Valdosta Septic Tank Systems, Installations, Service & Repair

Do I Need Septic Tank Cleaning if My System is Fine?

A lot of people think that if their system is running fine, they don’t need to worry about septic tank cleaning. This is an unfortunate, and often expensive, mistake to make. Regular septic pumping increases the lifespan of the entire system and helps prevent backups.

Schedule Septic Tank Cleaning Regularly, Regardless of How Well the System Runs

Residential Systems: Homeowners should schedule septic pumping every 3-5 years, unless they have a large family or a smaller tank. In these cases, it should be done more often. Homes with a garbage disposal should have it done annually. It’s also a good idea for new homeowners to schedule septic pumping and an inspection right after they move in if it wasn’t done as part of the real estate closing process.

Commercial or Industrial Systems: Businesses should always defer to the recommendations of their septic tank maintenance company and to the business’ log book. Each time a company comes out to perform a septic tank cleaning, they should leave a record of when the septic pumping was done and how many gallons were removed. If the tank was at or near capacity, waiting the same length of time between appointments, or even scheduling a bit sooner is good. If there was a lot of space left, the appointments can be spread farther apart.

Avoid Backups and Other Issues with Routine Septic Tank Maintenance

Over time, the bottom layer of sludge will build up, clog the pipes, cause a backup, and will damage the system and perhaps the property around the tank, so it’s important to keep up with the septic tank maintenance schedule. Plus, a technician will examine the system during a septic tank cleaning, and may catch other issues, such as clogged or cracked pipes, before they have the opportunity to wreak havoc.

Do I Call a Plumber or a Septic Company for Drain Cleaning?

Drain cleaning can sometimes be problematic for people with septic systems, simply because it’s tough to know whether septic companies or plumbers should be called in to help. On the one hand, plumbers are great for all your indoor plumbing needs, but septic systems can present challenges they don’t normally get training on or have exposure to.

Always Call Your Valdosta GA Septic Company First

If you have a blockage and you can’t get water to drain, it could be a problem with the pipes inside the house or it could be an issue with a backup or clog where waste enters your tank. Plumbers are great and they know a lot of stuff, but they don’t often have experience dealing with septic systems. They can only diagnose what’s happening inside the house, and they often won’t touch any component of the septic system because they’re not familiar enough with it to diagnose or treat the problem.

Septic Companies are Drain Cleaning Pros

It’s often easy for septic companies to diagnose issues over the phone, based on the types of symptoms that are present. When this isn’t possible, a visual exam of the pipes and system clear up any doubt. Our technicians have a lot of tools at their disposal to aid in drain cleaning, often including cameras, so the area can be checked in a non-invasive way. If the clog is resistant to traditional snaking, hydro-jetting is ideal. This technique utilizes high-pressure water to blast away debris, but in a way that‘s gentle enough that it won’t harm the system or the environment. If the issue is related to the tank or its components, septic companies can clean it out and perform any necessary repairs fast, so your system is functioning normally as quickly as possible.

How Do Septic Systems Work?

When a public sewer system isn’t available, homes and businesses often use septic systems to handle the household’s used water and waste. In these cases, the building’s plumbing isn’t much different, but the waste is handled on-site with septic systems that require regular septic pumping and septic tank maintenance.

Most of the Work is Done In the Septic Tank, Itself

All of the water and waste leaves the building from a central pipe that takes it out to the septic tank. This includes sewage from the toilets, as well as water from baths, sinks, and kitchen use. The tanks may have a single compartment or two compartments that are used in sequence. When the waste and water flows in through the “inlet” of the tank, the “baffle” helps push it down into the tank, so it doesn’t settle on top. Eventually, the solids settle on the bottom of the septic tank, in a layer called “sludge,” while another layer of things like fats and toilet paper float to the top. This is called “scum.” The material in the middle, called “effluent,” is safe to leave the septic tank through the “outlet” where it’s dispersed into an absorption area, often referred to as a “leach field.”

The Leach Field Allows Effluent to Settle Into the Earth

There are a lot of different types of setups for what happens to the effluent when it leaves the septic tank. The area may be referred to as a leach field, drain field, septic field, septic drain field, septic tank drainfield, or septic leach field, but the concept is generally the same with these. The effluent isn’t quite clean yet, and so it’s carried through a series of pipes beneath the soil. The pipes have lots of holes, allowing the effluent can seep out. Any organic material in it is digested by the bacteria that naturally lives in the top layers of soil. A leach field is probably the most common setup, though there are also graywater recycling systems that can be hooked up, and some older homes also use a “soak pit,” which is essentially a hole filled with rocks or gravel.

Septic Pumping and Septic Tank Maintenance Keep a System Running

Understandably, the layers of sludge and scum tend to build up, so septic systems and their pipes need to be cleaned regularly. Most of the time, a 3-5 year schedule is recommended, to keep the system running optimally, but the time may increase if the home has a garbage disposal or if a lot of people are contributing to filling the tank.

Will Septic Pumping Fix a Backup?

Any kind of sewer system issue is undoubtedly unpleasant, but when you have water and waste seeping up through all the drains in your house, it’s unsanitary as well. It’s during this type of sewer system emergency that a lot of people find themselves wondering when they last had septic pumping done and if it will help. There are two main reasons why septic systems backup and drain cleaning or septic pumping could be the answer.

Septic Pumping is Necessary When the Whole System Fails

Ideally, septic pumping should be done on a regular schedule. Depending on how much use the tank gets and its size, it could require cleaning once a year. In order to understand what happens with a full system failure, you have to understand how the system functions.

• Water and waste are brought to the tank through a pipe.
• The materials separate, with heavy waste sinking to the bottom of the tank and lighter materials rising to the top.
• The liquid remains in the center and flows out of the tank into some form of water absorption system, where it is treated by Mother Nature.

If the tank isn’t cleaned, the bottom layer rises and plugs the pipes that distribute the water and lets it out of the tank. The material then flows back into the building and up through the drains. Septic pumping will fix the problem, though additional cleaning and repairs may need to be done to restore functionality of the system.

Drain Cleaning Can Help if the System Has Recently Been Cleaned

The pipes within the system can be clogged when people flush things that they shouldn’t or when they use excess amounts of toilet paper. Sometimes, this collects in the drains, though it often gets stuck right at the entryway into the tank. Professionals who handle drain cleaning with septic tanks often use high-pressure water systems to clear the drains in a safe, effective manner.

It’s Best to Call a Valdosta GA Septic Tank Pro

Backed up drains can cause a lot of damage and create very unsanitary conditions. There are a lot of reasons why a system might backup, so it’s always best to call in a pro and have the system thoroughly checked out.

Will a Septic Tank Service Solve a Smell?

Many people consider putting in a call for septic tank service when they start to notice a smell. If you haven’t had septic tank cleaning done in a while, it may well be time to schedule an appointment. Systems should be pumped every 3-5 years, and even as often as annually when a garbage disposal is in use or when a lot of people produce wastewater in the building. However, you may be able to avoid a septic tank service call by checking a couple of things first.

1. Verify All the Drains Have Water in Them

All the drains in the building should have water in the curve. This stops gas from coming back up into the building. Run water in each of the drains, including those in the basement.

2. Make Sure the Vents Are Clear

Septic system vents are usually on the roof of a home and they allow the natural gasses to escape. If you’re familiar with your system and the vents, double check that they aren’t obstructed.

3. Check Gaskets and Screws

Toilets tend to loosen over time or the gaskets get some wear and tear. Take a look at the toilets in the building and make sure they’re secure.

Schedule Septic Tank Service if This Doesn’t Resolve the Smell or if You Notice Other Symptoms

Although these are some of the most common and easily resolved issues, there are a lot of components in a septic system. If none of these fixed the problem, it’s a good idea to schedule a septic tank service call. Equally, if you notice other issues, like water backing up, standing water around your tank or leach field, or hear a gurgling sound coming from the drains, it’s important to place the call right away. Those are all signs of system failure and you’ll want the problem taken care of before any damage is done.