Many people choose to have a septic system installed rather than the standard sewer system in order to have a cheaper alternative because they are easier to maintain, and you don’t have recurring monthly costs, although they are the responsibility of the property owner when it comes to maintenance.
Because of this, over time, your septic system may end up getting full, or depending on a variety of reasons, you may have leakage or spillage of your septic system if you don’t have it properly pumped, cleaned, or inspected enough.
When this happens, or you have problems with your drain field, you’ll have to call someone to come out and inspect for damage and finally perform any proper maintenance needed, since septic pumping can be a dangerous task.
What Is The Inspection Process Like?
Generally, you need to know what your septic service repair team will be doing if you have to call them. After you call, they will come out and inspect for any leaks on or around your tank. If it’s an emergency (you have visible drainage in your yard), they’ll inspect this too.
They will thoroughly inspect the layers of waste that are in your septic tank next, and see how full it is, plus keep records. You want to make sure that you also keep records of anything that is done (including basic inspections) to ensure that you’re keeping up to date.
You need to do this every few years, which may seem to be very frequently, but when you consider the amount of traffic in and out of your home or business restroom, this isn’t that long at all. If it has been three to five years since you’ve had your tanks pumped, this is also the time to do this.
What Can Damage My Septic System?
As we mentioned before, there are numerous things that can cause damage over an even shorter amount of time with a septic system. While the typical recommendation, even for EPA guidelines, is that you should only allow your system to handle toilet paper and human waste, some people recommend that you throw your toilet paper away instead just to be on the safe side.
You never want to put anything that can damage or clog up your septic tank, or cause harmful bacteria to get into your drain field and even your lawn, making it unsafe for your whole family. This may cause you to need septic pumping done more frequently.
You also don’t want to damage your drain field, as it is one of the most necessary parts of your septic and sewer system that helps decontaminate it. You never want to have heavy machinery or vehicle parked on it, put trees that can cause roots to grow in it, and even make sure that your home’s other drains (gutters, basement pumps, etc.) aren’t near it.
Who Do I Call for Septic Pumping?
If you’re located in the Seattle or surrounding area, you should definitely hire a licensed and insured septic pumping company, such as All Septic & Sewer. This team of professional O & M (operations and maintenance) specialists can help you with all of your septic problems, ranging from leaks, installations, repair, maintenance, and more. We proudly service King, Pierce, and Thurston counties. You can even visit them on their Facebook page for more information.