There’s nothing worse than unexpected issues in your home that cause sewage backup into the house. It’s messy, expensive to clean up, and can cause a multitude of issues. It’s never convenient. As a homeowner, you may not think about your septic tank very often, and that’s okay. However, you can prevent emergency septic tank pumping in Petaluma, CA to become a necessity by following a few basic rules. Here they are:

1-Take Care With What You Flush

Your toilet, especially when it is connected to a septic tank, is really only meant for toilet paper and waste. You should never flush makeup wipes, paper towels, facial tissues, napkins, or anything else. These items don’t break down properly in the septic system and they can even get stuck in the pipes, causing build up and back ups. If you are careful about what you flush, you can prevent emergency tank pumping.

2-Avoid Overuse Of The Garbage Disposal

Things are going to go down the sink drain, but you need to be careful when using that appliance if you are attached to a septic tank. You aren’t going to want to peel an orange or carrot into the sink, for example, and allow those bits to go down. Anything solid can clog the pipes and cause wastewater to back up. There are also liquids that are a bad idea to put down the drain, too. Any grease or cooking oils can harden inside the pipes, leaving less room for other items to go down.

3-Never Use Anti-Bacteria Items

Everything comes in an anti-bacteria format today, it seems, as people are very sensitive about germs. However, you aren’t going to want to use detergents and soaps with anti-bacteria properties. You also don’t want to use things like bleach that kill all germs. When these things get into your septic system, they kill off the good bacteria, which is what eats away at the waste in that system. If there’s nothing to break things down, the tank will fill up and cause you to need a pumping sooner rather than later.

4-Regular Maintenance/Scheduled Pumpings

Another way to prevent emergency situations with your septic system is to schedule regular maintenance with the septic tank professionals and pumpings every so often. The professionals can tell you when you are due for a p umping, but in general, you don’t want to go more than 5 years without having it done. For a larger family, or a house with a smaller tank, you might need it done more often.

No one wants to have any kind of emergency backup when it comes to their septic system. If you have more questions as to how you can avoid that, or you want to have a professional come out for an inspection and maintenance, you can give them a call at any time. You can also check into septic tank pumping in Petaluma, CA when you feel your home might be due for that service in the future.

If you have a septic tank, that means you are going to need septic tank pumping in Sonoma, CA from time to time. This process is something that has to be done every few years. The frequency of the pumping depends on how much water you use, how many people you have in your home, and how well you treat the septic system as a whole. You might have drainage field issues over the years and that can indicate that there’s a problem with the tank or that you have septic tank pumping needs. Here are a few things to watch for over your hears of operating the septic tank.

Water In The Sinks

If you have water in your sinks, whether it comes up on its own, or drains too slowly when you use it, that can be an issue of a tank getting too filled up or something going on with the drainage field. Water is supposed to drain away and it shouldn’t be sitting around in the sink. That will help you to know when to contact the professionals.

Unpleasant Smells Outside

The drain field is a part of your home’s life, but you shouldn’t be bothered by it. However, if you notice foul smells coming from the area around the septic tank, that means there’s an issue that you might want to address. It could mean that the tank is filled too much and things aren’t being broken down before they are released. There could be a leak in the tank itself, too. Get things checked out because no one wants to live with those scents.

Wet Patches On The Lawn

Your lawn is going to have wet patches after a hard rain as it likely isn’t completely level. Some places will stay wet longer than others. But if it hasn’t rained for a while and you walk across the yard and feel a few mushy spots around the septic tank, that could mean something is amiss and you should have it looked into.

Have The Tank Pumped Regularly

If you want to avoid drain field issues, it’s a good idea to have your septic tank pumped out on a regular basis. Follow septic tank rules, like not flushing anything, not using anti-bacterial products, and not putting grease down the drains, among others, and that can help you to avoid issues with the drain field, and the septic tank as a whole. Even if you are good to the system and follow professional advice, you are going to want to pump things out every few years. On average, most homeowners can get away with pumping the tank out every three years or so.

If you want to get more details on septic tank pumping in Sonoma, CA, or if you are ready for advice on how you want to treat your septic tank, the professionals are here for you. They can help you with any septic tank need and they can take care of pumping and maintenance, too.

If there’s one thing that’s a given when you have a septic system, it’s that you will have to have septic tank pumping in Novato, CA done at some point or another. The frequency of that pumping is going to vary based on a variety of things. Most professionals will warn you against waiting longer than 5 years to have the tank pumped out. Even if you are good to the tank and you don’t use that much water, make 5 years your limit. Here are a few things that can help you to judge how often the tank needs to be pumped out.

How Large Is Your Tank?

If your septic tank is quite small, it might fill up faster than a tank that is on the large side. You can talk to the professionals, find out how large your tank is, if you don’t already know, and judge from there. Smaller tanks can still last for a long time without pumping if it’s just you living in the home. But with households that have several family members living there, the pumping may have to be more frequent.

How Many People Live With You?

The number of people that live in the house can help you to determine how often you need the tank pumped out as well. If it’s just you and your spouse, you are going to use less water. If you have four kids that live there, too, that’s a whole different story as there will be more laundry, baths, dishes, and so on.

How Much Do You Use The Water?

Some people are very good at taking short showers and doing laundry only once a week while others are home all day for work and flush often as well as using water in other ways. You might even know how much water you use on a monthly basis based on your water bill reports. That can help you to judge how fast the tank will fill up and how often it needs pumping.

What Do The Professionals Recommend?

If you really have no idea what to think, that’s okay. Not everyone is an expert on septic tanks. Talk to the professionals and answer some of the above questions for them. They can then give you an idea as to how often septic tank pumping is necessary for your home. They can also give you checkups on your septic system to ensure that things are running well. And, they can let you know what the signs are that show you that septic pumping is necessary so you can watch for those.

When you are ready for septic tank pumping in Novato, CA, or think it might be imminent, contact the professionals for a consultation and more details. They can help you with tips to elongate times between pumping and they will help you with the septic tank health along the way. Call them with questions on septic tanks at any time.

When you get a home with a septic system, you are going to want to get advice from the professionals so you can treat it well. Septic tank pumping in Petaluma, CA is something that is going to have to be done from time to time, but there are other things you will want to know about the system in order to treat it well. Here’s some advice from the professionals.

Spread Out Water Use

You might be used to using water however you want in your old home, but with a septic system in place, you are going to need to spread your water use out. Instead of taking a shower while the dishwasher and washing machine are running, you will need to shower in the morning, and perhaps run the washer at night to spread things out. The septic tank can only process so much water at a time so you are going to want to spread things out.

Skip The Anti-Bacterials

There are lots of things that have anti-bacteria elements in them. You aren’t going to want to use anti-bacterial soap, for example, bleach, and other things that kills off bacteria. You might like the idea of not having bacteria on your hands, but at the same time, when that stuff goes down the drain, it will kill off the good bacteria in the septic tank and that means the tank won’t work as it should. You need that bacteria there to eat away at the waste so you don’t have to have the tank pumped out as often.

Flush Only Waste And Toilet Paper

There’s no such thing as a good flushable wipe for a septic system. There are plenty of other things you shouldn’t flush, either—like everything. You should only put waste and toilet paper down the toilet or you might clog the pipes or fill up the tank too fast, causing you to have to have things pumped out too quickly.

Have Regular Pumpings Done

The professionals also recommend that you have things pumped out of the tank on a regular basis. How often? That will depend on how many people you have in your home and how much water all of you together use. They advise that you perhaps have a check up done on your septic tank every couple of years to see if you are ready for the process. You will want to get it done, for sure, every 5 years, at the longest. You will likely need it done more often than that. The experts can help you to get things set up for the right time frames.

When you are looking into a home with a septic tank, you will want advice from the professionals so you can get the right things in the right places so you can be successful in the future. You will still need septic tank pumping in Petaluma, CA, but you want things to be as spread out as possible for efficiency.

When you move to a home with a septic tank, you are going to need lots of knowledge about how to treat the septic system as a whole, so you can give it the attention it needs to operate well for your family and the house as a whole. One of the things you might hear about it that the system will need septic tank pumping in Sonoma, CA from time to time. The professionals might recommend that you have it pumped every few years, depending on how many people you have in the house and how much water you use. It should be pumped out at least every 5 years, if not before. Why is that? Why do septic tanks need pumping?

When you think about the inside of the septic tank, though it might not be something you like to think about (who does!), the reality is, the tank is going to fill up. If things are working well within the tank, this filling will happen slowly, but it will still happen. If you let the tank go for too long without having things pumped out, you might start to see sludge backing up into your home, in the drain field, and in other areas. That’s the last thing you want. Pumping is a necessary part of having a septic tank.

Another reason to have the tank pumped out regularly is because you want the system to continue to work efficiently and effectively. It’s important to allow the ecosystem to start over, if you will. You can pump things out and allow the system to reset itself. You want the bacteria in the tank to do its job well and that’s something that is very important to how things work overall.

The professionals are going to recommend other things for your septic tank, like not to use anti-bacteria soap and detergents. Those items kill off the bacteria in the tank and that creates the need for pumping out the tank more often than not. No one wants to have the tank pumped out if they don’t have to. Let it fill up naturally and not because it’s not working efficiently and effectively.

Since there are lots of things to know about septic systems, you are going to want to learn what you need to know to treat it well. The professionals can help you with ideas to treat the system accordingly and you are going to want to take their advice every step of the way. You will need their help for occasional maintenance, septic tank pumping in Sonoma, CA, and other such things, but you don’t want to have to deal with the experts unless it’s absolutely necessary. You can call for advice any time you have an issue or a question you might need answered. They are there to help you at any time. You can also read information on their blog to figure out what you might be doing wrong is you notice issues arise. When you keep an eye on things, you can head off small problems before they become much larger issues that can be costly and a real pain in your home.

If you have a septic system on your home, you are going to need septic tank pumping in Novato, CA at some point or another. Most professionals recommend that you don’t go 5 years without pumping things out of that tank and having it cleaned and processed. That number is general and you might need pumping done more often if you have a larger family or use more water. Once you have the septic tank pumped out, you might want to do certain things, or avoid doing other things. Here are some items to consider.

Don’t Use Bleach

The tank is cleaned out! You can do what you want without worrying about killing bacteria, right? Not really. The tank doesn’t have sludge in it any longer, and it’s as empty as it can be. However, it still has the bacteria in it that eats away at the waste and gives you the results you want. When you use bleach at any time, or other anti-bacterials, it’s going to kill off the bacteria the system needs to work properly. You might have to have the tank pumped out again sooner if you use bleach.

Don’t Change Water Habits

Again, yeah! The tank is cleaned out. You can use as much water as you want at a time because there’s plenty of room in there, right? Again, no. The tank is still going to process water at the same rate. That means you can’t go crazy, run the washing machine, the dishwasher, the shower, and the outside hose all at the same time. Keep your water habits spread out and normal so you don’t overload the tank and cause water to back up into your home.

Never Add Dog Food

There are myths in every industry, even when it comes to septic tanks. There’s on legendary myth that if you add a large bag of dog food to the tank after it has cleaned, it will function better. Others also say that flushing yeast down the toilet after the tank pumping will keep the septic bacteria happy. But the experts will tell you that there really is no need to add anything to the tank after it has been pumped out. All you need is the regular kitchen and human waste to go into the tank as needed and things will work well.

Continue With Your Rules

You might want to have rules around your septic system and that’s something you will want to keep up. Those rules will include putting only waste and toilet paper down the toilets. Not using anti-bacteria soap, bleach, and other things that kill bacteria. Using water in a sparing manner, a little at a time, and so on.

When you are going to get septic tank pumping in Novato, CA done, you might wonder if there is something you need to do after the professionals are complete. There really isn’t anything you have to do in order to get the tank pumping properly again. The experts will take care of everything for you and you don’t have to worry about anything other than treating the system well, as you have been, from there on out.

This area of the country has many beautiful days in store all year round. You can enjoy a quiet summer morning outside, a crisp fall evening, and many days in between. It’s nice to enjoy nature, hear the birds, watch the squirrels, and see the sun go down. Many people enjoy having a cup of coffee on the patio or entertaining guests on a deck. If that’s not something you have on your home yet, it’s always something you can add. Where should you place it? Perhaps you would like to hide where your septic tank sits, so maybe you can put it over that area? Tat’s not a good idea. You wouldn’t have access to the area for necessary septic tank pumping in Petaluma, CA and there are other reasons to avoid doing just that.

When you are going to build a deck or patio, there are certain permits you will need to get and, legally, you can’t put a patio over a septic system. That would leave no access for repairs and maintenance and the whole patio would have to be taken up before the septic tank could even be accessed. As for a deck, you will have to keep it at least ten feet away from the septic tank so you don’t interrupt the flow of what’s going on in that area.

Septic tanks release waste into the yard and sometimes, that means that area can be a little more mushy than others. You don’t want to put a post down there or it could shift around. You also don’t want a patio in that area or it can shift and crack as well.

If you build a deck or patio over the septic tank without checking into things, you could lead yourself down a dark path. You could have repairs on the tank from the project and you might have to take the deck or patio up and start all over again.

If you want a deck or patio, great. Start to check your budget and see what you can do to make your outdoor living space just how you want it. However, keep that deck or patio away from the septic tank so you can keep that system on track as well. You can always call the professionals or, when you have your regular septic tank pumping in Petaluma, CA done, get advice from them at that time. They will help you to figure out what you can and cannot do around your septic tank in terms of building an outdoor living space. In general, the septic tank needs its space and you will want to keep buildings, and even plants, away from that area. It’s an important system and you don’t want anything happening to it that can cause issues within your home. Check with the professionals before you move forward with anything you want to do around the septic area.

Not many people know all that much about septic tank pumping in Sonoma, CA, and that’s okay. That’s why there are professionals in the industry—to fill in those blanks. But as a homeowner that has a septic system in place, there are certain things you might want to know about that system so you are able to treat it well and space out the service needed as long as possible. Here are a few items to keep in mind.

Don’t Plant Trees/Shrubs Too Close

Most people love to landscape around their home to enhance beauty, curb appeal, and give shade and other things. However, you are going to want to be careful how close you plant trees and even bushes or shrubs to the septic tank. While surrounding the tank with bushes that hide its presence sounds like a good idea, the roots of these green items can damage the tank, which is the last thing you want to have to dig up and replace.

Toilets Aren’t Trash Cans

You might be used to flushing facial tissues and anything else you want down the toilet, but that’s not a good idea with a septic tank. With homes that have these systems, the toilets are meant for waste and toilet paper and that’s all. Anything else can clog things up or fill up the tank too fast, causing you to have to have it pumped out more often than you would otherwise.

Tanks Need Pumping

Any septic tank is going to have to be pumped out at some point. Most homeowners have the process done every other year or so, but it really depends on how large the tank is and how much water you use. You definitely don’t want to go more than 5 years without having the process completed.

Don’t Use Anti-Bacterials

While hand sanitizer and soaps with anti-bacteria in them are all the rage, they are something you are going to want to ban from your house. With anti-bacteria gets into your septic tank, they can kill off the bacteria that are trying to eat away at the waste and keep the tank’s ecosystem healthy. Make sure you check soaps and other things for ingredients before using them.

Use Water In Phases

All of the water you use in your house has to filter out into the tank, and that takes time. In order to avoid overworking the system, you will want to use water in phases. Don’t take a bath and drain the tub while the washing machine is running. Don’t run the dishwasher while the wash is already going in the laundry room. Space out your water usage as much as you can.

When you are trying to get used to having a septic system, there are lots of things to know. You will want to get septic tank pumping in Sonoma, CA regularly and the professionals you hire can answer other questions you have about the septic system as a whole.

If you are a new homeowner, there are a lot of things you are going to have to learn in order to keep up with your home’s maintenance and needs. You need to figure out your budget, for example, with the mortgage and all of the other bills that go into the home. You need to decide on home repair, maintenance, and replacements over the years. If you have a septic system, and that’s new to you, you have to figure out septic tank pumping in Novato, CA and other such details. Here are a few to understand

Waste Water Goes To The Tank

All of the water that you use in the house will go through the same pipe, out into your yard, and into your septic tank. It doesn’t matter if it’s water draining from the washing machine, down the sink from handwashing, or from flushing toilets. The waste water will go into the tank. What you need to understand about that is that anything within that water also goes to the tank. You have to be more careful about what goes down the drains, in general.

Septic Systems Need Maintenance

Even if you are careful about what goes down the drains, all septic systems are going to need maintenance as time goes by. Septic tanks are going to fill up and you have to get septic tank pumping done. You never want to go more than 5 years without having this done. Most people do it every other year or so, depending on the size of their tank and the amount of water they use. You can have professionals out for an inspection at any time and you can get further advice on pumping then.

Take Great Care With Drains

You can’t put anything and everything down the drain, as you may have in a different house. Instead, you want to only put waste and water down the drains. Don’t use anti-bacterial soap or it can kill off the good bacteria in the tank that eats waste and keeps things down there. Don’t use the garbage disposal as a garbage can, either, but rather throw the big things away.

Call Experts For Advice

IF you are new to owning a home with a septic tank, you want to understand what you can and can’t do and what you need to do to keep things on the up and up. You also want to know the signs that something is going wrong and that you need help from the professionals. It’s a good idea to talk to the experts, either by phone or in person, to get suggestions on how to keep your septic system in good working order for as long as possible. They can also run assessments and inspections whenever you want. When necessary, you can also get septic tank pumping in Novato, CA done. Contact the professionals with any questions you have about your septic tank at any time and they can help you keep things running well.

There are plenty of things that can go wrong in a house and when it comes to your septic system, the last thing you want is for it to get clogged up. When things seem to be going the wrong way in your plumbing, you might think that septic tank pumping in Petaluma, CA is the way to go—and it might be. Before you jump to conclusions, you are going to want to think about whether it’s the septic tank that is clogged, or just a pipe. Here are some signs that can help you figure things out.

The Pipe Is Clogged: Only One Fixture Is Slow To Drain Or Blocked

If you notice that one of your drains is running slowly, or the drain is blocked completely, but others are flowing fine, then there is a pipe clogged and you will have to address things with that pipe. You won’t want to use drain cleaner, but you could try snaking the drain. Otherwise, it’s a good idea to have a plumber come and check things over before they get worse.

The Septic Tank Is Clogged: All Fixtures Are Slow To Drain Or Blocked

If you notice that one drain is running slow and then you use another sink and things are running slowly there too, that’s not a good thing for the septic tank. If all of the drains are running slowly and getting backed up, or if they all seem to be blocked completely, then you likely have a clog in the septic tank, or things are filling up and need to be pumped out.

The Pipe Is Clogged: One Drain Backs Up

If dirty water starts to come up one drain, it’s not something you want to see, but if it’s just that drain, you likely have a clogged pipe. Once you address it and get things flowing again, you can get your house back on track.

The Septic Tank Is Clogged: All Drains Back Up

IF you have water coming up all of the drains and perhaps even backing up through the toilet, you are in a world of trouble and need to get things on track fast. It could be that the septic tank is clogged or it might be full and you need pumping done. Check with the professionals to get an inspection done so you can figure things out fast.

Get Septic Tank Pumping Done Regularly

In order to prevent problems within your septic system, it’s a good idea to get septic tank pumping done on a regular basis. You never want to wait more than 5 years between pumping sessions. And if you have a small tank and/or a larger family, you will want to do it more often than that. Talk to the professionals about septic tank pumping in Petaluma, CA and see how often they recommend the process for your home and its needs. They are there to help you with maintenance and repairs along the way whenever you need advice.