A Wesco Septic

The Essentials of Septic System Pumping and Maintenance

In order to ensure that your septic system can effectively treat the wastewater from your home, you should schedule regular inspections and maintenance. If the tank is overfilled with either sludge or liquid effluent, it can overload the soil treatment area and contaminate your property and groundwater supply.

This video will outline all the essential information you need to know in order to keep your septic system functioning properly. You will learn how frequently you should have your septic system inspected and how often you need to have it pumped. This video also explains why you shouldn’t use chemical treatments in your tank.

For complete septic tank service, including installation, pumping, and maintenance, call A Wesco Septic of Snohomish today at (360) 799-4297. We have helped homeowners across King County maintain their wastewater treatment systems since 1987.           

Common Ways People Harm Their Septic Systems

When properly maintained, your septic system naturally treats effluent from your home, removing contaminants and allowing the water to be absorbed back into the natural groundwater supply in your area. But if your septic system is not working correctly, your groundwater may become polluted and sewage may even flow back into your home. To keep your septic system functioning properly, avoid these common habits that can damage it:

Flushing Improper Waste Down the Toilet

Your toilet feeds directly into your septic system, so anything you flush will end up in your septic tank. Non-biodegradable items can clog your pipes or quickly fill your tank, causing serious septic system problems. Napkins, paper towels, cotton balls, hygiene products, and other paper waste belong in the trash or recycling bin, not in the toilet.

Pouring Grease Down the Drain

Some homeowners pour the liquid grease left over from cooking down their kitchen sinks. Over time, this grease will solidify inside your pipes and septic tank, which can cause clogs and backups. Several years’ worth of grease buildup in your septic tank will require an expensive professional cleaning, beyond the standard pumping services. Avoid this by properly disposing of all grease in a sealed container in the trash.

Overloading the Tank with Wastewater                                              

Your tank can only process a certain amount of water at a time, and creating too much wastewater at once can cause the system to flood. Flooding the system will either cause sewage to back up into your home or to flow into your drain field, where it can contaminate the groundwater and soil. Avoid this by staggering showers and laundry throughout the day to give the system time to process the water.

Neglecting Proper Maintenance

Even if you take good care of your system, the layer of sludge that naturally accumulates in your tank will eventually grow very thick. You need to have your tank pumped out regularly to remove the sludge and ensure that the septic system can effectively treat your wastewater.

Residents of Snohomish and King Counties can rely on A Wesco Septic for professional septic tank cleaning and maintenance services. Schedule an appointment with us today by calling (360) 799-4297.

[INFOGRAPHIC] Backed Up: Septic Tank Problems and How to Prevent Them

It’s easy to take your home’s septic tank for granted until a major problem arises. However, with just a little effort each year, you can keep up with the proper maintenance and care required to keep your septic system working great. As a homeowner, it’s important to understand your septic system and identify potential problems before they become major mishaps.

By following just a few guidelines, you can keep your septic tank working great for years to come. To learn more about septic systems, common problems, and proper prevention, take a look at this helpful infographic from a top Snohomish septic tank pumping, installation, maintenance, and repair company. Feel free to share this infographic with friends and family whose homes have septic systems to spread the word about septic solutions!

Explore These Sites To Gain A Better Understanding Of Proper Septic System Use And Care

Septic systems are very important components of any home, and should be treated with the utmost care. Learn more about how to take care of your septic system by following these links from around the web:

• Yahoo! Voices has an article on the signs that indicate your septic tank needs pumping.
• Check out this page from the University of Maryland for information on septic system layouts and maintenance.
• If your drain field floods, consult this guide from the Environmental Protection Agency to determine the next steps.
• Find out how you can conserve water at this page from EarthEasy.com.
• Troubleshoot your septic tank with help from RuralHomeTech.com.

For more information on septic tanks, call A Wesco Septic of Snohomish at (360) 799-4297.

Tips for Preventing Septic Line Clogs

Septic systems are vastly expensive components of your home, and you must take great care to ensure that your investment is well protected. Clogged lines, for example, can severely jeopardize both your septic system and your health. Read on to discover a few tips that will help you avoid clogs:

Watch What You Flush

Never flush anything you could just as easily throw out with the regular trash. Items like cigarette butts, cat litter, paper towels, and matches do not decompose well, and can pile up within your piping and form clogs. If that happens, you could be facing backed-up toilets and drains. Similarly, hydrogen peroxide, bleach, and other products with antibacterial properties impede the natural decomposition of your septic tank waste.

Limit Water Usage

This tip is not only good for the environment – it’s also good for your septic system. Septic lines can only handle so much wastewater at a time; if you produce too much, the tank can get overwhelmed and solids will be forced into the lines. To reduce the risk of this happening to you, take basic water-conservation steps. These may include turning the faucet off when you brush your teeth, only running the dishwasher when it is fully loaded, and rinsing produce in a bowl of water instead of under a running tap.

Watch Out for Roots

Trees have a nasty habit of spreading their roots over wide areas. You need to make sure that all parts of your septic system are far enough from trees to avoid any roots from growing over your drainage field. The pressure from growing roots could cause weak spots in your piping to crack.

You can never predict when your septic system will clog or malfunction in some way. That’s why A Wesco Septic of Snohomish is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergency septic maintenance. We also conduct routine inspections and pumping, and can save your older system for just $2,500. Get in touch with us at (360) 799-4297 to set up an appointment.