgasbords of various cuisines from all over the world. Their goal is to satisfy every palate and craving from appetizers to desserts.

The flourishing food establishments are the main source of concern with regard to the worsening FOG (fats, oils, grease) crisis in the country. The huge quantity of food produces a lot of FOG that it practically tales over the wastewater treatment system. The US government has created the grease ordinance to require the casino owners to have grease traps installed in their areas of operation. The maintenance of the said grease traps should be handled as well. Maintenance starts off with the regular pump outs performed with the help of the local grease trap expert. A fixed schedule for this should be kept to prevent FOG overflow. If there is neglect in maintenance, the FOG will spill into the raw effluent and flow through the sewer lines. Then the FOG will adhere to the inner pipe walls and harden like concrete until a blockage is formed. When this happens, the effluent won’t be able to reach the wastewater treatment plant anymore. it will then backup into the casino facilities and cause health and sanitation issues. The effluent flooding could also cause electrocution accidents that could result to severe to fatal injuries.

Casino grease removal should be done first by performing proper grease disposal. This could be accomplished by the kitchen personnel. They could collect the grease materials and place them in leak-proof bins that could be sealed upon disposal. Drains should be fitted with meshes to catch the grease particles to prevent them from entering the grease trap. Together with bacteria as additives, casino grease removal will be a successful endeavor. Bacteria are organic FOG digesters that leave the grease trap odor-free. If bacteria are always administered into the grease trap, then FOG overflows will then be non-existent.

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