When you live in area where your home does not have access to a public sewer treatment system, the importance of a septic tank goes up, and it becomes a necessary part of removing wastewater safely from your home, taking out the dangerous bacteria, and distributing it to a septic field into the ground.
Most of the time, a septic system will work fine without you needing to think about it — and that’s just how it should be. When the septic system develops problems, however, your need to do something about it right away before the situation turns unpleasant and even damaging to your home and property. To avoid repairs issues and dilemmas with your Middletown, MD, septic system, arrange for regular septic tank pumping from the team at Larry & Sons, Inc. We have helped people care for the septic systems with repairs and maintenance for over 50 years now.
Why Regular Septic Pumping Is Crucial
To know why a septic tank must be pumped, you need to understand how the tank functions and the role it plays in the system. The purpose of the tank is to separate solid sewage from the wastewater that enters it. The solid waste falls to the bottom of the tank as sludge, and the light waste made of oil and grease remains at the top as a scum layer. The water in the middle remains mostly free of solids, but contains the nitrogen and phosphorous chemicals that are helpful as fertilizer. Pipes reaching into the center of the septic tank remove this fertilizer water and filter it down through the septic field and into the earth.
The solid waste and scum do not leave the tank, however. They must be kept out of the earth to avoid horrible smells and harmful bacteria contaminating the soil. Some of the sludge decays due to the action of bacteria, but this cannot eliminate all of it. Eventually, every three to five years, the tank must have pumping that removes this sludge from the tank and dispose of it. Septic professionals are required to perform this.
Without septic pumping, the sludge will eventually build up and cause two serious issues. First, the sludge can start to block the drainage from the home and begin to back up the sewer lines. This will clog sinks and drains and send terrible odors into the home; it might even cause sewage to flow into the house. Second, the sludge will start to enter the septic field and the soil, which will not only poison the ground and hurt the environment, but it will also seep upward and create horrible smells across your property.
How often a tank needs pumping depends on its use, but you should have septic maintenance done once a year to check on it, and to see if there are any other troubles developing. Larry & Sons, Inc. offers professional septic tank pumping and other septic tank services in Middletown, MD, whenever you need it. Give us a call today to schedule your next service appointment with us.
