Septic systems are an efficient, self-contained wastewater treatment option for properties in New Jersey that do not have access to a nearby city sewer main. In rural and semi-rural areas with large lots and houses spaced relatively far apart, on-site septic systems are often more economical than using a centralized public sewer and wastewater processing system. With proper care and maintenance, a properly installed septic system can last for up to 30 years before being replaced.
As a homeowner or the owner of a commercial property with a septic system, it’s your responsibility to maintain it adequately. Good septic system maintenance can save you thousands of dollars on costly septic tank repairs, as well as helping you maximize the service life of your septic system and delaying the need for septic system replacement.
If you do need septic system repair, or your septic tank is due to be replaced, call us any time at A1 Sewer & Drain Services for fast, friendly septic and sewer services from experienced Bergen County contractors, at 201-645-0888.
Maintaining Your Septic System
Proper septic system maintenance doesn’t just prevent problems and help your septic system last as long as possible: it’s also important for your local environment. Failing septic systems can be a significant source of groundwater pollution, which can in turn pollute nearby streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds. The excess nutrients contained in sewage effluent are damaging for aquatic ecosystems, causing algal blooms that kill off other organisms in the water. The pollution can also expose humans to hazardous bacteria that cause diseases like dysentary, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever.
Maintaning you septic system also saves you money in the long run. A failing septic system can be quite costly to replace, and preventative maintenance is far less expensive than extensive septic tank repair or septic tank replacement.
How to Maintain Your Septic System: Tips from NJ Plumbers
To maintain your septic system, it’s highly recommended that you get annual septic tank inspections from experienced local sewer service plumbers. During the inspection, contractors will ensure that the system is working properly, and determine whether it needs to be pumped. They will also check for cracked pipes, damage or corrosion in the septic tank, and other problems that might require septic tank repair. Professional septic tank inspections include the following steps:
- Locating the system. The septic tank and its adjacent pipes are buried underground, which can make it difficult to locate if the homeowners aren’t sure where it is. One way to find it reliably is to determine the direction that the sewer pipe extends from the basement wall. Outside, an insulated probe inserted into the soil can pinpoint the buried pipe, which can be followed to the septic tank.
- Uncovering the manhole and inspection ports. Contractors may need to dig to access the ports and manhole.
- Checking the connections. Flushing toilets or running faucets can help verify that the plumbing is working correctly.
- Measuring the layers of scum and sludge inside the tank. Inside the septic tank, there is a layer of sludge, or heavy solids, at the bottom. On top of that, there is a layer of lighter liquid scum, made from grease and light solids. If the sludge takes up a third or more of the depth of the tank, the tank needs to be pumped soon. The frequency at which you’ll need your septic tank pumped depends on the size of the tank and the number of people in your household, and can vary significantly. A 500-gallon tank serving a family of six needs to be pumped several times a year, while a 2500 gallon tank serving only one person won’t need to be pumped for thirty years.
- Checking the septic tank and drainfield. The tank will be checked for cracks and leakage, and the drainfield is checked for any signs of failure. If necessary, your tank will also be pumped.
Local Contractors for Septic Tank Maintenance & Repair in NJ
To schedule your annual septic tank inspection and maintenance, or for same-day service for septic tank repair in NJ, call us today at A1 Sewer & Drain Services, at 201-645-0888.
