Maintaining and servicing a septic tank is not pretty. It is a thankless task and a particularly challenging process filled with unpleasant odours, awkward procedures, and time-consuming work. The excess mess can get everywhere and the cost of the materials and apparatus needed for a thorough DIY job on your tank can sometimes exceed what you would pay a professional company for.
A specialist like Thistle Tanks could do the job in a much faster time than it would take you to get your head around the process and apply yourself to the unfamiliar situation, let alone complete the necessary work.
Hesitation Can Be Costly
Any attempt without the correct knowledge, equipment, and sufficient time allocated is doomed to fail and comes with significant risk. That risk is not just financial as there is a risk to your physical health too.
Making the wrong move or an error of judgement in some of the procedures involved can cause serious injury and illness. If you do not know what you are doing or have any reservations about attempting a septic tank service yourself, you should not do it for your safety.
Don’t Put Pride Before Realism
You could, in all likelihood do more damage to the septic tank by completing the service yourself as the chances of you making an error are high. This would result in you having to replace the equipment and materials you have bought. You may possibly have to repair or replace the tank itself and then have to get an experienced company like Thistle Tanks to put everything back together and complete the service anyway. Your efforts may be valiant but if they are time-consuming and expensive, is there any point in the first place?
The Process Itself
To give you an idea of what servicing and maintaining a septic tank entails, we have split up the operation into five different categories which are then further segmented into sub-categories that will need to be worked through. Each one is pivotal and needs to be done in the correct order with no exceptions.
If any step is missed or not executed properly, you may have to start from the beginning to not risk sabotaging the entire operation. Please bear in mind that this seemingly comprehensive observation list is simplified for the reader and does not in any way cover the detail and depth required to do a thorough septic tank servicing job. The instructions that are shown barely scratch the surface of the entirety that a professional experienced company like Thistle Tanks will go into.
- Readying the Tank
● Find the tank and dig out the top of it
● Assess and inspect the tank in full for cracks
- Finding out the Scum Depth
● Cut the correct pipe at an accurate point
● Glue the relevant pipes together and cap each end
● Lower a stick into the tank and mark the scum line
● Push through the scum surface and mark again when it ends
● Measure the marks you have made
- Testing the Sludge Depth
● Cut the correct pipe at an accurate point
● Glue the relevant pipes together and cap each end
● Wrap white material around one end
● Push the stick through the scum hole and hold it there for three minutes
● Take the stick out and measure the stain
- Servicing the Baffle Filter
● Open the tank and pull up the filters
● Rinse the filters
● Inspect the filter for damage and replace it
- Pumping the Tank
● Make pumping the tank an annual task
● Pump out the waste and dispose of septic waste
So, as you can see, septic tank servicing is a detailed and intricate task that requires a professional approach to ensure that everything is completed correctly. When it comes to emptying your septic tank, you’ll want to call for professional help and use a reliable waste carrier like ourselves. Request a quick quote from Thistle Tanks today and contact us to find out more information from our friendly team or call us directly at 01455230616.