A-1 Septic Tank Service

Identifying Signs of a Septic Tank Problem in your Home

Most of the time, septic systems work so well that homeowners who use them to treat their wastewater are hardly aware of their presence. Then an alarm sounds, a foul stench settles over a yard and infiltrates a home, or drains stop working properly. The following is a list of warning signs that may indicate your septic tank needs cleaning or maintenance.

Alarm Lights or Sounds

Most new septic tanks are equipped with an alarm indicator that flashes or sounds when a septic tank is nearly full. As soon as you notice that this alarm has gone off, call a septic tank maintenance professional to inspect and clean your tank.

Perpetual Clogging

If your drains clog almost as soon as you unclog them, or if they seem to be working at an unprecedentedly slow rate, your septic tank could be to blame. Since no non-caustic drain cleaners can rectify this sort of problem, the help of a septic tank cleaning professional is essential.

Unnaturally Vibrant Yard Growth

Electric green grass may be nice to look at, but unless you live in a remarkably tropical part of San Francisco, it is not natural. Take rapid and exceptionally vibrant yard growth as a sign that your septic system is not working properly, especially if it is accompanied by the smell of sewage or unexplained moisture near your tank.

Unpleasant Aromas

A strong sewage smell that dominates your yard and pervades your home is typically a sign that your septic tank should have been serviced weeks ago. Waste no time calling a professional to prevent damage and health hazards associated with sewage if you smell such a stench. If the stench seems to be coming from your home’s plumbing fixtures, it may also be due to septic system malfunction.

At A-1 Septic Tank Service in San Francisco, septic tank cleaning and maintenance are our specialties. If you detect one of the aforementioned signs of septic tank trouble on your San Francisco property and would like for one of our experienced professionals to address the problem, call (510) 629-4584.

Inside the Septic Tank Process

When it comes to septic tank maintenance, most homeowners practice the mantra, “out of sight, out of mind.” Unless the toilets are overflowing and the bathtub is filling with wastewater, homeowners typically don’t think about the condition of their septic tank. Unfortunately, once a problem becomes obvious, it’s too late for a simple solution. To prevent a major plumbing catastrophe, make sure to have your septic tank inspected often and pumped as necessary. Here is a closer look at what happens when your septic tank gets pumped.

Measuring Scum and Sludge

Homeowners should have their septic tank inspected once every year. During this inspection, the plumbers will measure your tank’s sludge and scum levels. Sludge and scum build up over time, and she be pumped out when the bottom of the floating scum layer is within six inches of the outlet pipe or the top of the sunken sludge layer is within 12 inches of it.

Emptying the Tank

If the septic tank maintenance company suggests that you have your tank pumped, they will bring out a pump truck to remove the sludge, effluent, and scum inside the tank, leading it empty and ready to be filled again. Depending on how large your septic tank is, it may take a few hours to completely empty your septic tank.

Septage Treatment 

After the contents of your septic tank have been removed, the septage may be taken to water treatment facility and added to the waste piped in from a municipal sewer system or deliver to independent, for-profit companies specializing in the treatment of wastewater. 

If you live in San Francisco, trust A-1 Septic Tank Service with all of your septic tank maintenance and cleaning needs. For additional information about our septic tank maintenance services, visit our website or call us at (510) 629-4584. 

Our Odor Control Products for Your Septic System

To keep odor under control, A-1 Septic Tank Service offers a variety of odor control products for your septic system. We offer activated carbon filters, charcoal filtration devices, and odor-eliminating carbon vented covers. Visit our website to learn more about the odor control products we offer for residential and commercial septic systems.

For all of your septic system maintenance and repair needs, contact A-1 Septic Tank Service. We provide homeowners and businesses throughout San Francisco with septic tank maintenance and cleaning services. For additional information about our products and services, please call us at (510) 629-4584. 

Inside a Septic System Inspection

It used to be impossible to know exactly what was going on in your sewage pipes or septic tank. Now, thanks to state-of-the-art fiber optics, your plumbers can see exactly what is causing your plumbing or septic issues. To see what a septic system inspection looks like, check out this short video clip. 

If you are experiencing problems with your septic system, contact A-1 Septic Tank Service. Serving San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area, we are your choice for tank maintenance and repair. To schedule a septic system inspection, or to request a quote for any of our septic tank services, please contact us online or call us at (510) 629-4584.

Examining the Health Problems Associated with a Damaged Septic System

Households that are not served by public sewers depend on a septic system to collect and dispose of wastewater. Septic systems are fairly simply in design, but they are of great importance when it comes to a household’s comfort, convenience, and safety. Because your septic system is designed to dispose of human waste and other harmful substances, any problems within the system can pose a threat to everyone inside your home. Here is a closer look at some of the health problems associated with a damaged septic system, and how a septic repair company can help protect you and your family.

Wastewater-Related Diseases

Wastewater can harbor a number of microscopic organisms, or bacteria, that are hazardous to human health. These waterborne bacteria are responsible for several wastewater-related diseases, including typhoid, paratyphoid, bacillary dysentery, and cholera. Most of these wastewater-related diseases infect the stomach and intestinal tract, causing symptoms like headache, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, fever, and vomiting.

Wastewater Parasites

Wastewater can also harbor protozoans and parasitic worms. When people ingest wastewater contaminated with protozoans, the parasite can multiply inside the body and cause mild to severe diarrhea. Parasitic worms such as tapeworms and roundworms may also be found in untreated wastewater, which your family can become exposed to when there your septic system becomes damaged.

Waterborne Viruses

Although viruses typically cannot multiple outside of their hosts, enough survive in wastewater to make people sick. Contact with wastewater can result in such viruses as hepatitis A, polio, and viral gastroenteritis. There may be as many as 100 different types of viruses found in raw sewage, but many are difficult to identify.

To prevent the spread of disease to your family, make sure to have your septic system regularly inspected and maintained. For septic tank maintenance and repair you can trust, contact A-1 Septic Tank Service of San Francisco. To learn more about our septic tank services, please call us at (510) 629-4584.