| 1. My neighbors haven't ever had their Septic tank cleaned and they have been living in their house about as long as we have. We have ours cleaned every year. We don't have any problems but neither do they. Should we stop having ours cleaned? |
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No, preventive maintenance prevents problems in the long term. Septic tanks and Cesspools are designed to hold solids and allow only the water to leach into the ground or “leaching area”. If you do not remove the solids periodically by pumping they will eventually clog the leaching area. The leaching area slowly becomes clogged and after time, it will lose its capability to drain at all. This process does not happen overnight and can take several years. Every year the system is neglected more solids are entering the leaching area slowly clogging it. Once the leaching area becomes so clogged it will no longer function and you will experience “back-ups” and/or “overflowing”. The only permanent solution is a new system. |
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| 2. I have a friend who told me not to have my Septic tank cleaned until I have a problem. Do you recommend waiting for my system to back-up or overflow before I have my tank cleaned? |
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Absolutely not! Waiting for problems before you clean your tank is like never changing the oil in your car until the engine knocks and smokes. Once it backs-up or overflows in the yard the damage to your leaching area has already begun. Pumping and cleaning your tank at this time does not remove the solids that have entered the leaching area. Pumping your tank only removes the solids in the tank . It is nearly impossible to remove the solids in the leaching area. There are various gimmicks such as Chemical treatments and Water Jetting procedures, but almost always they do not produce a permanent solution to the problem. |
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| 3. Do you provide Emergency service? |
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Yes, however the State Disposal Facility is only open Monday –Friday regular business hours and half days on Saturdays. They are closed nights, Sundays and Holidays. We can only dispose the Septage in our trucks during the hours they’re open. Therefore we can only operate when the Dump Facility is open and do provide Emergency and regular maintenance during those hours. |
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| 4. We recently had a new house built for us with a Septic system, but our Contractor told us we couldn't have a Garbage disposal because it is not good for a Septic system. Is this true? |
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Yes, Garbage disposals grind the garbage into very fine particles. The particles are then washed down the drain and where they have a chance of clogging the pipes that lead to your Septic tank. Once the ground up particles enters your Septic tank they mix in with the septage water. The particles do not decompose properly because they are in the water. A good majority of the particles float in the Septage water and have a very good chance of entering the leaching area and clogging it. If you must use a garbage disposal we recommend using it sparingly and inspecting the Septic tank for cleaning more frequently. |
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| 5. Could you explain the difference between a Cesspool and a Septic Tank? |
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Cesspool ~ A cesspool is an older type system that is used to dispose of Septage waste. It is usually a hole in the ground approximately ten feet deep and the diameter starts at the bottom approximately 6’ and gradually tapers to about a couple of feet with a cover on top for cleaning. It is likened to an “upside down ice cream cone”. It’s usually made of fieldstone or cinder blocks with no mortar holding it in place; the Septage water and solids enter the cesspool and the solids basically are decomposed of and fall to the bottom as sludge. The Septage water drains out the sides and bottom of the cesspool also known as the leaching area. The State of Rhode Island has not allowed new construction of cesspools since about 1972. |
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Septic Tank ~ A septic tank is the most modern form of on site septage disposal. It is a tank usually made of concrete or fiberglass and it’s typically 5 feet wide by 5 feet deep and 10 feet long. There’s has to be some form of a leach field or leaching area. The Septage water and solids enter the Septic tank where the decomposition of the solids takes place. The solids fall to the bottom as sludge and the septage water drains into the leaching area. There are usually 2 or 3 covers on the Septic tank for cleaning and inspecting. |
What Every Homeowner Should Know About Their Septic Tank or Cesspool
