Septic tanks are simple primary treatment devices that retain solids at the bottom to form sludge and scum at the top, allowing the cleanest water in between to be discharged to land, often via trenches downhill of the tank.
As the sludge and scum content increases the performance of the tank will decrease and the tank will require cleaning out with a vacuum tanker. Tanks are typically sized so that cleaning is required every 3 – 5 years.
Cleaning out your septic tank at regular intervals is very important otherwise solids, fats, oils, and greases, will either block the inlet to the tank causing overflows, or worse enter and block the downstream land application system which is always difficult and expensive to remedy.
Septic tanks will last for years if they are maintained correctly. Call us to discuss inspection or cleaning yours out.
We are set up to de-sludge or clean out all types and sizes of septic tanks or attend to blockages where systems have been neglected.
Often septic tanks are used as pretreatment devices for secondary or advanced systems; both systems should be attended at the same time and whilst the vacuum tanker is on site to reduce costs.
Make sure you have the main access point into the tank accessible and ready for us to go!
Septic tanks and can often be located by the ‘mushroom’ which is the fresh air inlet on the inlet to the tank.
Confirming the sludge and scum content requires specialist equipment and cannot be completed by a visual inspection only.
Septic tanks now require outlet filters to prevent solids from escaping the septic tank and blocking up the downstream network. These should be accessible and cleaned every 6 months but depending on loads.
Older tanks will not have primary outlet filters and therefore the tanks will require more frequent cleaning out.
