Monthly Archives: February 2023

What To Do About Drain Odors

There are lots of things that can cause drain odors in your home and there are certain things you can try in order to rid your home of those scents. You might need septic tank pumping in Petaluma, CA, for example, or there could be something else at play that could cause you to have those smells wafting around the drains. Here are some of the things you can try to get things in order within your home.

Clean The Overflow In The Sink

Many sinks have an overflow area and it might have some things stuck in it that are causing foul scents from coming up and into your house. Clean out that drain and make sure it’s clear and ready to roll. That could clean up the smell and help you to prevent back ups from occurring at the same time.

Snake The Drains

Drains can capture things that stink instead of letting them go all the way down into the septic tank. Eventually, that might cause the drains to back up, and that’s an even bigger problem. Before you have a huge clog, you could try running a snake through the drain to disperse any clogs. You might pull some things out, or you could push things along into the septic tank. Either way, it could help you to get rid of the bad smells you are noticing around the drains.

Look At Leak Possibilities

If you have a leak somewhere in the pipes, that could cause odors of many kinds in lots of areas. Have your water bills been getting bigger even if you haven’t used more water? Inspect the pipes for leaks or have a professional come take a look so you can address scents and possible leak issues all at the same time.

Have The Septic Tank Pumped

Septic tanks need to be pumped out every 5 years, at the most. You might need to have yours done more often if you have a smaller tank or use more water due to having a lot of family members in the house. If you notice smells around the drains, check and see how long it’s been since you have had the septic tank pumped out. If it’s been awhile, it might be time to have that checked out and pumped. You can also simply call the professionals and let them come inspect your whole system. They might find a clog and suggest pumping at the same time. It’s something you can’t prevent, even if you treat the septic system well. You are going to need things pumped out at some point or another.

When you notice something amiss with your septic system, even if it seems like a small thing, it’s important to address it sooner rather than ignoring it and allowing it to possibly get worse later. Have septic tank pumping in Petaluma, CA done on a regular basis and you can prevent backups and hopefully even unpleasant drain scents.

Harmful Portable Toilet Pranks

The Portable toilet industry has seen growth over the years, and mischief is something that is always going to be present. But there are some pranks that are funny and others that are harmful. Many of the pranks revolving around portable toilets in Petaluma, CA are harmful. If you want to knock on the door while a friend of yours is in there and then run away, so be it. But don’t do any of the following things or you could be in deep trouble. Someone could even get hurt.

Tipping Someone Over In The Toilet

Tipping a portable toilet over when someone is inside is a huge danger. You don’t know what might happen to the person inside, after all. They could be throw about and injured to a high degree and you could be the cause of those injuries. It can also cause a real mess for the rental company, and the property that has the portable toilet on its grounds. It might cause you to smile to think about doing this, but don’t actually tip over a portable toilet. It’s not worth the risk.

Set Off Fireworks Inside

Fireworks can be a good time, when used properly. But there are times to use them and times to keep them at home for the right time. Setting fireworks off inside a portable toilet is never a good idea. Will they make a cool bang? Sure. Will they cause damage? Definitely. They might even start a fire and people around the area could be harmed. It’s dangerous and could lead to property damage and you could be in big trouble from that prank.

Trapping Someone Or An Animal Inside

There are a lot of people who are claustrophobic and whether you are or not, the idea of being trapped inside a portable toilet is probably not something you enjoy. So don’t trap anyone else inside one as a prank. You don’t want to cause them any undo stress and it’s downright mean. The same goes for an animal that might wander into a unit. Leave the door open and let them wander back out. Trapping them inside is cruel and could cause them to injure themselves. Or, if they are in there long enough, they could even die. And they could damage the unit at the same time.

Placing Items In The Tank

Portable toilets are meant to hold human waste and toilet paper, but that’s all. Don’t treat them as a wastebasket and put other things down the hole. It isn’t something that will likely get you into trouble (depending on what you put down there), but it can cause issues for the rental company and it’s not very kind of you to intentionally cause other people trouble.

When you use portable toilets in Petaluma, CA, they are handy. Use them correctly and save your pranks for the whoopee cushions and other things that can cause a laugh, be done safely, and not get you into huge amounts of trouble all at the same time.

Installing A Septic System

When you move to a property, perhaps outside of city limits and beyond city water and sewage’s reach, you might have to install a septic system. You are going to have to learn the ropes, understand how to maintain the system, and get septic tank pumping in Sonoma, CA done on a regular basis. But before you worry about any of that, here are some of the tests and steps you will need to take to get the installation done in the first place.

Have Tests Done

Your property is unique and the professionals are going to have to come out and do some soil tests and other such things. They will want to put the septic system in the right location and that takes some testing and investigating. Make sure you allow for proper amounts of time so you can ensure the septic system installation can be done in a timely manner.

Obtain The Proper Permits

When you put a septic tank onto your property, you are likely going to need permits. The company you are working with on the job can help you obtain and fill out the paperwork so you can get the permits you need to move forward. You should not have the septic system installed until you are able to secure those permits so you can move ahead legally without recourse in the future.

Go Through The Design Process

The professionals are going to have to design the septic system for your property. Where will the tank lie? How large will it be? How will it connect to your house? And so on. This process takes a little time and you are going to want to make sure you have experienced, reputable professionals working on it so you have peace of mind that everything will work out to your advantage as you move forward with the process.

Have The Installation Done

After you have the permits and design in order, you can have the installation done. Make sure you have professionals on the job for this part of the process as well. It might feel like the last step, but it’s one of the most important ones that you will go through. Improper installation can lead to a whole host of issues later on so it’s best to make sure things are done right upfront.

Get Maintenance Recommendations

Once the septic tank is installed, you are going to want to have some discussions with the professionals about maintenance. There are certain things you need to do for a septic system in order to keep it healthy and working well for your family. You can’t put certain things down the drain that you might be used to using, for example, and you are going to need to run regular maintenance.

One thing that will have to be done every 5 years (or more often) is septic tank pumping in Sonoma, CA, even if you treat the septic system well and follow all of the rules in the in between times.

Portable Toilets Can Curb Emergencies

When you face an emergency situation, your mind might race on how you can fix things quickly so you can carry on with your life in a semi-normal manner. Depending on the circumstances, portable toilets in Sonoma, CA might help you to get by until you are able to reach a more permanent fix for the situation. Here are some emergencies that might call for portable toilets.

Pipes Break

If a pipe breaks in your home, it can be a real disaster. You might have to shut the water off in your home and you will have to get things fixed as soon as possible. But if one or more bathrooms is going to be out of commission for the time being, it’s important to consider what you are going to do while the repairs are happening. You might want to rent a portable toilet and set it in your side or back yard so you can satisfy your family’s needs in the interim.

Pipes Freeze Over

It can get cold anywhere and while pipes don’t freeze in this region very often, it can happen. And, what’s more, when it does happen, since it’s not frequent, you may have no idea what to do. You aren’t going to want to tax your water system, that’s for sure, and you will have to consult with professionals on how to fix things as well as what you might do to prevent these issues from occurring in the future. While you run the repairs and create fixes, you might need a portable toilet for your family to use.

The Sewer Backed Up

No one wants to have a major back up in their home, but it can happen. If your sewer backs up, you might have to do a number of different things to get things back to normal. You are going to need a restroom, and that might mean having a portable toilet nearby the house. You may have to get the septic tank pumped out or do a variety of other things to get the sewer system back in working order. Until then, a portable toilet can help you to get by.

A Bad Storm Curbed Power

Storms happen everywhere and if your water is connected to your power, it can be real trouble when you lose power for any extended amount of time. When you see a storm coming, run the bath water and keep it full so you can use that water to flush and for other non-potable things. But if the power is off long enough, you might need other recourses and that could mean getting portable toilets for your home to get you by until the power is back and you have running water to use the bathroom again.

There are lots of emergency situations that could allow you to need portable toilets in Sonoma, CA for a short period of time. Talk to the professionals when you are facing a situation that causes your bathroom to be out of commission and go from there.