Making Your Home Beautiful

Professional septic tank maintenance is important if you wish to prolong the life of your septic system, prevent undesirable system failure, and protect the environment, not to mention public health. Routine maintenance can help detect potential issues early, saving you from costly repairs in the future. So, what tasks should you expect a professional to complete during a routine septic tank maintenance visit? Read on to find out what you should be getting when you hire a professional to inspect your tank.

1. Professional Assessment

To begin with, you can expect your service to focus on a thorough inspection of the septic system from the outside. This will typically involve checking the tank's structural integrity is up to standard. Assessments of the density of the scum and sludge layers should also be offered. Your septic tank maintenance inspection should also include assessing the drain field for signs of saturation or standing water. Your service provider may also assess the system's operational components, such as pumps, alarms, filters, and floats.

2. Tank Pumping

One of the most important tasks during any septic tank maintenance visit involves pumping out the tank. Over time, solid waste will inevitably settle at the bottom of the tank forming sludge, while grease and lighter solids make their way to the top, creating a layer of scum. After the initial assessment, your maintenance technician should pump these materials out to prevent them from clogging the drain field. If not, you could see a system failure down the line.

3. Tank and Components Cleaning

After pumping, professional septic tank companies should clean the tank and several of its components so that they are ready to be used once more. This process includes flushing out the pipework that leads into and out of the tank. In addition, you should expect a professional cleaning of the tank's baffles. These are components that are designed to stop scum from flowing out into the drain field. Lastly, if your system has a filter in situ, then you can expect your maintenance technician to either clean or replace it depending on how much life it still has in it.

4. Leak Inspection

Septic tank professionals should also seek out leaks in the tank and its pipes as a matter of routine maintenance. A leaking septic system can contaminate the surrounding soil and groundwater. Therefore, this part of the inspection is important if you want to avoid environmental hazards and public health concerns. Any identified leaks should be repaired at the first available opportunity, of course.

5. Maintenance Recommendations

Finally, your maintenance technician should provide you with an assessment of your septic system's condition and make recommendations for any upgrades that might be beneficial. They ought to offer guidance on routine care, as well, such as how often you should pump the tank and whether material that shouldn't have been flushed has been entering the system.