Septic System Install & Repair

If you live outside the city in a rural community, chances are when you empty a sink or flush a toilet your waste-water is treated by a septic system located in your own backyard. Septic systems treat your sewage on-site and and release the treated effluent back into the groundwater. Septic systems are not without their own set of problems, however. If you suspect that there is a problem – call your local Action Auger plumber immediately. Septic systems & their parts will occasionally require repairs, which can range from pumping out the septic tank, repairing a broken tank baffle or cracked pipe, or replacing the entire septic tank and leaching bed.

Determining the Cost of a Septic System

The cost of installing a new septic system can be assessed by calling your local Action Auger plumber, who may ask you which type of septic system you had in mind. For residential use, there are several different types of septic systems – with varying costs – as well as the amount of a percolation test and permits from your local health department.

Basic septic tank systems consist of a septic tank, pipes and a set of field lines. Enhanced septic tank systems are needed if your property does not allow for a conventional septic system (due to drainage or lot size). These “enhanced” septic tanks systems include mound systems, sand filter systems and aerobic systems.

For more information on the cost of a septic system, call your local Action Auger plumber today.

Maintaining & Cleaning Septic Tank Systems

Septic tank systems work in mysterious ways… Waste water flows into the septic tank and is separated. When you run your dishwasher or your washing machine, for instance, the water eventually drains into the septic tank and the suds from either appliance float to the top. With the solid waste that comes from flushing your toilet, however, it all collects in the bottom of the septic tank…which decomposes over time leaving a thick film or sludge at the bottom of the septic tank.

Care to take a guess as to what happens with septic systems following the day-to-day use of the toilet, the kitchen sink, the shower and the washing machine? The septic tank has to get pumped out before the leaching bed (or drainfield) gets blocked, causing a backup in your home’s drain system… followed by some very unpleasant smells until eventually the system shuts down.

The good news is that you can prevent those problems from ever occurring in the first place. With basic septic tank systems, it starts by inspecting the septic tank and leaching bed on a regular basis, pumping the tank as needed, and using water more efficiently. Here are a few other such “preventative” measures:

* DO NOT dispose of household hazardous wastes in sinks or toilets
* DO NOT plant trees or shrubs near your septic system (grass is fine, but tree roots might clog and damage the leaching bed)
* DO NOT drive or park vehicles on any part of your septic system (…at the risk of damaging the pipes, tank, or other septic system parts)

Fortunately, we know septic tank systems inside and out… you’ll want to keep the phone number of your local Action Auger plumber handy.