Septic systems top firm in Valley Springs, California? Don’t pour grease down the drain. If you pour grease down your drain, it could clog your septic tank drain field. Grease doesn’t allow the soil around your drain field to absorb liquids, which could cause a back-up and result in the added expense of digging a new drain field. Purchase the right kind of garbage disposal. Consider investing in a top-of-the-line garbage disposal, which will do a better job grinding your food waste. The more ground your food, the better it will be absorbed in your septic tank system.
A typical septic system has four main components: a pipe from the home, a septic tank, a drainfield (also known as a leachfield), and the soil. The septic tank is a watertight box, typically buried beneath the ground, usually made of concrete, fiberglass, or polyethylene with an inlet and outlet pipe. Wastewater flows from the home to the septic tank through the sewer pipe. Sludge (solids) and scum (oil and grease) stay in the tank while the treated wastewater (known as effluent) is released.
When it rains and the ground gets saturated, ground water can enter the system. This can cause leach field saturation as additional water is introduced to the tank through I&I which can be more than your leach field can absorb. You will see water ponding over your leach field or running above the ground. On dosing systems, the computer can sound audible alarms. I&I also lets red worms make it through into your system filter pod (if you have this type of system). The worm’s waste, called “castings” clog the filters causing ponding and ruins the pretreatment your system was designed for. Discover even more information at more on this.
Lush vegetation in the drain field area or wet spots in your lawn are often signs of an overloaded septic system. If there are gurgling sounds in the plumbing, slow draining fixtures or the plumbing backs up, call for service immediately. The quicker a problem is diagnosed and resolved, the more likely you are to avoid a complete system failure. Even with good maintenance, no septic system lasts forever. If your tank is 20 years old or older, you can anticipate needing repairs, if not a complete replacement. If you don’t know the age of your septic tank, schedule an inspection. This assessment can give you information about what to expect from the tank’s performance during the next few years.
The wastewater your home produces is referred to as ‘effluent’ and consists of blackwater (toilet and garbage disposal waste) and greywater (shower, sink and laundry waste). Effluent flows directly from your household plumbing into a watertight, underground, two compartment septic tank. Solid waste settles into a sludge layer on the bottom and fats float to the top of the first compartment. Between these two scum layers is a zone of clarified liquid effluent which is internally piped to the second compartment of the septic tank for additional settling.
Foothill Sanitary Septic and Foothill Portable Toilets has been serving California in the Calaveras, Tuolomne, Amador, San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties for many years. With locations in Copperopolis, Valley Springs and Arnold we are equipped to fulfill all of your septic or portable toilet needs in a timely manner to your complete satisfaction. We’re committed to providing you with the highest level of service, so you’ll always choose us for your septic pumping, maintenance and repair needs.
A good site to visit for several educational videos regarding septic systems can be found on Washington State’s Department of Health On Site Sewage Systems Home Owner Education Page. The Full video course is 5 chapters and runs 19:02 minutes. You can watch the individual chapters by themselves which range from 2:29 to 6:57 minutes in length. Chapter 3 – Types of Septic Systems is 6:57 minutes and goes over most of the systems described on this page. Septic Systems are Engineered by a Licensed Engineering Company. We at Foothill Sanitary Septic highly recommend Cal State Engineering in Jackson, CA as they are the best. Find extra info on this website.