Tag Archives: Septic tank cleaning

Homeowners – Don’t Neglect Your Septic System!

Most of the time, your septic system quietly burbles away in the backyard, very efficiently turning waste products into nutrients that the earth uses to nourish plant life.  When it’s working correctly, a septic system is a pleasure to own.  When it malfunctions, it’s a complete headache.  It can make unpleasant odours, unexpected flooding, and render your home’s sinks and toilets inoperable.  And it will always act up at the least convenient time – in the middle of the night, or a few minutes before the first guests arrive for your big party.

Instead of waiting for a problem to – ahem – arise, practice regular preventive maintenance on your septic system – the grease trap (if you have one), the tank itself, and the weeping tiles in the septic field.

Edenflo family owned business

In BC’s lower mainland, Edenflo Pump Truck Services is your go-to provider of septic and holding tank service.  We’re a family owned business, and we understand the concerns faced by homeowners with septic tanks.  We’ve devised a strategy of periodic preventive maintenance that will keep your septic system working as designed without any hiccups.  We’ll come and inspect at predetermined intervals, and perform only the work that’s required.  If the sludge build up in your septic tank warrants pumping (which all do, in intervals of one to five years or so) we’ll clean it out. We can use video line inspection to ensure that your main sewer line is clear of obstructions, and we can use hydro flushing to clean any blockages, and even clean your septic field.  But we’ll only do what needs to be done to keep your system operating, trouble free.

Edenflo serves all of the lower mainland with the best septic tank service including Abbotsford, Aldergrove, Delta, Surrey, Langley, White Rock, Richmond and as far away as Lions Bay.

For more information about regular maintenance services offered by Edenflo, and to find out why you need to sign up for the peace of mind this service will give you, call 604-575-1414 or fill out our online request for service.

When to Have Your Septic Tank Cleaned

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Septic tank maintenance doesn’t have to be a headache. The vast majority of septic tank maintenance is preventative maintenance. As long as you keep up with the preventative maintenance and schedule a septic tank cleaning in the proper time frame, your septic system should continue to function well.

In BC, septic tank cleanings can be done by a qualified pump truck service such as Edenflo. A full-service pump truck service company will also offer hydro flushing and hydro excavating services as well as catch basin cleaning and repair. Older systems may need flushing and repairs, but typically, the system only needs to be pumped at regular intervals.

A septic system is quite simple. The tank catches sludge waste from your home. Sewage solids will break down in the septic tank to some extent and the liquid sewage makes its way to your leach field. Thicker solids settle on the bottom of the tank.

Getting the septic system pumped every one to five years is normal. The frequency of septic tank cleaning depends on how heavy the use is. If there are more people in the home and you wash more clothes, more frequent septic tank cleaning will be necessary to remove accumulated solids.

If you have a catch basin, hydro excavation is a process where water is used to loosen the debris that is clogging it. The water is injected to catch the debris and the combined slurry is removed with a special vacuum. Many times, dysfunctional drainage systems can be restored through hydro excavation.

Hydro flushing is a similar service for smaller issues, such as slow drains in a house or commercial business. The pump truck service will flush the drain system with specialized hoses that allow maintained forward pressure and continuous flush until the debris is removed and drains flow freely.

How to Take Care of Your Septic System

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Your septic system will serve you well for many years as long as you follow a few basic guidelines for preventative maintenance. You will need an occasional septic tank cleaning by a pump truck service, but that’s usually all that is needed if you follow these guidelines.

Only biodegradable waste should go down the drain. Make sure that the toilet tissues and detergents you use say biodegradable or have an indication on the label that they are septic-tank-safe. Anywhere in BC, septic tank cleaning by a professional service should be done every one to five years.

A professional septic tank maintenance company such as Edenflo will inspect your tank for cracks, damaged baffles and other issues when they come to pump the tank and will advise you on any maintenance that is necessary. Most of the time, you can avoid needing maintenance.

Never plant trees or shrubs over your septic system drain field or over your septic tank as roots can cause serious damage that requires costly repairs. The surface around your septic system should never be used to park vehicles and should remain unpaved and permeable. Make sure the cover to your septic tank is securely in place at all times and make sure it remains accessible.

Never pour grease or food waste down the drain. Yes, that means you should not use your electric garbage disposal. Dispose of such waste in a compost area or in your regular garbage. Anything that goes into the garbage disposal adds to solid waste in the septic tank and overloads your drain field with liquid waste, and can ultimately result in septic tank back-up.

Feminine hygiene products should never be flushed down the toilet. Always dispose of them in the regular trash. Also avoid flushing cigarette butts or any other trash down the toilet.

How Your Septic Tank Works

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Your septic tank’s function is essential for processing human waste from your home. Waste flows from the drain pipes in your home into your septic tank. There, the liquid and solid waste are separated. A baffle prevents debris from flowing beyond the septic tank so that the passage of waste to the drain field or “leach” field is uninterrupted.

A septic tank’s size depends on the size of the home and how many people are expected to live in a home of that size. The tank needs to be large enough so that the solid waste has time to separate and sink to the bottom and the liquid has time to drain out into the field.

How your septic system works edenfloThe most important aspect of septic tank maintenance for the homeowner is to not overfill the septic tank with excess waste. Limiting the number of laundry loads per day and the amount of wastewater going down the drain helps prevent overfilling. It is also better not to pour grease down any household drain, and not to let water runoff from rain pool on the drain field, as that will also slow down the tank’s ability to drain.

Your septic tank loses capacity as the amount of solid waste accumulates on the bottom. That’s why septic tank cleaning is necessary. Anywhere in BC, septic tank cleaning can be performed by a pump truck service such as Edenflo. Pump truck services typically include baffle inspections and an evaluation of the performance of your system.

The company that provides your pump truck service should be able to advise you on septic tank preventative maintenance. Companies such as Edenflo also provide hydro flushing of clogged drains in your house as well as hydro excavation of catch basins if you have them and are responsible for them.

How Your Septic System Works

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Those who have a septic system should have a basic understanding about how it works because this will be helpful when it comes to things like preventative maintenance. There are two main parts that have different jobs to keep everything running efficiently and these include the actual septic tank and the drain field that works with it.

Taking a Look at the Septic TankHow Your Septic System Works with Edenflo
The septic tank is the primary component of your septic system and waste water will leave your home and travel to this tank, according to EdenFlo. Heavy solids will settle to the tank’s bottom and waste water is retained. Sludge is formed from solids that bacteria partially decomposes and you will see things floating and these include light particles and grease which will be on top of the water in the form of scum. Solids and scum are not able to get out of the tank due to outlet and inlet baffles and each baffle may have its own manhole cover. There may be a border in the centre of the septic tank that will divide it into two separate compartments so that sludge cannot get in into the drain field.

Learning More About the Drain Field
This is going to be a pipe that is between the distribution box and the septic tank. The waste water goes into the distribution box and then more pipes come out that are perforated and found within gravel trenches. This is how the water drains from the tank so that it does not get filled constantly and need to be manually drained and the water drains into the soil. The waste water will evaporate once it is in the soil and it is purified so there is no need to worry about microorganisms floating around the yard.

Don’t Delay! Book your Septic System Inspection Today!

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Performing routine inspection and maintenance on the home’s septic system is vital. Properly maintaining the entire system will allow the safe disposal of the home’s sewage system. Routine inspection and proper maintenance assures the homeowner of an operational, healthy system for many years to come.

The septic system is a part of the home’s plumbing system that contains three essential fixtures including the tank, the system’s distribution box and the drainage field. All of the liquid waste from the home is moved to the sewage system, and enters the septic tank. As the waste and water begin to accumulate, all of the wastewater will naturally separate into the scum at the top layer, the wastewater in the middle, and the sludge that makes its way to the bottom. The natural bacteria inside the septic tank use the organic matter as its primary source of food. The residual material simply sinks to the bottom to create sludge. The wastewater then makes its way through the distribution box and finally out to the drain field, where it soaks into the ground below.

Critical Routine Inspections
Routine inspections are especially critical to ensure that the drain field is operating properly, and will last for years. Excessive rain and melting snow in the springtime requires an inspection and sometimes pumping of the tank to ensure the entire unit operates properly.

Without a septic system inspection, it is very easy for the drain field to become clogged because the effluent water contains particles that should have been consumed by the bacteria, or fallen to the bottom as sludge.

With proper maintenance, the entire septic system can last for decades. Without it, it can quickly fill up and stop working altogether. Do not delay. It is time to book a septic system inspection today, to ensure the home’s sewer drainage system is functioning properly.

New Video: How Does Your Septic System Work?

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Check out our latest video showcasing how your Septic System works, and how through regular maintenance with Edenflo Pump Truck Services, you can avoid damages, and costly repairs. For all of your Septic Tank and System needs, give us a call!

Get Your Septic Tank Inspection before Winter

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With proper inspection and cleaning, a septic tank can last as long as 20 years. However, there are times when sludge from the tank accumulates more quickly and needs flushing out so that the tank would work properly.

Although routine maintenance for septic tanks is usually done every three years, homeowners should conduct an annual inspection of their tanks, especially if they have a garbage disposal system in the kitchen. The inspection is done to assess how much waste has accumulated inside the tank.

Regular maintenance of a septic system is less expensive than having it repaired. The grease trap and other tank parts should be inspected and cleaned to prevent septic tank breakdown in the future.

When to Have the Inspection
One of the most important things to remember is not to have the inspection during winter season. The ground is very likely to have become frozen from the cold—this will make digging test holes an impossible task to do.

If you must check on the condition of your system’s catch basin and other parts, do it before winter comes. A licensed septic system investigator should be able to determine if there is a need to flush out or repair the tank.

Flushing out the tank
The sludge sitting inside the tank is made of three different layers. The top layer is mostly oil and other products lighter than water. These float to the top, above the water, which is in the middle. The bottom part is where the decomposed solids are.

The purpose of pumping out the tank is to not only reduce the amount of liquid in the system (which can freeze up during winter), but also to break down the solids at the bottom. Back flushing the tank will break down the solids from the bottom, making the effluent a lot easier to remove.

Residents of Vancouver, Richmond, Delta, Surrey, Langely, New Westminister, Burnaby, Aldergrove and White Rock can call Edenflo for septic system inspection, maintenance, and repairs.

Tips for Winterizing your Cottage Plumbing

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Preparing your cottage for winter is one of the things that you need to do as the leaves of autumn begin to fall. Wintering the home is important since plumbing tends to freeze during the cold months.

Whether your cottage is going to be your home for just a couple of weeks or not, it’s important to keep its plumbing in good order. That way, everything will be in tip-top shape when spring arrives.

Here are some ways on how you can winterize your cottage plumbing:

  • Shut off all the pipes and tanks. If you’re not staying in the cottage for the rest of the winter season, be sure to turn off the power from heating pumps and water tanks. As long as water remains in the pipes, the plumbing can freeze up, making the pipelines very brittle and easy to crack.
  • Use anti-freeze chemicals on sinks and toilets. If you have already drained the pipes, moisture is still trapped inside and this can contribute to the easy freezing up of the plumbing system. The anti-freeze chemicals should be able to take care of the moisture problem in the pipes.
  • Shovel snow away from the cottage and not against the walls. In places where winter is severe, dealing with snow on the roof and the driveway can be extremely cumbersome. When shoveling off snow, make sure that it is far away from the walls of the cottage. Placing the snow beside the cottage can freeze up the plumbing system more easily.
  • Clean gutters thoroughly. The gutter is one of the most overlooked parts of the house. Prevent putting additional weight to the gutter by removing the garbage and other objects from the roof.
  • Cover up holes in windows and doors. Cold air can easily enter the cottage, if the windows and doors are sealed. If you’re not staying in the cottage overnight, use newspaper or rugs in sealing the small cracks.

Edenflo’s array of services and expertise will ensure your cottage is winterized and safe during the chilly season. Call us to arrange an inspection or service appointment.

Why Do Septic Tanks Overflow?

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Installing a septic tank in your property (if there isn’t a municipal sewer system available in your area) helps in waste water management. Although a septic tank could last for many years, there are times when it begins to malfunction.

Septic Tank and Septic System

One of the most common problems of a septic tank is overflowing. An overfilled tank is not only disgusting; it is also hazardous to health. When the tank overflows, the risk of contaminating drinking water with unprocessed human waste is bigger. This could lead to a number of illnesses that could be prevented if only an efficient septic system was installed.

Too Small a Tank
The size of the septic tank determines how efficient the system will be in processing waste water. For an estimate on how big a tank should be, multiply by 150 gallons the number of individuals in a household. That should be the holding capacity of your septic tank. A small septic tank cannot contain all the wastes and water in a home, so the risk of overflowing is greater.

Sludge Buildup
Septic tanks should be pumped out every three years. If there are more people and if a lot of water is used in the household, then the tank should be cleaned more frequently. Septic tanks spill over when there is too much sludge, water or solids accumulated in the system. To prevent an overrun, have the tank inspected by a licensed septic system investigator to see whether there is a need to repair or pump out the system.

Ground Water
Anaerobic bacteria in the tank break down solid wastes and convert them to sludge. Liquids in the tank go through the drain field and into the soil. When the soil is saturated with water, it becomes inefficient in absorbing the waste water from the tank. The waste water could enter the drinking water system and that could lead to a lot of health problems.

Edenflo specializes in minor plumbing and pump repairs, septic tank inspection and cleaning, and power flushing of storm and sanitary drain lines. Don’t wait for sludge and septic waste to infiltrate your home, ensure you book an annual inspection with Edenflo.