Shoreline Septic Blog

Jun 27
0

Restaurant Grease Trap Care

By | Uncategorized

Restaurants use grease traps to intercept most fats, oils and greases (FOG) before they reach sewers. All kitchen fixtures located in food preparation or clean up areas should be plumbed to a grease trap. 

Because grease traps offer the last line of defense against potential sewage blockages or overflows, proper care is important.

Maintain grease traps using these methods:

  1. Get Properly Sized Grease Traps: Overly small grease traps are unable to remove FOG effectively and are prone to overflowing. Overly large grease traps use excessive space and increase expenses. Get a properly sized grease trap to ensure effectiveness.
  2. Correctly Dispose of Fryer Oil: Placing fryer oil in grease traps by sending it down the drain may create back ups and blockages in restaurant plumbing due to its solidifying properties. Instead, remove fryer grease from griddles, fryers and pans and place it in a separate receptacle.
  3. Stop Abusing The Garbage Disposal: When washing dishes in the sink, scrape food from plates into the garbage can beforehand. Often, people overuse the garbage disposal by sending down solid food particles frequently. Use the garbage disposal sparingly to avoid blockages and unnecessary waste in your grease trap.
  4. Cover Drains With Catch Baskets: Cover your sink and floor drains with catch baskets to catch any solids. Empty excess waste caught into a garbage can. Catching solids before they enter the grease trap will allow for a more effective grease trap.
  5. Schedule Routine Maintenance: Most grease traps are pumped at least once every 35 to 40 days. Regularly scheduled maintenance prevents expensive plumbing problems and keeps your systems up to date on environmental requirements. Determine the best frequency for your business by consulting a plumbing professional.

Preventative maintenance leads to effective grease traps. Taking these small steps to care for your grease trap will ensure well-functioning waste solutions for your restaurant.

For more information on restaurant grease trap care from the experts at Shoreline Septic Service, please contact us here or call us at 800.937.5667.

May 16
0

Maintaining Your Septic Tank

By | Septic Maintenance

Septic tanks last for many years when cared for properly.

They serve an invaluable purpose in the daily function of your property, working unnoticed in the background — until it fails. If not maintained properly, septic tanks fall into irreparable states, costing you more time, more money and disruption of your normal routine.

Follow these simple tips to keep your septic tank functioning:

 

  • Monitor your flushing: Septic tanks dispose of only human waste and toilet paper. Other materials clog your tank and cause damage that later need repairs. Non-biodegradable items should not be flushed down your toilet.

 

 

  • Watch your sink: The same way that you watch what goes down your toilet, you should watch what goes down your sink. The drainage system from both the sink and the toilet are connected through similar plumbing, resulting in blocked sewage if items other than biodegradable materials fall through this septic tank entrance.

 

 

  • Regularly pump your tank: Pump your septic tank every two to three years to get rid of bacteria build up and limit the amount of solid waste build up at the bottom of your tank. By keeping this layer of solid waste thinner, your tank effectively processes the organic material decomposition, elongating the tank’s lifespan.

 

 

  • Take short showers instead of baths: Long showers and baths add ‘grey water’ to your septic tank. This grey water contains low amount of materials, resulting in your tank becoming overfilled with fluid. This overflow clogs the soil pores around your tank, culminating and preventing water from returning to the ground table, creating the environment around your septic tank to become contaminated.

 

 

  • Look after your drainfield: Maintaining the area around your drainfield is extremely important when caring for your septic tank. Do not park on or near your drainfield, as this prevents the removal of contaminants from the water that emerges from your septic tank. Do not plant trees or plants on or near the site as well, as growing roots may become a problem in later years.

 

Keep your septic tank running efficiently with these simple steps in maintenance and preventative measures.

For more information on maintaining your septic tank from the experts at Shoreline Septic Service, please contact us here or call us at 800.937.5667.

Sep 27
0

Septic System Health Concerns

By | Septic Systems

When hurricanes Katrina, Andrew and Harvey caused mass destruction and devastation throughout the South, they brought the phrase septic system failure to the forefront. For almost everyone in cities affected by extreme weather, widespread septic system failure often leads to long-term health issues for many of the storm’s victims.

Fortunately — for most homeowners and business owners — health concerns due to septic system failure on a smaller scale remain preventable. While most cases never touch the scale of natural disasters, they need immediate attention.

Maintaining a clean and healthy septic system creates a hygienic environment for everyone. Broken pipes or faulty septic components cause more than damage to your home — it can seriously damage to your health. In addition, the parasites, bacteria, viruses and contaminants that pollute wastewater make contact dangerous for humans.

Coming in contact with physical sewage should never be taken lightly. Raw sewage exposure remains one of the primary causes of Hepatitis A and E. Coli. These diseases have long lasting and harsh effects on your body, including possible liver damage. Raw sewage also contributes to the growth of fungi,causing skin, eye and respiratory infections.

Broken septic systems leaks gasses into your home. Sulfide gas — a common septic emission — causes mouth, nose and throat irritation. Prolonged exposure to this gas and others leads to lung damage.

The clear signs of septic system failure — standing sewage or water and strong odors — rarely go unnoticed. However, the small signs also warn you that you might need service to your system. These signs include water and sewage from toilets, drains and sinks backing up into the home and slow drains in your as bathtub, shower or sink.

For more information about septic system failure from the experts at Shoreline Septic please contact us here or call us directly at 800.937.5667.

Sep 18
0

How Often Is Service Needed?

By | Septic Maintenance

Cleaning and servicing your septic tank on a regular basis is necessary in order for it to last and do its job for a long time. It does not matter what type of septic system you have, all types need to be serviced regularly.

Many homeowners believe the common misconception that if their septic tank is not having any noticeable problems, they do not need to pump it. This is false and can lead to expensive repairs in the future if continued.

Septic systems build up solid waste at the bottom of the tank, while liquids and other lightweight materials float at the top. When the solid layer builds up enough, the sewage has less time to settle before leaving the tank and more solid wastes can escape into the soil absorption system. If the soil absorption system becomes clogged or backed up from this, sewage and wastewater will bubble up to the surface. Clogging or rupturing your soil absorption system and drainfield can cost thousands of dollars to fix.

An average sized septic tank typically needs to be pumped every three or four years. However, yours may need to be pumped more or less often depending on the size of your tank, and the number of occupants in your home. If you have a smaller tank with many occupants in your home, it will need to be pumped closer to every one or two years. If your tank is large and you only have a few occupants in your home, it will be okay to be pumped every five or six years.

For more information about septic tank pumping from Shoreline Septic, please contact us here or call us directly at 800.937.5667.

Jun 20
0

Signs of Septic System Failure

By | Septic Systems

Septic system failures make for unpleasant, frustrating and costly problems.

Your septic system handles all of your raw sewage, meaning that a system failure leaves sewage with nowhere to go — except into your yard or back into your home. Many people also understand little about septic systems, leading most to simply replace the septic tank, which might not be the source of the problem.

Fortunately, when signs of septic system failure exist, those who catch them and call trained professionals stand a good chance of successfully fixing the problem.

The primary warning signs of septic system failure include a rotten egg odor around the septic tank, sinks and drains gurgling or draining slowly, sewage backing up and wastewater pooling in and above the drainfield. If the drainfield is in danger of flooding, the grass above it may also be growing exceptionally well. When these symptoms arise, many people diagnose the problem as the septic tank. These signs, while indicators of a problem in the septic system, do not necessarily mean the septic tank is at fault.

There are two main sections of a normal septic system. The septic tank receives solid wastes from the house and uses anaerobic bacteria to break down the solids into simple gases and liquid. The processed liquids then travel to a drainfield, where the liquid waste is absorbed into the ground.

A common problem with this system consists of one of the pipes getting clogged by physical waste, which causes backups in the pipes. Another problem occurs when the anaerobic bacteria in the septic tank fails to decompose the physical matter quickly enough. In this case, physical waste is sent to the drainfield, gathers at the edge of the field and develops into a biomat. This biomat eventually spreads to cover the entire drainfield and prevents water from being absorbed into the ground.

While the septic tank can fail, other possibilities exist. If you notice any of the warning signs mentioned above, call a professional and get their opinion on the situation.

For more information on identifying and preventing septic system failure, please contact us here or call us at 800.937.5667.

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