There are a number of things you can do to your septic tank, but you know that if you make the wrong moves, septic tank pumping in Sonoma, CA could become necessary at a faster pace than normal. What about additives? Can they help you in your goals for keeping things running smoothly or do they hinder those goals?

The bottom line is really quite simple. Nothing is good for the septic system other than professional inspections, maintenance, and pumping. That’s a good rule of thumb to live by. It’s best to only get off the shelf additives if the professionals tell you to do so under certain circumstances. Don’t treat your septic system on your own, only by their advice.

Here are some of the common additives and what they do:

Biological Additives

These additives are natural compounds, like bacteria and enzymes. They are supposed to give you peace of mind in making sure that your system is working well, and the bacteria is working the right way. But if the system has been unused for a few months, like if you go away for the winter, there’s no reason to add those things. Your system should be producing the elements naturally on their own. The only reason to add is if your professional septic tank experts tell you as much.

Chemical Additives

Chemical additives are used to break down solid materials and remove clogs, but they are not natural or organic. That means they could actually do more harm than good when it comes to breaking down the matter in your septic system. Chemicals often kill bacteria, which is not what you want. They can also harm the groundwater and the environment as a whole.

If you are having septic issues, of course it’s tempting to fix things on your own in a cheap, easy, DIY way, but that’s not the way you should go. Instead, ask professionals for an assessment and the real solution so you don’t end up costing yourself more than you should. For best practices, maintenance, and other tricks, call the experts and get advice you can trust. The last thing you want to do is cause more problems than you already have…or make them worse.

Septic systems can last for a long time and you only have to pump them out every few years if you treat them right. If you need septic tank pumping in Sonoma, CA, call the expert at American Sanitation Inc. If you aren’t sure what you need, call us anyway and we can help you figure that out. You can get a septic cleaning, pumping, and inspecting schedule set up so you know what is needed and when. That will help you recognize when the time is coming. If things go wrong before that, you know something else is going on. While you might still want help right away, we’re here to help you figure out what you need so you can get things running smoothly yet again.

When you buy a house with a septic tank and you’ve always been on city sewer before, you might have questions about what you can and cannot do. One thing to know is that no matter how good you are to your system, you will still need septic tank pumping in Petaluma, CA every few years. However, the better you are to the system, the more infrequent those pumping needs will be. You want to take the best care of the system so it will take good care of you and your family as well. Here are a few things you don’t want to put down the drain since you know it will end up in your septic tank:

Solid Waste

While you might have a garbage disposal in your sink, that doesn’t mean you should use it constantly. Put any solid waste in the trash. Run the garbage disposal as you wash dishes and crumbs and other things go down the drain. But don’t count on it to cut everything up. The more solid waste that goes down the drain, the slower your septic system is likely going to run. You don’t even want something small like coffee grounds going down, if you can help it.

Anti-Bacterial

There are lots of chemicals that kill bacteria and while you may want to use those on kitchen counters, you do not want to use them in your septic tank. The tank works by using bacteria to break down the waste that is in the tank. If the bacteria are killed off, there’s nothing left to break down the waste. The tank will fill up and need to be pumped out sooner than it would have otherwise, which will cost you more.

Lots Of Water At Once

The septic tank can only process the waste water so fast. You will want to space out what you do in your home with the water. While it might be convenient to run the washing machine and dishwasher at once, that’s too much water doing into the drain field at one time. Instead, space things out and do only one at a time so the system isn’t overloaded.

Grease/Fat

Putting grease or fat down the drain is an easy way to get rid of it, but it can cool and then clog the drains, causing slowdowns in the entire system. If it makes it down the pipes and to the septic tank, the same thing happens there. It’s best to wait for those things to cool and then put them in the garbage.

When you are in need of more advice about septic systems, whether you need septic tank pumping in Petaluma, CA, or you want to understand the rules of the road a bit better, the professionals at American Sanitation Inc are here to help. Give us a call and ask questions whenever you have them. We’re here to help you keep things running well.

Have you heard about flushable wipes? They have been readily available for a few years and they allow you to get cleaner, so you don’t feel uncomfortable after you use the rest room. But while flushable wipes might be okay for certain systems, they can cause septic tank pumping in Petaluma, CA to be necessary a lot faster if you have a septic system. Here’s a professional take on these products from people who know what septic systems can handle.

Do Not Flush Flushable Wipes

IF you have a septic system, it’s not a good idea to flush flushable wipes down the drain. It sounds like you should be able to, given their name, but the good marketing of the product does not mean that they are a good idea for everyone. Regular toilet paper, when it comes into contact with water, will immediately start to deteriorate and pull apart. The weave in that kind of paper makes it break down in sewers are well as in the septic tank. Wet wipes, on the other hand, stay wet and together. You are sending a solid substance into the septic system when you flush a wipe of this nature.

Septic systems rely on bacteria to break down the things that go into the tank. Toilet paper is able to break down all on its own, so the bacteria is not as needed for that substance. Wet wipes, however, have a mix of different fibers, some of which aren’t organic. The bacteria can’t break it down. Any wipes that go into the tank, stay there. That can fill the tank up a lot faster than you want, causing you to need pumping sooner than you should.

Flushable wipes can gather together and form a clump in the pipes or, if they make it to the tank, they can form a mass there. That mass can cause backups in your pipes or a sludge layer in the bottom of the tank. It won’t dissolve and the tank will have to be pumped out a lot more often, especially if you are using them regularly. You’re adding to the solid waste in your tank every time you use a wipe and flush it.

If you really appreciate the effects of the flushable wipes, by all means, use them. But dispose of them in a trash can instead of flushing them down the toilet and to your septic tank, no matter what the packages say.

No one wants to have to have septic tank pumping in Petaluma, CA done more often than absolutely necessary. The professionals at American Sanitation Inc can give you more tips on what you should and shouldn’t do with your septic system to keep things in good shape so you can space the pumping sessions out as far as possible. Give us a call any time you have questions or if you need maintenance or repairs. We’re here to help you with any issues that arise over the years you own your home with a septic system.

Everyone wants to be as friendly to the environment as they can these days in every way possible. So what does it say about your home if you have a septic tank? When you think about your septic tank and things going wrong, you think about backups, slow running toilets, foul odors and other things you don’t want happening. But if your septic tank needs septic tank pumping in Novato, CA, there are also serious environmental risks.

Septic systems are more friendly to the environment than public sewage systems, in general. Sometimes city sewer systems use chemicals to treat water so it can be discharged. Experts agree that for the environment, septic systems are the better choice. But failing septic systems can give issues as well. Groundwater can be contaminated, and it could even have an impact on nearby bodies of water.

As long as you care for septic systems, they operate well. But here are some of the leading causes of failure within that system that can cause issues for you, and the environment:

An Overwhelmed Tank

If it’s been way too long since you’ve had septic tank pumping done or the tank has filled up faster than normal for whatever reason, the system may be overwhelmed. Another way to overwhelm the tank is to run a lot of laundry, do a lot of dishes, and have a lot of people taking showers all at once. You have to space things out with the septic system.

Damage To The System

Whether something broke down in the house, in a pipe, or in the tank itself, if anything is damaged, it can cause the whole system to fail in some way or another.

Faulty Construction Or Design

You only want professionals to design and install your septic systems. IF there’s an issue with the way things were put together, you could have a myriad of problems over the years that could lead to a complete replacement at some point.

Improper Attention

Any septic system is going to meet attention and maintenance over the years. If you ignore it, it will eventually fail. One thing that has to be done is septic tank pumping.

You may not know why our septic tank is failing, only that you are having issues within the system. You don’t want to harm the environment and you don’t want to problem to come back in the future. That’s why you need professionals to diagnose and care for the problem as soon as possible. With any luck, a simple septic tank pumping in Novato, CA will do the trick. But whatever is needed, American Sanitation Inc can figure it out for you, explain it all to you, and help you get things in order. We’re here to help answer questions about maintenance as well so if you have anything you want to know, just give us a call and ask. If you’re new to your home and don’t know much about septic tanks, we’re here to help you get things situated as well.

If you’ve owned a septic tank for long enough, you know that septic tank pumping in Novato, CA is something you have to do from time to time. The tank gets full, no matter how well you treat it, and septic tank pumping is something that goes along with having a septic system. While your septic system isn’t the most pleasant thing to think about, it’s an important part of the house. There are times when things are running slowly, and you need to pump the tank out. There are other times when the whole tank might need to be replaced. Here are some signs that tell you to replace the tank.

Sign 1: Tank Issues Continue

If you have your tank pumped out and still have problems, or there are issues that follow issues and it seems to be continuous, the tank probably needs to be replaced. The tank might be overflowing, and the contents might not be broken down inside in the right manner. It can sometimes be easier to replace the tank than to try and fix things, especially on an older tank. Consult with professionals to see what is best.

Sign 2: Puddles Of Water

When your septic system is working right, there shouldn’t be standing water in the yard. It could be sewage ad that will have a rather unpleasant scent to it. The puddles can be a health concern so you’ll want to have a professional take a look at it as soon as you can. It might mean that you need septic tank pumping, or it could be that you need the whole tank replaced in order to take care of the issue for good.

Sign 3: Back Ups And Clogs

If your pipes are draining slow, it could be because of a clog. But sometimes, those backups and clogs are signs of a larger issue. Again, it could be that your tank needs to be pumped out or, it might be that you need a new tank completely. You never want sewage to back up into your home so if you see the drains slowing down, it’s important to get things checked out.

It can be hard for most homeowners to tell the difference between when you need septic tank pumping in Novato, CA and when you might need the whole tank or system replaced. If your septic system is relatively new, chances are when you see signs like those above, you need a pumping. But if the tank is old, it could need replacement. The best thing you can do is call the professionals at American Sanitation Inc whenever you see anything of concern and ask questions, have them come out and check things out, and give their professional assessment and opinion. We treat your home as our own and we only recommend to you what we would do if we were in your situation. We’re here for septic advice, pumping, replacement, and more to keep your home operating well.

When things have gone awry with your septic system, you might need septic tank pumping in Sonoma, CA, repairs, replacement, or something else. For any of those things, you need a septic tank professional to help you judge what needs to be done and then, to get the job done. Septic problems can be complicated, and the costs can raise quickly. When you have to get something done (anything, really), it’s important to have the best person on your property for the job. Here are some things you really must have in a septic tank professional.

Lots Of Experience

Since septic tanks are so complicated, it’s important for you to have someone who knows what they are doing. They should not only have the right certificated and the proper training, but they should also have years of experience under their belt, so they are able to understand your septic issues and address them as quickly and efficiently as possible. Their experience will help you understand what’s going on and it will give you peace of mind that things will work out well for your home as a whole.

Customer Service Skills

Pretty much any company you work with should have customer service skills. You want them to treat you right. They should be able to talk to you nicely, act in a friendly manner. You want to feel like you are being heard and that your concerns are being addressed. It’s important to have good customer service anywhere you go, but you really want it when you are using a company to fix something as important as your septic system. You need that function to help the home to function well.

Proper Training And Certification

This goes along with the experience part. Before technicians have experience, they need to be trained properly and get the certification you need them to have so they can do the job properly. You might feel weird about asking to see proof of their certification and/or training, but don’t. That is something they should be willing to show you whenever you want to see it to reassure you that they are the right people for the job.

If you are looking for someone to help you with anything septic-related, like septic tank pumping in Sonoma, CA, repairs, or even just advice, the professionals at American Sanitation Inc are here to help. We want your home to function well and for your septic system never to give you a problem. If you’re new to having a septic system, you can ask us questions about what you should or shouldn’t do to the system in order to take care of it properly. You can also get warning signs from us that you need a tank pumping and other signs to show that there are things wrong within the system. We’re here to take care of those things as soon as you notice anything going wrong within your home or yard.