There are a lot of rural homes that are not connected to a main sewage system. What these homes rely on is a self-contained sewage treatment plant called a septic tank.
Below are some life-saving facts you need to know about septic tanks in case you have a septic tank or if you are considering the purchase of a home with one.
A septic tank takes the sewage from the house, the solids settle out and grease floats to the top. Piped away to an absorption area where it is allowed to percolate away through the soil is a clear watery layer that’s found between the two layers. Soil bacteria break down any nutrients before the sewage reaches the water bearing rocks, or any streams.
Usually buried in the ground are septic tanks. As a matter of fact, causing different concerns are the three main types.
Tending to rust especially when buried in the ground are steel tanks. A steel septic tank can be so corroded that it can lead to someone walking over it falling through and into the tank. The hapless person is suffocated by the methane generated in the tank, or drowns.
Aside from being damaged internally, concrete tanks can also lead to permanent and expensive to rectify damage to the absorption drain-field.
Those that are built from concrete blocks on site are the worst tanks. Sometimes the blocks are not even cemented together and they are just laid. Years of attack from acidic sewage will dissolve the mortar even if they are cemented together. It’s possible that these tanks fail to meet local planning and environmental protection regulations and they can collapse without warning.
Knowing when your septic tank has problems
If you see areas of sunken ground, then make sure to stay away. Call in a contractor immediately. If you step on these areas, it’s likely you could fall through into the septic tank and die. Your septic tank has partially collapsed if you see these signs.
In the drain-field area, check for signs of solid sewage material. It can be very expensive to rectify if the drain-field has been contaminated because the septic tank has not been pumped out regularly.
If a home with a septic tank is what you are buying, then make sure to insist on the tank being pumped out and an investigation by a septic tank contractor carried out. It is not possible to examine a septic tank properly while it is full.
Even though paying a contractor to give you a report may be necessary, this will still be a tiny amount compared to the cost of any necessary remedial work.
We offer a full range of home addition south New Jersey services with a more money saving approach to maintaining your house.
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