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Qualities to Look for in a Septic Contractor
If you have a septic system on your property, you’ll need the help of a reliable septic contractor to help you maintain it. Our team at Southeastern Septic LLC has been working in this industry for over ten years, so we know what separates the great contractors from the mediocre. In this article, we’ll go over some key qualities to look for in a septic contractor in order to help you get the top-notch service you deserve.
• Experience. One quality to look for in a septic contractor is experience. The more experience a contractor has, the better their results are likely to be. As we mentioned above, our team at Southeastern Septic LLC has extensive experience in this industry, so you can count on us to provide exceptional service.
• Honesty. Another key quality for any contractor to have, including a septic contractor, is honesty. You are relying on your contractor to do what’s best for your home, and a big part of that is giving you the information and straightforward assessments you need to make the right decisions. When interviewing contractors, pay attention to how they interact with you–if you feel like they are reluctant to answer your questions or are withholding information, you should probably take your business elsewhere.
• Reputation. Lastly, it’s important to choose a septic contractor with a strong reputation in your community. To find out how a contractor’s past clients feel about their experience with the company, one thing you can do is look into its online reviews. In addition, we at Southeastern Septic LLC recommend asking the contractor to provide a few client references for you to contact in order to ask your questions directly.
3 Signs that You Have a Drainage Problem
There are many problems that can affect your home, from roof damage to a termite infestation. If you have a septic system, however, one of the most serious issues that can plague your home is a drainage problem. If water isn’t draining away from your home like it should, then it’s likely that septic effluent isn’t draining properly either. Our team at Southeastern Septic LLC wants to help you keep your home and septic system in the best possible condition, and in order to do that we have put together a list of signs that will alert you that you have a drainage problem. If you notice any of the following things, we encourage you to give us a call.
• Standing Water. One clear sign of a drainage problem is puddles of standing water in your yard. A yard with proper drainage will channel rainwater away from your home so that moisture can’t seep into the foundation, but if the ground isn’t sloped right you may see pools of water lingering around your property even long after it rains. If you notice this phenomenon in your yard, you can turn to our team to help you make the necessary adjustments.
• Cracking Foundation. As we at Southeastern Septic LLC mentioned above, one potential consequence of a drainage problem is a cracked or damaged foundation. If you start to see your flooring become uneven or your sheetrock begin to show hairline cracks, then your foundation is in trouble. In that situation, we urge you to call us as soon as possible to come inspect the problem and devise a solution.
• Mildew Odor. Another problem that can result from a drainage issue is mildew. If parts of your home begin to take on a mildew-like odor, then you probably have a drainage problem on your hands. Our team at Southeastern Septic LLC has the right experience to help correct your water woes and prevent more mildew from growing in the future.
How to Tell if You Need a Sump Pump Replacement
Your sump pump is an essential part of your septic system, so it’s important to keep it in good working order. The estimated average life expectancy of a sump pump is ten years, after which it will need to be replaced. Our team at Southeastern Septic LLC wants to help you keep every part of your system working as it should, and part of that is giving you the information you need to identify potential problems. If you don’t know how old your pump is, you can look for the following signs to determine whether you need sump pump replacement.
• Excessive Vibrations. One sign that you may need sump pump replacement is if it vibrates excessively when running. These vibrations are a sign that something has damaged the impeller (the component that sucks moisture in), causing it to wobble and shake.
• Irregular Cycling. Another sign that you may need sump pump replacement is if the pump cycles on and off too frequently, or at irregular times. There are a number of possible causes behind this problem, such as a float switch that is not properly adjusted, or a problem with the wiring. If you experience this issue, we encourage you to call our team at Southeastern Septic LLC to come check it out.
• Strange Noises. A third indication that it may be time for sump pump replacement is if your pump starts making unusual sounds. Rattling or grinding sounds could indicate that your impeller is damaged or jammed, and excessive volume from the motor could mean that there is a failed bearing somewhere inside. As with the cycling problem, if your sump pump starts making unusual noises, we encourage you to give our team at Southeastern Septic LLC a call to come inspect the issue.
How to Keep Your Drain Field in Good Condition
Here at Southeastern Septic LLC, we know from experience just how bad drain field problems can get, and we want to help you prevent them as much as possible. In this article, we’ll provide a few tips on how to keep your drain field in good condition so that you never have to call us with a septic emergency.
• Conserve Water. One step you can take to keep your drain field in good condition is to practice water conservation. Your drain field has a limited capacity, and too much water flooding it at once will cause it to back up. To prevent this, you can employ common-sense measures, such as installing low-volume water fixtures and fixing leaky faucets.
• Be Careful with Landscaping. Another way to keep your drain field in good condition is to examine your landscaping and make adjustments if necessary. If you have shrubs or trees planted too close to your drain field (less than 10 feet away), then there is a risk that their roots could tangle around and damage the pipes. We at Southeastern Septic LLC recommend removing any trees or shrubs that are inside that limit and planting grass instead.
• Monitor Septic Sludge. A third way to take care of your drain field is to keep up your routine septic tank maintenance–namely, having the level of sludge in the tank regularly checked, and getting it pumped out as necessary. If too much sludge accumulates, it will spill out of the tank and into the drain field, causing backups. Our team at Southeastern Septic LLC is happy to work out an annual maintenance schedule to ensure that every part of your system stays in good working order.
What You Need to Know About Septic Tank Pumping
If you’ve never lived in a home with a septic tank before, it’s easy to feel uneasy about the new maintenance responsibilities that come with it. However, we at Southeastern Septic LLC are here to tell you that septic maintenance is both simple and easy, at least when you have a reliable septic company to take care of it for you. The most important part of maintaining your system is to get your tank pumped out periodically, and in this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about septic tank pumping.
• What is Septic Tank Pumping? The key thing that we at Southeastern Septic LLC want you to understand about septic tanks is that not everything that flows into it flows back out–liquid effluent flows out into the drain field, where it is filtered and ultimately returned to the water table, but solid waste sinks to the bottom of the tank. Although your tank contains bacteria to break down and compact the solid wastes, it still has a finite volume, and will need to be periodically emptied via septic tank pumping.
• How Often Do I Need Septic Tank Pumping? The other important thing to know about septic tank pumping is how often you need to have it done. Depending on the design of your tank, you may be able to go as long as three years between pumping services, but other tanks will need to be pumped every year. If you’re not sure what type of tank you have, you can call our team at Southeastern Septic LLC to inspect your system and recommend the best schedule for your septic pumping needs.
Septic System Maintenance Tips You Need to Know
Your septic system is an expensive and important part of your home. It is vital that you properly care for your septic system. Below are some septic system maintenance tips to help you keep your septic system functioning properly.
• Have your septic system routinely pumped by a professional. Doing this will keep your septic system healthy and keep it from costly future breakdowns.
• We recommend keeping records of when you have your septic system pumped or maintained. This will ensure that you are keeping your septic system in top-notch repair.
• Always have your septic system problems looked at by a qualified professional to ensure proper repair and maintenance.
• Do not put grease, fats, oils, fuel, paper towels, paints, coffee grounds, eggshells, condoms, or feminine hygiene products into your septic system.
• Do not put materials over your septic system that will impede oxygen from entering the soil directly above your system. The best material is grass. We do not recommend concrete, plastic or asphalt.
• Cleaners entering your septic system can wreak havoc on the good bacteria inside of it. Try to refrain from pouring floor cleaners, drain cleaners, polish, and waxes into your septic system.
These are just some septic system maintenance tips. By following these tips, you can help to prevent costly repairs down the road. Call us at Southeastern Septic LLC to learn about other important septic system maintenance tips.
Benefits of Professional Drain Cleaning
Keeping your drains clean is a vital part of keeping your home functioning properly. There are some things that only a professional drain cleaning expert can do. Below we are going to discuss some of the benefits of professional drain cleaning.
• Time and money – Having a professional clean your drains can save you a lot of time, as well as money in costly repairs for not properly cleaning your drains on your own. Some risks of not properly cleaned drains are water contamination, burst pipes and higher water bills.
• Better drainage – A professional drain cleaner is able to use equipment to clean your drains that you just won’t have access to. They are able to get your drains cleaner, which will allow for better drainage.
• Lasting effectiveness – Routine care will help to allow your home plumbing to last longer. Having professionals come out on a set schedule will ensure that your plumbing is getting the attention and care it needs to last decades. It is far too easy as a homeowner to forget to routinely maintain your drains.
• Decreased odor – When your drains are plugged up, you are likely to notice odors in your home. A professional drain cleaner can keep your drains running smoothly and help to prevent unpleasant odors from entering your home.
Southeastern Septic LLC offers professional, timely, and efficient drain cleaning services. We know what we are doing, and we can help keep your drains clean and your home functioning properly.
Grease Traps: Everything You Need to Know
Grease traps are pretty much what they sound like. They trap grease, fats and oils from entering the wastewater disposal system. This is an important feature of many commercial and residential kitchens to help prevent clogs and drainage issues. Grease can be deceiving as it is a liquid when at room temperature but becomes thick and hard when cooled, which causes issues if dumped down a drain.
Grease traps are designed to trap grease and heavier food items inside a box with chambers. The harmful grease and food particles get stuck in the box and only water is allowed to flow into the wastewater drain. A grease trap is usually a box on the outside of the building that is attached to the drain line.
Without a grease trap, your sewer lines can clog and get backed up causing costly damages. In many areas with city sewer systems it is required to have a grease trap in a commercial kitchen.
Grease traps will only function properly with frequent cleaning to remove all of the trapped grease, fats, oils and food. Grease traps in commercial kitchens need to be cleaned out every one to three months. Residential kitchen grease traps can be cleaned out two to three times a year. It is important to hire a professional grease trap cleaner to get the entire box cleaned out, including all of the most difficult areas of the trap.
Here at Southeastern Septic LLC, we are very experienced in residential and commercial grease trap installation, cleaning and repair. Give us a call to set up your cleaning or installation today.
How to Know When You Need Septic Tank Pumping
Having your septic tank pumped periodically is important for the overall health of your septic system. Septic tank pumping ensures that solid waste deposits on the bottom and top of your septic take get removed and helps to extend the life of your septic tank. But, how do you know when it is time to have your septic tank pumped? Below we will discuss several signs that it is time to have your septic tank pumped.
• Sluggish – If you notice that your toilets, tubs, and sinks are slower to drain it is most likely time for septic tank pumping.
• Odor – When your septic tank fills up there is no place for gases to go, so they seep into your home through your toilets and drains. There can also be a smell around your drain field and septic tank area.
• Time – Most septic tanks need to be pumped every one to three years. We recommend speaking to a septic professional to get on a routine schedule.
• Standing water – A sure sign that you need your septic tank pumped is standing water near the septic tank and drain field. If you see this occurring, then you need to call a septic company immediately.
• Sewage backup – The most unpleasant sign that you need your septic tank pumped is sewage backing up into your home.
All homeowners need to have their septic tanks pumped. If you aren’t on a routine schedule, then you might notice one of these signs above. Don’t wait until it is too late. Give Southeastern Septic LLC a call today to schedule your septic tank pumping.
What You Can Expect During Septic Tank Cleaning
Septic tank cleaning is a vital and beneficial procedure for your septic tank. Most don’t know what occurs during the cleaning process. Below we will discuss this process to hopefully answer any questions you may have.
Septic tanks have two access points. Both will need to be exposed during the cleaning process.
• The septic tank access lids will be opened. Sometimes tank lids can break, but they are easily replaced.
• The tank will then be pumped to remove all of the fluids and solids.
• The septic tank will be washed out with water to remove as much as the solids as possible.
• The tank will be visually looked over to make sure there aren’t any corrosion or roots. The septic tank baffles and dividing wall will also be inspected.
• The lids will be closed and recovered. Tank access points should be six to twelve inches deep. If your tank is buried deeper than that then a riser can be installed to make access easier the next time your septic tank is cleaned.
It is important to keep your septic tank in good repair with routine maintenance. Some signs that you may need to have your septic tank cleaned are your toilets and drains are running slower than normal. You may also notice an unusual odor near toilets and drains. All of these signs can mean that there is a clog in your septic system that needs to be cleaned out.
Here at Southeastern Septic LLC, we have over 10 years of experience with septic tank cleaning. Give us a call today to schedule your septic tank cleaning.
