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Septic System Tips

Maintaining a septic system is essential for the proper functioning of your household plumbing and to prevent environmental contamination. Here are some tips for septic system maintenance:

  1. Regular Pumping: Have your septic tank pumped regularly by a professional. The frequency will depend on the size of your tank and the number of occupants in your household. Typically, it’s recommended to pump every 3 to 5 years.
  2. Watch What You Flush: Only flush human waste and toilet paper down the toilet. Avoid flushing items such as diapers, wipes, feminine hygiene products, paper towels, or any non-biodegradable materials, as they can clog the system.
  3. Be Mindful of Water Usage: Reduce water usage to prevent overloading the septic system. Fix any leaks promptly, install low-flow fixtures, and spread out laundry and dishwasher loads over time rather than doing them all at once.
  4. Avoid Harsh Chemicals: Avoid pouring harsh chemicals down drains, as they can disrupt the balance of bacteria in the septic tank needed for proper decomposition. This includes bleach, drain cleaners, and antibacterial soaps.
  5. Use Septic-Safe Products: Use septic-safe cleaning and personal care products labeled as such. These products are designed to be biodegradable and won’t harm the bacteria in the septic tank.
  6. Protect the Weeping Bed (Drainfield): Avoid driving or parking vehicles on the weeping bed, as this can compact the soil and damage the pipes. Plant grass or shallow-rooted vegetation over the weeping bed to prevent soil erosion and absorb excess moisture.
  7. Maintain Proper Drainage: Make sure gutters and downspouts are directed away from the weeping bed to prevent excess water from saturating the soil.
  8. Regular Inspections: Schedule regular inspections of your septic system by a qualified professional. They can check for signs of damage, leaks, or other issues that may require attention.
  9. Be Careful with Landscaping: Avoid planting trees or shrubs with aggressive root systems near the septic system, as their roots can infiltrate and damage the pipes and tank.
  10. Educate Household Members: Make sure everyone in your household understands the importance of proper septic system care and knows what can and cannot be flushed or poured down drains.

Following these tips can help extend the lifespan of your septic system, minimize the need for repairs, and protect the environment. If you ever notice any signs of a problem with your septic system, such as foul odors, slow drains, or sewage backups, don’t hesitate to contact a professional for assistance.

Spring Septic Pumping

Our spring septic pumping is well under way – did you know we actually pump all year round!

It helps having a knowledgeable operator who has worked along side our plumbers and heating tech’s for years – he knows the in’s and out’s of your homes in’s and out’s!

Call today to get on our septic pumping list to ensure you are flowing freely all year 😉

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

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

“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

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

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!

Toddler dies after falling into uncovered septic tank | Pumper Magazine – Dedicated to the Liquid Waste Industry

An awful way to be reminded of the safety required with septic tanks. Even with the lids, they must be covered at all times to ensure the safety of any children, adults and animals.

We do required the lids to be accessible for pumping out your septic tank, however please do take all precautions when preparing your tank for the cleaning. Children are curious and very innocent. This is such a tradegy for this 2 year old.

Inspect your lids and ensure they are solid with no cracks or broken pieces. If you require new lids or would like an inspection please give us a call at 1-866-565-5513.

Toddler dies after falling into uncovered septic tank | Pumper Magazine – Dedicated to the Liquid Waste Industry.