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How Often Do I Need To Pump My Septic Tank | Septic System

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How Often Do I Need To Pump My Septic Tank

The septic system for your home or business is designed to operate efficiently on its own for many years. There are a few factors that will determine its effectiveness of operation.

What To NOT Do When You Have A Septic Tank
• Do not put any unnecessary “Septic Tank” chemicals down the septic – a septic system is designed to do the work itself.
• Do not pour any household chemicals down the drain or toilet – especially bleach, paint, solvents, paint thinner, nail polish remover etc. All of these will disrupt the natural chemical balance in the septic system.
• Do not pour oils, grease or fat down the sink or toilet.
• Do not put any Feminine products into your septic system.
• Do not use excessive amounts of water in one or two days – spread the use over the week.
• Do not leave leaky water taps or toilets – this can accumulate to gallons of water entering your system unnecessarily.
• Do not drive any vehicles or large equipment over your septic tank or pipes – this will cause major damage.
• Do not plant any trees or flower gardens in, on or too close to the weeping bed.
• Do not build over your septic tank or weeping bed – if there is ever a problem OR when your tank needs to be pumped this will cost extra and may need to be removed or damaged to do the repair/pump.

All of the above issues can lessen the effectiveness of your septic system and cause pre-mature blockages or backups.

Depending on how many people live in your home you should check your septic tank yearly to ensure there are no visible blockages going out to the weeping bed and to ensure the “sludge” level is manageable. As the sludge level “solids” increases in the tank, the effectiveness of the tank to breakdown lessens due to the smaller capacity. The septic system is designed to work as a system with the tank and bed by breaking down the biologicals before the liquid wastewater goes out to the weeping bed for proper drainage and treatment. .

The average time between pumps for a typical household of 4 people would be approximately 3-4 years. This is in ideal conditions where none of the above “What NOT to do’s” are being done.If you have more than 4 people in your home you will need to consider pumping more often, as well the opposite if you have less people you could get by a couple/few more years before needing to pump.

It is important in the Spring to keep an eye on water levels in and around your septic system. With snow melting this can cause excess water in the system. Excess water in the system will disrupt the natural abilities of the septic system to properly decompose before the wastewater flows out to the septic bed.

If a tank is left too long between pumps the sludge or solids, can begin to clog the outlet to the weeping bed or worse clog parts of the weeping bed. When this happens the water and solids have nowhere to go and this is typically when sewage back up’s occur in the home.
When in doubt always call a professional – ensure that when you do call and book a cleaning they are removing all liquid and solids from your tank!

A Royal Flush Is Better Than A Full House!
Book Your Pumping Today 519-323-2000

Taking Care Of Your Home & Business Plumbing System | Happy World Plumbing Day 2015

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“A Royal Flush Is Better Than A Full House!”

Did you know its World Plumbing Day!?

WPC mission statement is: “To promote the role of plumbing in improving public health and safeguarding the environment, by uniting the World Plumbing Industry, for the benefit of all.”

Join us in saying a great big THANK YOU to everyone (especially our hard working plumbers and technician’s) who work hard everyday to ensure we have clean, safe water and that our sewage continues to flow! It can be a tough and sometimes very tiring job!

As a part of World Plumbing Day and our appreciation for indoor plumbing, clean healthy water and safe sewage systems we must also remember the importance of water conservation in our daily use and taking care of our home and business plumbing systems.

A few things to remember to help conserve our water and plumbing systems!

  • Shut the water off when not in use.
  • Upgrade to a low water consumption use toilet.
  • Install a new shower head.
  • Ensure all plumbing leaks are promptly repaired.
  • Upgrade old water lines to ensure clean, proper and efficient water flow.
  • Only run your dishwasher when it is full.
  • Replace old appliances with new energy star appliances (dishwasher and washing machine).
  • Install a water softener which will clean your clothes better and rinse soap off your body, dishes and clothes easier.
  • If you notice your drains are slow or not draining properly, have this investigated before it causes a back up into your basement.
  • Space out your water usage rather than doing large amounts of laundry in one day (which can flood your septic system) space it out over the evenings of the week and only do a couple loads on the weekends.
  • Use a rain barrel to catch rain water for use in gardens.
  • Ensure you have a proper septic system – septic tank and weeping bed.
  • Know the location of your septic system and weeping bed. When your home was built there would have been a septic plan.
  • Ensure the septic tank lids are always accessible – this is especially important during the winter if you have a back up. There are risers and plastic lids that can be installed which are easier accessible at anytime of the year.
  • Check your septic tank yearly to ensure it is draining properly and pump when the sludge build up is lessening the capacity of your tank. (Approx 3-5 yrs) When in doubt always call a professional.
  • If you have a garborator in your home ensure your septic tank is pumped yearly – or if you are on a septic put your food scraps in a composter.
  • Never put any kind of grease down your drains or into your septic system.
  • If you have a septic system be careful what cleaners you use in the toilet – heavy bleach cleaners can kill micro-organisms important in breaking down and treating waste water.
  • Do not flush paper towels, baby wipes, feminine products, kitty litter, condoms or anything other than toilet paper down the toilet.
  • Do not pour any chemicals into the septic tank – the system is designed to work with the natural biological’s which enter the tank to break down.
  • Never drive over, park on or build over top of your weeping bed. In the winter it is important to never plow the snow above your weeping bed, this will help insulate and prevent freezing in colder winters.

How does your Plumbing System Work???

Here are a few pictures to give you visual of the system!

This is a typical home septic system.
septic-diagram2

A colour coded diagram of a home’s basic plumbing system.

home-plumbing-system

A home’s plumbing system coming out to the main sewer.

houseplumb1

For those of you connected to town water and sewer,
InflowandInfiltrationDiagram

Winter Tips To Stay Warm – Extreme Cold Temps, No Heat and Frozen Pipes

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It’s another extremely cold winter day.

Cold temperatures with blowing snow, it can be a disaster for your home’s Plumbing and Heating!

1. Go out and dig ALL the snow away from all Heating vents – Furnace, Water Heater, Dryer, Fireplace.

2. Some vents have a little screen in them (to stop critters from climbing up in) this can freeze over with the condensate exhausting from the furnace, if it does just pull it out and ensure the vents are completely 100% clear.

3. Prevent your water from freezing by running all your taps consistently over the day to keep water running through the pipes or leave a tap running. Especially if you have washrooms you rarely use.

4. If you do not have a heated basement get a heater for the mechanical room – A small room heater that is meant for indoor use will help!

5. Its too late – your pipes have froze…
– Leave the cupboard doors open so heat can get to the pipes.
– Insulating your pipes will help as well or putting a piece of hard foam insulation at the back of the cupboards.
– Place a small heater close to the pipes – be very careful not to leave it in the cupboard and unattended – do not create a fire risk. If you do not have a small heater, a lamp will help provide extra heat.
– Open your taps so that the water has somewhere to expand to, if it does not this is when pipes will burst.
– It is essential to have heat in your mechanical room.
– Wherever your water pipes are outside do not drive over this area as it can push the frost down and cause pipes (and even sewage/septic lines) to freeze!

6. Please do NOT leave your pets out in these temperatures!

7. It’s way too cold for children to play outside – make it a board game movie day or check out public skating.

8. Vehicles will need to warm up even just for a few minutes before driving.

9. Clear all the snow and ice away from all doors to ensure a proper latch for them to stay properly closed. In temperatures like this it won’t take much to cause problems!

10. It’s Family Day, if you really do not need to go out, Don’t! Enjoy the day with your family and stay cozy warm!The sun is shining brightly but its darn cold out there!

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Before and After – Gas Fireplace Installation

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Today our guys converted a wood fireplace to an insert gas fireplace – what a difference!

Not only does the home owner now have instant heat (without the work of wood), they also have a brand new look to their once tired looking fireplace!

The colours in the brick are now accented perfectly by the black trim around the fireplace making the entire fireplace and stone a true (new) master piece!

Before and After Fireplace

* NEW* Muskoka 35″ Electric Fireplace | Just In Time For Christmas!

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If you are looking to add instant warmth and coziness to your home which is also very affordable, portable and also convenient… the new Muskoka Fireplace just might be for you!

The Muskoka 35″ Electric Fireplace can be mounted on the wall or on the included stand. There are 3 options of crushed glass, traditional wood and clear stone ember beds all included in the box! Remote control included and will heat up to 400 square feet!

NEW just in stock today and available for a limited time at this price while quantities last!

Drop into the office to see the fireplace in action! Our office is open Monday to Thursday 8am to 5pm and Friday 8am to 4pm.

GWT_Desco MH35BL special-JJ

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Does Your Home Have a Carbon Monoxide Detector | CO Alarms Mandatory In All Homes

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As of today, October 15th, a new regulation requires Carbon Monoxide Detectors to be present in every home.

News Release from The Ontario Government
(click above to be directed to their site of the news release)

News Release

Keeping Ontarians Safe from Carbon Monoxide

CO Alarms Now Mandatory in All Homes

October 14, 2014 11:45 A.M.

Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services

Ontario is taking another step to keep families and homes in Ontario safe by making carbon monoxide alarms mandatory in all residential homes.

The new regulation, which comes into effect October 15, updates Ontario’s Fire Code following the passage of Bill 77 last year. These updates are based on recommendations from a Technical Advisory Committee which was led by the Office of the Fire Marshall and Emergency Management and included experts from fire services, the hotel and rental housing industries, condo owners and alarm manufacturers.

Carbon monoxide detectors will now be required near all sleeping areas in residential homes and in the service rooms, and adjacent sleeping areas in multi-residential units. Carbon monoxide alarms can be hardwired, battery-operated or plugged into the wall.

Quick Facts

  • More than 50 people die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning in Canada, including 11 on average in Ontario.
  • Bill 77, an Act to Proclaim Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week and to amend the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, received royal assent in December 2013.
  • The first Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week will take place November 1-8, 2014.
  • The Ontario Building Code requires the installation of carbon monoxide alarms in homes and other residential buildings built after 2001.

Quotes

Yasir Naqvi

“We want Ontarians to be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning because these tragedies are preventable. The change to the Fire Code is all about making sure we keep our families and homes safe. I urge all Ontarians to install a carbon monoxide alarm in their homes immediately.”

Yasir Naqvi

Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services

“Mandating the installation and maintenance of carbon monoxide alarms in existing homes with a fuel-fired heating system or appliance, fireplace or attached garage under the Fire Code, and providing the authority for municipal fire services to conduct inspections and promote CO awareness, are significant steps forward for enhancing public safety.”

Tadeusz (Ted) Wieclawek

Ontario Fire Marshal & Chief of Emergency Management

“The fatal effects of carbon monoxide left us with an irreplaceable family loss. Keep your family safe and install a CO alarm so we can combat the silent killer.”

John Gignac

Co-Chair, Hawkins-Gignac Foundation for CO Education

Why A Water Softener Is A Benefit To Your Home or Business | Plumbing System

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Are you considering installing a water softener in your home? You may be if you are finding your clothes are not washing properly or the soap does not lather in the shower, perhaps your skin is very dry as well.

There are different options when it comes to water treatment and we are equipped to handle all of them from simple water softening to iron or sulfur removal.

Having a qualified and licensed plumber install your water treatment system you can rest assured that it will be installed properly and any adjustments or plumbing re-routing can be done by the same plumber who can install your system – saving you from having to make a second call if there are any issues with your plumbing prior to the install.

Benefits to having a water softener:
• Your hair and skin will feel cleaner, soap will rinse away without leaving any residue.
• Your dishes will come cleaner with less residue or spots.
• Your soaps and shampoo will lather better.
• The fabric of your clothing will be softer without the use of fabric softener.
• Your appliances will benefit from soft water by not having the hard water build up, making them run more efficient and overall last longer.
• Your water heater will heat the water up faster and over the years there will not be as much build up inside when soft water is used, as there would be with hard water and lime build up.
• Your pipes and drains will run cleaner with less residue and build up, which over the years can result into major problems if they accumulate too much and eventually plug up which may cause a back up in your home.

We deal with Greenway Water Technologies for our Water Softeners. Below is information from their website. Click on the title to go to their website.

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Greenway Water Softeners
Greenway Water Technologies’ Water Softener systems are Engineered for Health and Designed for Life.

How does a Water Softener work?
Hard water is found in various regions globally. In North America, hard water is prevalent Calcium, magnesium and other ions are found in “hard” water. These hard water ions can interfere with your plumbing and potentially decrease the efficacy of water heaters and other water appliances because of the build-up of lime scale. Soap and cleaning products’ effectiveness are also affected and therefore are not as efficient.

Water Softeners usually work on the principle of replacing the hardness ions (calcium and magnesium) with sodium ions through the use of ion exchange resin. The hard water to be treated is passed through a bed of the resin. Negatively-charged resins absorb the hardness ions, which are positively charged (Ca++, Mg++). The ion exchange resins most commonly contain Sodium (but can be found in potassium and hydrogen form also). Calcium and magnesium ions in the hard water replace these sodium ions on the resin, therefore decreasing the calcium and magnesium in the water, making soft water with no formation of lime scale

When all of the resin is “full” of the calcium and magnesium hardness ions, the softener regenerates by allowing high concentrations of sodium chloride (salt) to be reintroduced onto the resin, taking the place of the calcium and magnesium ions and discarding them into the discharge drain water. The water softener is then ready to be used once again.

How are Greenway® Water Softeners different than other water softeners?
At Greenway Water Technologies, we take your water treatment seriously. We have collaborated, researched and designed water softening systems with our customers in mind.

There are four categories of Greenway® water softeners, each with its’ own unique features and characteristics based on your level of hard water and water flow requirements.

Our Greenway® Standard Series water softener line includes two options; either an easy to use Clack 3 over 2 valve with bypass, resin tank, and salt tank OR a metered Fleck Valve including bypass, resin tank and salt tank.
The Greenway® Advance series water softener line additionally includes our unique Greenway® valve head with bypass and added collar, resin tank and salt tank.
The Greenway® Pro Series water softeners are our NSF certified units come in a variety of sizes. These will be available later this year (2011).
Our Greenway® Cabinet water softeners are designed to be compact and are used when space is minimal. Some customers prefer this style of water softener as the resin tank and salt tank are built into one cabinet. Our customers can program in their own water hardness based on desired salt usage (low, medium or high salt settings) for effective results.

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Click the photo below to see all the products offered by Greenway which can be installed by our Plumbers.

Greenway GWT_Products_Banner2

Is Your Septic System Healthy!? | A Royal Flush Is Better Than A Full House

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If you have a Septic System, how do you care for it?

A Septic System is in fact very simple – yet it requires regular maintenance to ensure it can still perform every vital task it is designed to do. The septic system is a network of pipes which begin in your home, drain into one pipe which is underground and is connected to the septic tank where the liquids and solids flow. The sludge sinks to the bottom and the liquid flows out to the weeping bed. As solids break down they will then flow out to the distribution box and leach out into the bed as well.

septic-diagram2

The sludge is what can cause your system problems. As the sludge accumulates, this will decrease the volume of your tank which then also decreases the retention of liquid before it leaves to the bed. If sludge is left too long this can cause your bed to plug up as there will be less space for the solids to break down and could flow out with the water into the bed. Worse is when the sludge reaches the outlet level and begins to plug up the distribution box, or worse the pipes in the weeping bed. If the system is left too long, unfortunately the weeping bed and tank will need to be replaced.

Septic Pumping - Royal Flush Is Better Than A Full House - Advert

How do you know if your septic is healthy?

  • Do you know where your septic tank and weeping bed are?
  • Keep track of when it was pumped last. Also ensure that when it is pumped that ALL of the tank is cleaned out – not just the water.
  • Do not put any unnecessary “Septic Tank” chemicals down the septic – a septic system is designed to do the work itself.
  • Do not pour any household chemicals down the drain or toilet – especially bleach, paint, solvents, paint thinner, nail polish remover etc. All of these will disrupt the natural chemical balance in the septic system.
  • Are your drains draining slowly? If so there could be a potential problem.
  • Is your grass exceptionally green or spongy to walk on near the weeping bed.
  • Do not pour oils, grease or fat down the sink or toilet.
  • Feminine products can also cause issues or clog a septic system.
  • Try to space out all of your water usage. Doing all of your laundry excessively on just Saturday and Sunday all day both days could cause potential issues with excess water entering the system. By using your water as equally as possible during the week this will allow the system to properly treat all of the water that enters and exits.
  • Repair any leaking taps or drains – leaking water – even just one drop per second can waste tens of thousands of litres of water per year!
  • Do not drive any vehicles or large equipment over your septic tank or pipes – this will cause major damage.
  • Do not plant any trees or flower gardens in, on or too close to the weeping bed.
  • Do not build over your septic tank or weeping bed – if there is ever a problem OR when your tank needs to be pumped this will cost extra and may need to be removed or damaged to do the repair/pump.
  • Have your tank checked at least every 5 years and pumped when necessary.
  • When in doubt – ask a professional!