FAQ

We proudly cover all areas in the Poconos Mountains and Lake Wallenpaupack areas. Including, but not limited to the following counties:

• Carbon
• Lackawanna
• Monroe
• Pike
• Wayne

Septic tanks are designed to contain the solids from your household waste and disperse the effluent (wastewater) back into the ground. The waste leaves your home through a system of sewer pipes, which come together into a single pipe connected to your septic tank. Once the waste reaches the septic tank, it begins to separate, with sludge (the heaviest solids) sinking to the bottom. A scum layer made of oils, fat and proteins floats at the top, while the effluent (gray water) remains in the middle. The effluent water then travels through a system of perforated pipes, into the drainfield. The perforated pipes often rest in a bed of gravel to help maintain adequate drainage until the effluent is absorbed into the ground.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends having your septic tank pumped at least every three years. In addition, a number of communities in our area require tanks to be pumped every three years, in order to limit potential septic system issues.

Septic system failure is most commonly a result of improper maintenance of the septic tank. If the solids resting at the bottom of the tank are not removed, they build up over time and enter the pipes leading to the drainfield. When this happens, the heavy particulates in the waste become trapped in the leach field’s gravel, preventing absorption and causing your septic system to fail or back up. This can be prevented, in large part, by having your septic tank pumped at least every three years.

Wastewater backing up into household drains; bright green, spongy grass on the drainfield, especially during dry weather; pooling water or muddy soil around the septic system or in the basement; a strong odor around the septic tank and drainfield.

In short, the only thing other than human waste that should ever be flushed is toilet paper. That’s it. Anything else (feminine hygiene products, personal wipes, baby wipes, condoms, cotton swabs, paper towels, dental floss, diapers, cigarette butts, medications, etc.) should never be flushed. These products are not safe for your septic system and can greatly shorten the life of your system, as well. Many of these items create clog issues, and medications can interfere with the good bacteria necessary to keep your system in proper working order.

A PSMA (Pennsylvania Septic Management Association) inspection is a thorough inspection of all components that make up an on-site septic system and is completed according to PSMA standards to ensure that all components are functioning properly at the time of the inspection.

If the system was built after the year 2000 and has an alarm system and pump, it will most likely have three lids. If it was built prior to 2000 and has an alarm system and pump, it will most likely have one or two lids.

The simplest way to determine tank size is by the number of bedrooms in the home. State code requires a minimum of 1000 gallon tank; this will service up to a three bedroom home. For each additional bedroom, code requires 250 additional gallons. This method applies 85% of the time, depending on the age of the home and if there have been addictions built.

A jetting improves even distribution in pressure dosed septic systems system Any foreign objects are expelled backward out of the pipe. We use this process to clean pipes in drainage beds, sand mounds, and clogged sewer lines.

Risers extend the tank opening to grade for access to perform normal maintenance and also to allow quick access in the event of an emergency backup. Any time septic tank pumping or maintenance is performed, the lids must be exposed. If they are not exposed, there is an additional charge for digging. Installing risers would eliminate the need to dig up the lid.

An alarm sounding usually means high water in your pump tank. A high water alarm is a float attached to a wire in your pump tank; it sends a signal to a panel that activates a light and a horn to indicate that there is a high water level and that service is needed immediately. Immediately in this case means soon (by the next day), so don’t panic if it goes off during the night; just limit water usage and call us in the morning.