If you own property with a septic tank, there are some things that you should know. The frequency of septic tank service is determined primarily by:

• Size of the tank
• Amount of waste material being processed.

It is important to know what should and what should not go into them. One of the determining factors for the frequency of septic tank pumping is the amount of solid material that is going into your system. The more solid material that collects at the bottom of the tank, the less room there is in the tank for liquids to be processed. And, the solid material decomposes to some degree but will build up as sludge that needs to be removed to provide appropriate processing space.

Here are some tips for controlling the amount of solid waste going into your system:
 Limit the use of garbage disposal, which can actually double the amount of solid waste in your system and require more frequent pumping.
 Do not use too much water. (A good limit is 50 gallons per person per day.)
 Do not add materials such as facial tissues, hygiene products, or cigarette butts to wastewater.
 Do not pour cooking oils or grease down the drain.
 Maintain a grass or other vegetative covering over the drain field.

DO NOT put these into your septic system:
 Cooking grease, oils, fats
 Pesticides;
 Paints, paint thinners. solvents
 Disinfectants
 Household chemicals.

Place cooking grease, oils or fats in a container with household garbage for disposal at your local land fill. Pesticides, paints, paint thinners, solvents, disinfectants and other household chemicals are toxic substances that threaten ground water quality and kill the microorganisms that help purify the sewage. For safe disposal of chemicals, contact your local county offices.

By controlling what goes into your system, you help your septic service company provide more efficient service to keep your system operating safely and efficiently with lower repair and replacement costs.

Call FloHawks at (800)444-2371

Do you know what a septic system is, and what comprises your system? Do you know how to use and maintain your system?

Basically, a septic system processes waste materials and waste water from your house. It is a large tank buried underground system on your property. Plumbing runs from your house to this underground tank and waste water and material goes down the drains to the buried tank. The tank is designed to allow the solid material to settle or separate while the liquid flows threw the middle. The liquid is flow out of the tank into a pump tank or drain field. The bacteria are filtered out of the liquid by layers of rock and soil. Eventually, the clean water is re-absorbed by the ground.

Your septic system must be maintained to prevent a disaster. If it doesn’t work properly, you will likely find a waste material backup somewhere in your house, around your septic tank or around your drain field and if not addressed in a timely manner, it could cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars to repair or replace your system.

What to do
1. Locate a reputable maintenance provider and have your system inspected regularly. Every tank requires emptying periodically depending on the size and overall waste water usage.
2. Make repairs or perform maintenance as soon as possible when defeciencies are found in the system or identified and you may be able to avoid the larger repairs and backups that can happen if maintenance is not done.
3. Avoid parking vehicles or placing heavy objects over the underground tank and the drain field.
4. Do not pave over the tank or drain field. Use care when digging and planting any landscaping around the septic system area.
5. Don’t ignore abnormally wet areas around the outside of your home. They could be the result of a malfunctioning part of your system.

If properly maintained, your septic system will give you many years of dependable service. Be sure to hire the services of a reputable, dependable, knowledgeable and licensed septic tank pumping and service company.

Call FloHawks at (800)444-2371

If you have a septic tank and or pump chamber, do not wait for that day when everything smells bad or backs up! While this sounds like a bad pun, don’t wait or you could have that awful moment.

Septic system backups can and do happen, and when they do they create unhealthy and very unpleasant smelling and conditions inside and outside of the house. If you have a septic system, maintenance inspections or pumping should be a very high priority.  It can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars for the repair or replacement of a septic system, and even more if you have to pay to clean up or repair the house and yard from damage caused by a septic backup!

Periodic inspections and or pumping are essential. Recommend inspection schedules are dependent on type of system, tank size, number of people in the household and the amount of water going into the system and other house hold habits. Your local septic tank service company can help you locate your tank in the ground and help determine the size and frequency of service that may be needed.

Toilet flushing accounts for the largest percentage of waste water used in most homes. If you live in an older style home with original “older’ fixtures, you likely use 3 to 5 gallons (or more) of water per flush, but newer toilet designs decrease the water needed per flush to approximately 1.5 or so gallons. You can have inserts placed into the toilet tank so less water is needed per flush.

Inspections can save you money in costly repairs or replacement. Your local septic service company can inspect the valves, drain field, tank inlet and outlets and the general condition of your tank to catch problems before they become a costly repair. Avoid that expensive septic system failure!

Call FloHawks at (800)444-2371