Septic Tank Cleaning Perth is important to maintaining a home’s septic system. This preventative maintenance can help avoid sewage backups and costly repairs.
Most septic systems should be cleaned every three to five years. This ensures that the microbial ecosystem inside can break down the septage. It also helps keep the sludge and scum layers from building up.
Having a septic system in your home or business means you must be careful about what goes down the drain. If you do not, the waste in your system will quickly build up and create a mess. If you don’t get your septic tank cleaned when it needs to be, the resulting problems can be extremely expensive.
Your septic tank is a watertight container where solid waste settles to the bottom, forming sludge. Oils and grease float to the top, where they become scum. Between the sludge and scum is a layer of clear, partially treated wastewater called effluent. The sludge and scum must be removed periodically to avoid clogs, which can affect your entire septic system.
The septic tank itself must also be inspected and repaired as needed or replaced completely. In addition to the septic tank, a septic system consists of an underground drain field and the absorption area where the wastewater is absorbed into the ground. To protect the drain field, keep long-rooted plants and trees away from it.
Generally, your septic tank needs to be pumped when the bottom of the scum layer is within 6 inches of the bottom of the outlet tee, or the top of the hollow sludge layer is within 12 inches of it (a septic tank has an inlet tee which brings wastewater into it and an outlet tee which pumps the wastewater out). The liquid effluent should be at most 25 percent of the total volume of the septic tank.
Professional septic tank inspectors use special equipment known as the Sludge Judge to measure the sludge level in a septic tank. This device pushes a stick with a Velcro strip down into the tank, where the septic tank cleaning crew can read it when they remove it. The dark, thick sludge will cling to the Velcro strip, allowing you to determine how much sludge is in your tank at any given time.
If you prefer not to use this type of septic tank measurement device, you can use a wooden pole that’s as long as you are and mark where the sludge layer hits. Then, you can keep an eye on it over the course of a few months to see how close your septic tank is to its minimum required level.
Foul Odors
A well-functioning septic tank should never smell, but the foul odors of sewage inside or outside your home could indicate that something is wrong. Septic odors may occur for a number of reasons.
Inside the septic tank, microbes work to break down waste solids. These microorganisms are best able to survive when the pH level is kept at a healthy range of 6.8 to 7.6. However, if the tank becomes too acidic, then the microorganisms cannot digest the sewage and strong hydrogen sulfide gas with a rotten egg odor is produced. This is the most common cause of septic odors.
Inhaling septic gas fumes can be dangerous in high concentrations. These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia and other toxins that are not good for your respiratory system.
If you notice septic odors inside your home, the first thing to check is that all of the drain traps are filled with water. If any of the unused drains have dried out, this could allow gases to escape and enter your home. Also, a septic tank lid that has become dislodged or damaged could allow these gasses to escape into your yard and home.
A septic tank cleaning professional can fix both of these problems easily.
Another common reason for septic odors is that a toilet wax seal has dried out. This is easy to fix by installing a new wax seal. You should also avoid flushing anything other than toilet paper and human waste into your septic system, including trash, feminine hygiene products, plastics, coffee grounds and chemicals.
Septic odors may also develop if the septic tank has become overloaded with waste. It is important to have the septic tank pumped every three to five years to reduce the amount of waste that is placed into the system.
Clogs
Your septic tank has an amazing ecosystem of bacteria that break down waste and help wastewater to drain quickly. This ecosystem can get overtaxed when you flush non-flushable solid waste like coffee grounds, paper towels and wipes, feminine products, diapers, and so on. This overload can lead to clogs in your home.
You can reduce the risk of clogs by never flushing anything other than organic waste. You should also regularly check your drains for clogs and keep them clean by using safe septic-safe products. This means avoiding chemical drain cleaners that can kill the beneficial bacteria in your system and disrupt the natural bacterial balance.
In addition to regular maintenance, you can reduce the need for septic tank cleaning by having your system inspected every three to five years. This inspection is a great opportunity to identify and fix any problems in your septic system.
If you are seeing a lot of sludge in your septic tank or noticing foul odors around your home, it’s probably time for a septic tank cleaning. These foul odors are caused by hydrogen sulfide gasses produced as the sludge decomposes. Hydrogen sulfide is highly toxic and can be dangerous for your family, pets and neighbors.
The line that carries wastewater out of your septic tank can get clogged too. This is typically because of a blockage in the inlet baffle or the outlet baffle. The inlet baffle allows the wastewater to enter into the tank while the outlet baffle prevents solids from traveling out of the tank and into your drainfield.
Clogs in this pipe can be caused by tree roots, pressure from equipment or automobiles, and external factors such as earthquakes. The clog can be fixed with professional septic tank cleaning and repairs, but it’s important to have the system inspected before you do this.
The good news is, a clogged septic system isn’t nearly as bad as it sounds. You can often resolve the clog without calling in a pro if you know where to look and what to do. For example, many septic tank clogs are actually caused by unsafe materials that you’ve been flushing down your toilets such as baby wipes, false teeth, or even a few glasses of wine. Use the same science experiment we did as kids by mixing baking soda and vinegar to replicate an erupting volcano, but this time with no red food dye! The reaction will produce lots of bubbles that have the power to loosen most clogs.
Damage
Septic systems are a great option for many people, and they can last well into the future with proper care. However, they are not immune to damage and need to be cleaned on a regular basis. This is particularly true if you have a large household. The septic system contains bacteria that work to break down waste, which is then deposited into the drain field. However, when this system is clogged or overflowing, sewage will back up into homes and businesses. This is a big problem that can lead to serious health issues.
One of the most common signs that it is time for septic tank cleaning is the presence of foul odors around drains and toilets. This is caused by the buildup of hydrogen sulfide gasses that are released from the breakdown of organic materials in the septic tank. This is an extremely dangerous issue that can be avoided by having your septic tank cleaned regularly.
Another sign that your septic tank needs cleaning is if there are heavy sludge layers in the bottom of the tank. This is usually a result of a long period of time without septic tank cleaning. However, it can also be caused by an overload of waste that has been deposited into the tank. The bottom layer of the septic tank is usually composed of inorganic solids, while the top layer is comprised of scum and liquid.
The inlet baffle to your septic tank can become clogged, which prevents wastewater from entering the tank. This may be a result of the use of septic system-unfriendly detergents, which can cause a high amount of clogs in the tank and surrounding pipes. A septic tank professional can help to unclog the inlet baffle by using a hand auger or another tool that is safe for your septic system.
It is also important to avoid washing or flushing anything down a drain that could harm the bacterial colony in your septic tank and drain field. This includes items like harsh chemicals, bleaches, paint thinners, and other products. These substances will interfere with and kill the bacteria that break down the waste in your septic tank. In addition, they can contaminate groundwater and cause environmental damage.