Plumbing is to the house what the gut is to your body–it is responsible for providing your home with safe water and carrying away wastewater. The plumbing of your home is, however, not an autonomous system. Therefore, it needs maintenance to keep it efficient for as long as possible.

A large proportion of homes in the US depend on the municipal sewer line to get rid of their sewage. At the same time, only about 20% have their septic tanks installed. Septic tanks store and process wastewater and require periodic maintenance to keep them efficient. If you are new to septic tanks, you may be confused about septic pumping, emptying, and other ways to maintain your septic tank.

If you are building your new home, you may have questions such as “how much is a septic holding tank?,” “how do you know when a septic tank needs emptying?,” “what is the correct way to determine a septic pump location?” “how do you find credible septic tank maintenance companies?” and many other questions. Well, here are tips to help you avoid expensive repairs and protect your septic tank from damage.

Plumbing Basics

There are quite a few difficulties when discussing plumbing. Even research can’t begin to crack the iceberg of complexities that pertains to plumbing; it is indeed a lifelong skill for many. However, a quick guide into the world of plumbing and its various areas can provide a basic understanding of repairs before venturing down your pipes.

There are two significant parts to plumbing: the water supply system that carries clean water, and the drain waste system that removes unclean water or water that’s no longer being used.
Water Supply System: The water system is used for circulating water from your street’s main valve and is extremely high-pressured as it incoming water to supply showers and faucets. Another additional pipe is required to be dedicated to providing incoming fresh water to the water heater—the water system’s primary function is merely to provide instant, clean water throughout businesses or residential areas as needed.

Drain-Waste Water System: Water must be drained, like everything else; water becomes known as water waste and taken from the residence through the drain-waste process. Gravity is an important factor for this system to work efficiently with various pipes are angled downward to lead the water outside of a residence. This system requires complexities that use different vents, traps to allow things that fall down the drained to get trapped with the ability to retrieve it.

Tanks: Having a tank is crucial in a residence and commercial areas—septic tanks, for example, are described as an “underground chamber” typically comprised of concrete, fiberglass or plastic that domestic water waste flows for necessary treatment. They are used as a type of primary onsite sewage facility that holds waste from traveling.

Lines: There are a variety of lines used in plumbing for different resources, such as sewer lines and water lines that are required to be installed in all residential and commercial areas to operate. Replacing pipes can be taxing; sewer repair, inspections, and water line excavations—when repairing or excavating pipes it is vital to have a general understanding of how and when the optimal time is to make changes.

Sump-pumps: The term is probably unknown to most non-plumbers, but they are installed to prevent frequent flooding in isolated areas like basements or if the water table is above or equivalent to the foundation of the home.

How To Properly Care For Your Septic Tank

Septic tanks catch all the waste-water that flows from your home into the tank. Through time, heavier solids typically sink to the bottom where bacterias reduce them to sludge and gasses while lighter solids remain afloat and form a layer of scum. Approximately 20% of Americans rely on septic tanks for sewage disposal— municipal water-treatment plants sever the additional 80%. Typically, most solids have a decomposition time, but if they are not removed during their periodic pumping period of 3-5 years, the bacteria will continue to accumulate and eventually overflow to the drain field causing extensive damage. A septic tank has a typical life expectancy approximately 25 years, but it all depends on how well the system was designed and maintained by its owner. When discussing your standard septic tank knowing when to pump it is important—once a year is ideal to inspect your septic tank to ensure there are no septic tank repairs required. If so, also knowing how the bacteria appears tells you when pumping is imperative to sustain its warranty. A) When scum in the tank is within 3” of the bottom of the outlet device, the tank needs to be pumped, b) When the top of the sludge layer is close to 12” of the bottom of the outlet, the tank needs to be pumped.

How Do You Know If Your Septic Tank’s System Is Failing?

• • 1. An odor is exuding, surfacing sewage, wet spots, excessive vegetation growth in the drain field.

• • 2. Plumbing or backups

• • 3. Gurgling-like sounds coming from the system

• 4. Slow drainage fixtures 

  Where To Find The Best Septic Repairs?

  Repairs can pose difficulty to repair. Fortunately, experienced plumbers are available for your toughest questions and issues. Septic tank repairs and septic tank repairs are well-known in Greensburg, but the also offer some of the best septic tanks repairs in Greensburg with exceptional hospitality.