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1. What are the new inspection requirements and how do they affect me?
2. How do inspections and pumpings get reported now under the new system?
3. Can I inspect my own septic system every 4 years?
4. When is pumping required?
5. What is the inspection/pumping requirement for hardship properties?
6. Is it okay to have a garbage disposal if you're on a septic system?
7. Should I add anything to the septic system to help it work better?
8. Where is my septic tank, how do I find it, and how deep is it?
9. How many and what kind of lids should I be looking for?
10. I have an alarm light/horn warning--what does that mean and what should I do?
11. Can I plant trees, shrubs, or kill the grass on my drainfield or mound?
12. Can I pasture animals on my drainfield?
13. Can I drive on or park on my drainfield?
14. Once the septic tank is pumped do I need to throw in a cabbage or yeast to get it started again?
15. I just had my tank pumped and in a couple of days it's full again--what gives?
16. What do you mean there's two chambers?
17. Should I be present when the septic tank is pumped?
18. Should I use liquid or powder laundry detergent?
19. Should I use liquid or powder dishwasher soap?
20. How much water can we safely use so we don't oversaturate our system?
21. Toilets aren't flushing right, shower and bath drains are backing up--what's wrong?
22. What happens if our system fails?
1. What are the new inspection requirements and how do they affect me?
A. The new inspection requirements went into effect in October of 2007. They now require conventional gravity systems to be inpected every 3 years instead of every 4. Any system with a pump ie. pressure distribution, sand filter, aerobic, etc. are now required to be insepected yearly. The letter that was sent out also states that such systems must be under contract with a county certified contractor such as Big Jon Septic. These new rules are somewhat confusing so if you have any questions call Mark Hill at the Clark County Health District.
2. How do inspections and pumpings get reported now under the new system?
A. Everything now is reported on line. No more paperwork sent to you from the county except for reminder cards or letters. When we perform an inspection and/or pumping we report it to e-onsite.net, the new reporting site. This is an additional cost to you of either $1.99 for an inspection/puming or $0.99 for just a pumping. In addition to this, there is an addition new $20.00 county fee for every inspection that must be collected and sent to the county. So the total cost for an inspection or inspection/pumping is $21.99. If you have any questions about this or complaints, contact Mark Hill at the Clark County Health District.
3. Can I inspect my own septic system every four years?
A. No. Homeowners may inspect their own system only the first time a county letter is received. After that a licensed inspector must perform the inspection.
4. When is pumping required?
A pumping is required when the scum and sludge layers exceed maximum levels as specified by the county. A pumping may be required when the system is backing up or if some repair is necessary that would require the tank to be pumped. Sometimes a pumping is required for building permits. NOTE: Although pumping may not be required it is not a bad idea to pump septic tanks periodically whether it needs it of not as a preventative maintenance.
5. What is the requirement for inspection/pumping for hardship properties?
Generally hardship properties are under the same requirements as other properties--inspect every 4 years. However, this is not a hard and fast rule. It depends on the number of persons living on the property and other variables. The county may require more frequent inspections and/or pumpings.
6. Is it okay to have a garbage disposal if you're on a septic system?
A. No. It is not recommended. Garbage disposals can interfere with the proper operation of a septic tank, causing it to not break down the solids as it should. It can increase the frequency of pumping.
7. Should I add anything to the septic tank to help it work better?
A. Probably not necessary. The normal operation of a septic tank will create its own bacteria at sufficient levels. Some additives are nothing more than filler. Actually if they do work at all, they may cause the solids to break down faster than they should and thereby increase chances of other problems.
8. Where is my septic tank, how do I find it, and how deep is it?
A. Those are all really good questions sometimes not easy to answer even for we professionals. The first thing I do to find the tank is try to locate a cleanout near the house (usually a 4inch black pipe sticking above ground level with a screw off lid). Unless the pipe makes a turn somewhere, the tank is usually right in line with this pipe. Start about 6 to 10 feet out from this pipe and use some type of probe (rebar or something to push into the ground). Start probing and have fun! As to how deep it is--hopefully for your sake, it's not deep. Usually they're 6 inches to 18 inches but don't be surprised if it's alot deeper. I've seen them down about 6 feet. I've heard of others deeper. If you can't find it, Big Jon Septic Services can locate it with our electronic tank locate service. Call us about this. Another thing you can do is call the Health District and see if they have a diagram or any documentation on the system. This will only work with properties that had septic permits or some other service performed that got into the Health District. Other than that--GOOD LUCK!!
9. How many and what kind of lids should I be looking for?
A. Another really good couple of questions. There are all kinds of tanks out there and who knows what you've got. Usually tanks will have at least 2 lids--one at the inlet and one at the outlet. These lids hopefully will be about 18 to 24 inches in diameter. Some tanks will have only 1 lid. Some tanks have 5 or 6 lids. Check out the Inspection page of this website for some common tank lid layouts.
10. I have an alarm light/horn warning going off--what does that mean and what should I do?
A. The alarm warning means that something is amiss in the pump chamber/s. You could have 2 pump chambers depending on the type of system you have. The first thing you should do is restrict the use of water until you determine what is wrong. Unless you are handy and want to try to fix it yourself--call a repair person. You can call Big Jon Septic and we can try to help you or we can refer you to a qualified repair person. There are too many possibilities for this problem that are beyond the scope of this answer. Suffice it to say though, that you must find out what the problem is. It could be serious enough to damage other parts of the system, particuarly the drain field.
11. Can I plant trees, shrubs, or kill the grass on my mound?
A. This is not recommended. Plants and shrubs grow roots and they love drainfield lines. Killing the grass is also not recommended. The grass is very useful in the absorption process and also brings oxygen into the soil.
12. Can I pasture animals on my drainfield?
A. Not recommended. Drain lines are not usually that deep so animals like horses, cows, lamas, etc. can puncture through the ground and into the drainfield. This is especially possible in wet weather when the ground is soft. Your drainfield should be fenced off so animals cannot get on it.
13. Can I drive or park on my drainfield?
A. Not recommended. Drain lines are not usually that deep so anything heavy driving over them can cause them to be crushed or damaged. Mowing over them should be ok unless you're using a monster mowing machine.
14. Once my septic tank is pumped do I need to throw in a cabbage or yeast to get it started again?
A. No. The septic tank will start itself. Cabbage and yeast are old wives tales. How do septic tanks start when they are newly installed? They have no bacteria then and they start themselves. The waste that goes into a septic tank will be enough to get the bacterial process started.
15. I just had my tank pumped and in a couple of days it's full again--what gives?
A. The normal operation of a septic tank is in the almost full condition. The tank will normally be almost full, but it will be full of mostly liquid effluent. It takes years for the scum and sludge layers to reform at which time it will be time to pump them back out again and clean the tank.
16. What do you mean there's two compartments in my tank. I had my tank pumped before and only one chamber was pumped. What about this?
A. Believe it or not most septic tanks have 2 separate compartments. There are still older tanks in systems with only one chamber, but these are not the most common. The first compartment is the largest compartment where the waste and effluent from the house first enter. Here is where the bacterial process is primarily performed. A wall separates the two compartments, and a crossover baffle allows the liquid effluent to move over to the second compartment. This second compartment is what feeds effluent to the distribution box or the pump chamber and then to the drainfield or sand filter or other filter system. If you had only one compartment pumped, you did not receive a complete job. Even though the second compartment is mostly liquid, there is usually always sludge buildup on the bottom of this compartment. This sludge should be removed since this is the compartment feeding the "D" box or pump chamber. If this sludge continues to build up and gets thick enough, it can go right out the outlet baffle and cause real (and expensive) problems.
17. Should I be present when my septic tank is pumped?
A. ABSOLUTELY! You should be present to make sure that the job is done right. Be sure both chambers are pumped if there are two chambers. You should also be sure that the tank is completely pumped and cleaned. Don't let anyone tell you that some sludge should be left in the tank. This is nonsense. When we pump a tank, we don't sterilize it--there is still plenty of bacteria left in the tank to restart the tank (refer to question 14 above). You should also ask questions and have the pumper explain things to you. I always like talking to the homeowner and explaining things or answering questions. As a matter of fact, if you really want to get involved, we'll glove you up and let you be part of the crew. There's not much greater joy than to participate in such a fun and rewarding job. (:
18. Should I use liquid or powder laundry detergent?
A. From all I've read and from others I've talked to, it seems that if there is a preference it would be liquid. However, this is not really that big a deal. More important is the laundry frequency. It's better to space out doing laundry than to do it all at once. Putting a lot of water through your system in a short period of time is more detrimental than the type of detergent you use.
19. Should I use liquid or powder dishwasher soap?
A. This is about the same as question 18 above. Frequency is more important than type of soap used.
20. How much water can we safely use so we don't oversaturate our system?
A. That depends on your system design. You should be able to check your system paperwork and determine how much water usage it was designed for. However, no matter what type of system you have (gravity or alternative) your system can oversaturate and fail. It may not be anyone's fault. It could be that the ground or sand or other filter system just is saturated. It's kind of like a sponge, it can absorb and absorb until it finally is full. Hopefully this does not happen but it can happen. Just use common sense in your water usage and you should be okay. The other thing that can help your system survive is to keep your septic tank clean and keep sludge and particulates from getting into the "D" box or pump chamber.
21. Toilets aren't flushing right, shower and bath drains are backing up--what's wrong?
A. It could be a number of things. It doesn't necessarily mean that your septic tank is full and needs pumping. There could be blockages between the house and the tank. It's necessary to determine this before assuming the tank should be pumped. It's a little too complicated to explain all the check points and methods in this answer. If you need help just call Big Jon Septic Services and we'll try to help you over the phone or get you in touch with the qualified person who can help you.
22. What happens if our system fails?
A. Reach for your pocketbook! If your system is a failed system, it's probably going to get expensive. The first thing that will probably have to happen is you will need perk tests to determine the soil condition. The Health District will get involved and they will tell you what type of system you will install. It's a real bummer, but it's one of those systems that you don't really have any choice in not having. You can't dig a pit and put an outhouse up, so you will put in a new system. Most people are not prepared for this. Again, the best way to try to prevent this from happening is to preventatively maintain your septic tank and system. Keep it as clean as possible and don't abuse it.
NOTE: These answers are not official Clark County answers. If you want official answers, call the Health District office and talk with a county official.
We will keep adding more to this site, but if you have questions, e-mail us at bigjon@bigjonseptic.com and we will try to answer them and publish them if relevant.
Your tank deserves the best--Call Big Jon!