The alarm of your septic control unit is buzzing, and the warning light is flashing. Your Hiblow aerator has suddenly stopped working.
Before you purchase a replacement, you should consider rebuilding your existing Hiblow aerator using a repair kit.
Hiblow septic air pumps typically stop working when one of the diaphragms tear.
The air pump is designed with a safety screw that breaks when the magnet travels too far due to the diaphragm rupturing to prevent further damage to the aerator. 

This Tutorial

This tutorial will provide a step-by-step process of rebuilding a Hiblow aerator using a rebuild kit.
In this demonstration, we will be using the Hiblow HP-60/80 rebuild kit. However, the process is the same for any model of Hiblow aerator.
This process is also the same for other linear diaphragm pumps due to them having similar design layouts and working methods.  

Step 1: Gather Tools and Materials 

You will need these items below to rebuild your aerator.
A chart is provided below to match up your Hiblow model number with the proper repair kit in our store.

What you will need:

• The damaged aerator
• Phillips screwdriver
• 5/16 or 8mm socket wrench
  7mm for the diaphragm nut/washer
• A repair kit for your aerator

Your repair kit should have the following replacement parts:

• 2 blocks
• 2 diaphragms
• Dust filter
• Nuts and washers for the diaphragm
• Replacement safety screw

Below is a chart to help you find a repair kit for your aerator:

Step 2: Remove corner bolts

Locate and remove the four bolts on each corner of the aerator using the 8mm wrench or the Philips screwdriver.
This will usually be easier using the wrench because the insides of the screws may be rusted or have dirt in them.
Using the screwdriver may run the risk of stripping the screw.
Don’t panic if this happens; you can still use a socket wrench to remove the bolts.

Step 3: Remove the top cover

Remove the green cover form the base of the aerator.
This reveals the insides of the aerator.
You might have to tap lightly on the edges with a hammer or mallet to loosen the cover.

Step 4: Remove the Fire-Resistant sound-insulating Shroud

Remove the rectangular sound-insulating shroud that is wrapped around the unit.
This will be tightly fit around the aerator.

Step 5: Remove chamber block screws

Locate the two-chamber blocks on the ends of the aerator.

 Use the Philips screwdriver to remove 8 total screws from both chamber blocks.

Step 6: Remove Chamber Blocks

Once the screws are removed, remove the chamber blocks to expose the diaphragms.
To do this, you will need to detach them from the rubber air tubes.
Be sure to detach the chamber blocks from the tubes after the blocks are unscrewed. 
Twist the chamber blocks back and forth to accomplish this, do not pry at the rubber air tubes, as you run the risk of tearing the rubber.

Step 7: Remove Nuts and Washers

Use the 7mm wrench to remove a nut and washer located in the center of each diaphragm.

Here is the second diaphragm below.

Step 8: Remove Diaphragms

Remove the old diaphragms.
You will have to remove both diaphragms before inspecting the magnet in the next step.

Step 9: Check Magnetic Rod Block

Remove and inspect the magnet in between where the two diaphragms were.

You should be looking for any cracks in the housing, or if the threads that were attached to the diaphragms are broken. These issues may happen if the safety screw does not function properly.

If your magnet is damaged, you should purchase a replacement magnet before continuing the rebuild. 
If you don’t spot any issues, replace the old magnet back into the aerator.
If your aerator has a lot of red dust inside, It is advisable to replace aerator due to the fact the coils are breaking, which is a sign your aerator doesn’t have much more life left.

Step 10: Replace Diaphragms

Put the new diaphragms on where the old ones used to be. Replace both diaphragms before replacing the chamber blocks.
Secure the new diaphragms using the replacement nuts and washers from the kit. 
You will have to push into one of the diaphragms after replacing the first one so that the threads on the magnet stick out to replace the second diaphragm, as pictured below. 

Pushing on one side of the diaphragm.

Step 11: Replace Chamber Blocks

Place the replacement chamber blocks onto the diaphragms. 
Screw-in the chamber blocks using the 8 screws that were removed in step 5. 
Be sure to secure the air tubes to the chamber blocks using the metal sealing clamps. The sealing clamps should be pointed upwards so that the shroud will fit back on correctly. 

 Step 12: Replace Safety Screw

Locate the broken safety screw on top of the aerator

Insert the replacement safety screw through the two copper connectors. Make sure that the screw head is inserted on the other side of the copper connectors so that the white nylon nut can be threaded on correctly. 

Once the screw is in place, take the white nylon nut to the end of the screw and tighten until the copper connectors are closed. 

There is a space between the threads of the screw where it is smooth. The nylon nut only needs to be placed up to here.

Step 13: Replace Shroud

Replace the rectangular shroud that was removed in step 4.
Remember that the sealing pins on the air tubes need to be facing up for you to adequately replace the shroud. 

Step 14: Replace Cover

Replace the aerator cover and corner bolts 

Step 15: Replace Air Filter

Use the Phillips head screwdriver to remove the top of the cover

Replace the old filter with the replacement from the kit 

Screw the top of the aerator back on

You’re now finished

You have successfully rebuilt your Hiblow Aerator. 

The post How to Rebuild and Repair a Hiblow Septic Aerator appeared first on Aerobic Septic System.

There’s no way around it, installing a new septic system is expensive. It’s especially painful if you find that you need to install a new system while in the process of selling your house. Unfortunately, there’s not a generic answer to how much a septic system will cost either. The only sure way to find out is to get a number of competing quotes.

Septic systems will vary in price depending on a few different factors such as material costs, the company you hire to install the system, the area in which you live, and the type of septic system you have installed. In general, gravity-powered conventional septic systems are the least expensive. In some parts of the United States, you can get such a system installed for $2,500 - $5,000. On the other hand, in some parts of New York, people often pay $15,000 or more.

Concrete septic tanks are generally cheaper to buy, yet more expensive to move than any high density polyethylene tanks. Fiberglass tanks are also very well made now. 20 years ago, fiberglass tanks were terrible. New ones are great and very thick.

Polyethylene tanks, in our opinion, are junk. They collapse, float out of the ground, and ribbed ones are hard to clean out. The manufacturers say they don’t do this when properly installed, and that’s true, but the majority of people installing these don’t do it right. I’ve cleaned and repaired thousands of systems and these are the worst. If not strapped down properly when cleaned out, they will float out of the ground. I’ve seen it multiple times. When back filling on installations, many times the tank walls will collapse inward and be pushed in from ground pressure. Just avoid these tanks at all cost, you’ll regret it later. Usually about 8-10 years down the road.

Aerobic Septic Systems

Aerobic tank systems cost more than traditional septic, as they require more complicated electrical pumps and alarms. In Louisiana and Mississippi costs are around $3,500-3,900. They have no control panel in these states. Sometimes the state draws up the plans or does the design work and sizes in the septic system. It’s different than Texas, where a licensed sanitarian or engineer does the drawing and submits it to the county for approval. North Texas systems cost $5,000-$8,000, and southern Texas $6,000 - $8,000 for a standard home. Some parts of some states have rock down below the surface. If the installer his rock, pricing may vary. In Illinois, for example, prices can reach $15,000.

Older homes will cost more to install for as well. On new homes, the plumbing usually runs to the middle of the house and then out one outlet. This makes it easy to hook up the septic system and thus reduces cost. Older homes will have multiple exit points and the grade and depth of the system is determined by that. Multiple grades need to be shot and multiple ditches hand dug out with a shovel. This cannot be done properly with a tractor alone and great care must be taken that the pipe has the right fall elevation when installed or you will have issues later. Look to pay between $1500-4500 more if extensive hand digging need be done.

Permit Costs

A quick call to your city office, county office, or county engineering department should provide you with the costs of any permits you will need. Expect a county with a major metropolitan area to be slightly more expensive with more documentation associated with the application and inspection process.

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For septic systems owners, proper maintenance can mean the difference between a long-lasting, trouble-free system and one that ultimately racks up thousands of dollars’ worth of problems.

Many private companies offer a solution: using low-cost septic additives on a regular basis reduces the need for costly pumping.

So what’s the truth? Does it work?

It is all Garbage. 

Yes, Garbage. 

There is no scientific, engineering, academic, or government source we’ve talked to that recommends the use of septic system additives. I personally know a partner at the most respected water and wastewater engineering firm in the world. They have designed some of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the world and they basically invented wastewater treatment as we know it today. These are the people who design massive engineering feats; 500-600 million gallons per day(gdp) treatment plants with pumps bigger than your house. He says we’ve been experiencing one of the greatest marketing scams ever.

Here is why bacteria additives are junk and a scam.

-Most of these products recommend treatment every 30 days.

The bacteria don’t live for 30 days. They may produce more of eachother but don’t love that long

-The system always has the balance of bacteria it needs.

As waste comes in, the bacteria propagate and become more abundant. When less waste or food is supplied, the bacteria begin to eat each other. That’s right, they are cannibalistic. That’s how the balance is kept in the system. Adding more bacteria to the system will only be giving food to your existing bacteria

-Additive vendors are hypocritical

When reading the many disclaimers and “lawyer speak”, you will find that they, themselves, say the very same thing. A popular additive on tv says all those things within their fine print. They go on to disclose, at the bottom, “With regular cleaning and pumping”. No indication is given as to how often that may be.

-Inconclusive Proof

A well-known company that runs ads on tv claims that “tests we ran, conducted by a university, showed less sludge.” This is inconclusive as no test parameters are indicated. i.e.: a vacuum or pump service could have been performed periodically during the test, which may or may not be reflective of the average consumer conditions. In that type of dest, dirty could be used and incur the same or similar results

Individual experience and expert advice all concur that there is more data to indicate that these products do not work than that data that they do

Septic Additives 101

In homes with septic systems, when the toilet flushes or the washing machines runs, wastewater leaves the home and collects in a septic tank. There, the natural bacteria in the waste break down most of the solid material into a liquid or gas. Heavy solids, bits of plastic, or other material that can’t break down drop to the bottom of the tank and form the sludge layer. Lighter substances such a grease or oil float to the top, creating a scum layer. From there, the relatively clear liquid in the middle of the tank, called effluent, flows to the aerobic chamber for further treatment over 24 hours. It then flows into the pump tank where it’s pumped out into a drip or a spray, or just gravity fed into the drainfield that surrounds the tank, It’s a relatively simple and natural process.

Septic tank additives (also called septic tank treatments, cleaners, restorers, rejuvenators, or enhancers) fall into two categories; chemical or biological. Chemical additives are marketed to open up clogged drains and to break up grease and oil. They include active ingredients such as sulfuric acid. These can be highly corrosive and cause structural damage to your septic tank and kill the bacteria.

Biological additives are made from bacteria, yeast, and/or enzymes. They are said to work as starter agents in new systems. This is news to us, as we’ve installed over 3,000 aerobic systems without ever using an additive or ever needing one. The companies also say it gives an increase in the efficiency of breaking down the solids in existing systems. Again, and I have personally inspected over 4,000 systems in my time in the industry, I have never seen this to be true. Biological additives are often sold as routine maintenance to be flushed down the toilet on a monthly or weekly basis to assure the septic system’s “balance.” We find this untrue and, at this point, comical. The system has an innate balance to it without any additives.

Most chemical additives, which clearly harm septic systems and the environment, are no longer marketed. Biological additives are mostly benign, but still unnecessary. They’re just concoctions with some bacteria in them being sold as a solution to a bigger underlying issue.

What’s The Hype?

The biggest issue is that people simply don’t know how the process works and get bad information on the systems themselves. The process is a natural biological process that does not need anything to help do its job.

Of particular concern is the claim that some products reduce or eliminate the need to pump the septic system on a regular basis. This is a major issue that,  as a septic company,  we face every day. Some of it is the homeowners’ fault and they simply will not listen even if they’ve been told by ten different people. They’ll swear up and down “it’s fine, it’s never been pumped in 20 years it’s supposed to be like that.” When they do start having issues it’s often too late; the field lines are shot, the tank is literally a solid mess that takes hours to pump. Then they have regular issues with the system and are repeatedly calling us asking why they’re having issues. Pumping solids out of the tank is a vital part of septic system maintenance. Encouraging homeowner to not pump their tanks will have costly and disastrous effects on their systems down the road. Some brown powder is not the answer.

If wastewater is entering a septic tank, solids will be present. Period. End of story. The job of the trash tank is to keep as many of the solids in the tank(retention and settling) and to not let them move on to the next treatment process. This is often an aerobic treatment tank, a drainfield, or a pump tank. If a product claims the reduction or elimination of the need to pump it’s a flat-out lie. I would ask where then do the solids go if they’re no longer in the tank? “The bacteria ate them” okay, well the bacteria have waste also. Mass simply does not vanish. It can be broken down and filtered etc. But this happens naturally in a tank and does not require any magic powder you’ve poured down the toilet. For the cost of this powder, you can pump your system more often than is necessary and ensure the longevity of your septic tank.

What The Government Says

The state of Washington does not allow additive manufacturers to use the word “approved” for marketing purposes, but product materials may say “complying with Washington laws regarding harm to public health and water quality.” Other states may have similar or differing regulations and consulting your local authority is recommended.

What The Research Says

A lot of research is needed in this area but has already been done by most of the big engineering firms. If there were a better or faster way to treat waste they’d already be doing it. Not only is this of interest to practicing professionals in the on-site wastewater field, but also to many homeowners that waste a lot of money on these products.

In 1997, Dr. Hoover directed what has been called a “landmark” study by then-graduate-student Gregory H Clark. Using 48 septic systems in two mobile home parks, Clark set up three groups of tanks to receive additives and one to act as a control. The tanks were divided into groups that had been well-maintained(recently pumped), poorly maintained (rarely or never pumped in 15-20 years of use), and those that fell in the middle. The primary researcher collecting and analyzing the samples from the tanks did not know which tanks had been treated, and the study received no funding and had no involvement from the septic additive companies. The three products tested were from Drano, Liquid Plumber, and Rid-X.

Various measurements, such as the depth of the sludge(solids), the thickness of the scum, the number of floating solids, and the total amount of bacteria present in the tank were collected over the period of a year. The study concluded that “the additives tested did not provide any substantial or long-term statistically significant benefits compared to the control” for the items that they measure and in the conditions of this study. The authors also called for continued research under borders circumstances before “definitive conclusions” could be drawn. This study is published in the January 2008 Journey of Environmental Health

A second unpublished field study of bacterial additives done by the National Association of Wastewater Transports, Inc (NAWT) followed 12 septic tanks for two years. They similarly concluded there was no change in the sludge accumulation at the bottom of the tank or in the number of floating solids. They did find a 30% reduction in the floating scum layer; a statistically significant finding. However, they also found an increase in fats, oils, and grease in the septic system outflow to the drainfield, which could cause other problems. The NAWT concluded that the additive seemed to have no detrimental effect on the septic systems, but does not hold an “opinion, positive or negative, as to the use of bacterial additives in the septic tanks.”

CONCLUSION

Our conclusion is this: you have been duped and it’s a sad thing because they have built an entire industry on these additives. Some of these ideas come from the chemical plants there additives work in the chemical process and they add certain bugs to things. These are not the same bugs or additives, this is not a chemical process but a biological one, and one that needs no help to happen. Save your money for a pump out. The cost of additives for one year is about the same as a complete pump out in most areas so it’s cheaper to do it right. Get your tank pumped!

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Condoms are other things that don't biodegrade. They stay in the system and wrap around pumps; burning them up. They get on diffusers and cause back pressure on aerators. They never go away. They also make for awkward conversations with the customer as we must tell them what we found in the tank because they are not suitable for the system. So, if they have a daughter and dad's there you can see the "I’m going to kill someone look" come on pretty fast. Plenty of times we have told the husband hey we found condoms in the septic system and they are not good and got back "We don’t use condoms” so that’s always uncomfortable. Extra discomfort because we haven’t gotten paid yet and then ask for the money for the job.

When I pull up to a job I always ask "how long has it been since you had a clean out?". For my worst job ever, the man said about a year and a half, so I think okay you probably don’t need a cleanout maybe just snake a line. He said the toilets are not flushing and it's backed up. So, we prep everything, open the access closest to the house and tank, and my guy says we have a problem. He sticks the stir stick in and can’t break through to stir the tank pads. There is no way to tell how many are in the tank due to how they tangle up and the weight of them. You have to guess. Our guy has been with us 20 years and he has seen it all. He does tons of cleanouts; he said it's bad and it was. The guy's daughter, who did this before because it happened the last time, also just didn’t want to listen and flushed pads down like it was the thing to do. It took us 4 hours to do one tank and cost the guy 850 dollars for that one tank. That one 500-gallon tank took 2000 gallons of water. That was the first time our guy said it's too bad and wanted to walk away. I told him we had to finish. He had never said that before and hasn't since.

It costs city sewer a considerable amount every year to deal with these products and they pass that cost along. From 2005-2017, the cost for city sewer services has gone up 200 percent; mostly due to these products. A city sewer has massive equipment that not much can get in the way of, but in the pipes coming to the plants is where most of the issues happen. So, thirty to forty dollar increases in people’s bills happen every month. You will never get that back even if everyone stopped using wipes, the government never goes down on fees. If you are okay with an increase every four-five years, then keep doing it. If not, then please stop flushing these products.

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#1 Don't

Don't get frantic when you hear the septic alarm. Systems should be designed with free board or extra room so you can still use the bathroom or do dishes. Hold off on laundry as it uses a lot of water. The alarm panel should have two lights; amber and red. We’ll cover what they each mean later in the article. If you are not comfortable reading through and finding an answer in here, call a licensed septic company when your alarm sounds or the light turns on and reduce non-essential water usage.

#2 Do

Do hire a septic company that is competent. People in the business for a long time generally know what they are doing. Picking someone just because they’re cheap is generally not the best call, you do get what you pay for. Some people say to use proprietary parts… that's a joke. No company manufactures parts; we know what parts are what. Most pumps are Franklin or Sta-rite and most aerators are Hiblow or Gast.  Unless you’ve got a Norweco or Jet. Then I feel bad for you.

#3 Don't

Don't ignore the alarm. It went off for a reason and the longer you wait, the more costly it will become.

#4 Do

Do look at your chlorinator to make sure it has chlorine for final disinfection. If your system smells, it's not because of chlorine or lack thereof, it's something else.

#5 Don't

Don't shut the system off then forget. It doesn’t take that much power, so just leave it running. If you do decide to shut the system off so you don’t get sprayed while mowing or doing yardwork, don’t forget to turn it back on.

#6 Do

Do check around your aerator for ants, they love to ruin your system. If you have a Clearstream and it was put above the ground because the installer was lazy, you will need to check this more often as the ants can easily access the aerator and control panel. If your service provider or person who maintains your system installed the system and put the panel on the ground, fire them and find someone with common sense. Sorry, I have no mercy on this. The lazy design and lack of forward-thinking costs customers a lot of money.

#7 Don't

Don't put chlorine tablet buckets in enclosed areas. Chlorine is corrosive and eats everything. Also, be sure to keep it away from fire, it’s highly dangerous near a fire. Store chlorine in a ventilated and dry area.

#8 Do

Do use ant killer to kill ants if they start mounding by any part of the system.

#9 Don't

Don't use swimming pool chlorine tablets for tablet chlorinators. Only use calcium hypochlorite tablets that are designed for treating wastewater.

#10 Do

Do make sure all parts of the system are easily accessible at all times (do not build over any part, use landscaping that could grow over, etc).

#11 Don't

Don't fall for statements like: "If you don’t use a licensed person, it’s illegal and the poop police will get you" or "It will void your warranty if we don't install it" The only things that void a warranty should be in your actual contract. Besides those, a two-year warranty lasts for two years period. If a maintenance provider says "I am turning you into the authorities get another one" why would you want to hire someone who just threatened you find someone new? A lot of states and counties make it mandatory you have a contract, but don't police the contractors. There are honest ones out there, but there are a lot of shady ones also because the states won't pull licenses. Stand your ground and find someone new.

#12 Do

Do have your system pumped if your maintenance provider says it needs to be done and he is honest. Too many times we hear that a provider noted that no sludge was in the system but then the next month it's suddenly full. That is impossible and I would be highly suspect of their motives if they said this. Get a second opinion, there are a lot of people out there that take advantage of people.

#13 Don't

Don't put just anything down the drain or toilet. Whatever is put down those will go into the septic system and have to be treated. Be mindful of this. Aerobic systems are designed to treat domestic wastewater but that's it. We’ve written an article on it here

#14 Do

Do space your laundry out if you have a large family. Don't do ten loads in one day or you will overload the system. Space them out. Planning a load in the morning and a load at night is better than 10 in one day. Will this be a disaster if you do it once every three months? No, it won’t, but don't make this a practice. It's not good for any septic system, especially an aerobic septic system.

#15 Don't

Don't put a garden around your system, making it hard to get to. People have emergencies then need things pumped and fixed fast. Some homeowners go as far as to say "don't damage the plants." Your house has sewage in it and you're worried about the plants? A septic system is about function not form. It doesn't need to be ugly, but plants and trees should not be planted next to it. Plants and trees need water and the aerobic septic system is full of nutrient-rich water. As soon as they find it, the roots go crazy and cause damage that costs a lot of money. Do not plant vegetable gardens in or near the field lines or spray areas. Dangerous bacteria are in the system and you can get very sick from eating vegetables from areas like this. They will look fantastic because of the water but don’t eat them.

#16 Don't

Don't treat the system as a city wastewater treatment plant. Using water when needed and not wasting it helps prevent hydraulically overloading the system. Don’t let leaky faucets and toilets go unfixed. You may not think it’s a lot of water, but in 24 hours they average 100-150 gallons of water use. It's just unnecessary usage of your effluent pump.

And that concludes our 16 Aerobic Septic System Do's & Don'ts. We hope this list will help you manage your aerobic septic system more effectively. With just a little bit of care and attention, you can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on maintenance and pumping costs. This kind of education is what we’re all about!

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“But I have an aerobic system; I don’t need to pump it”

Many of you have been fed this line by installers desperate for work. A lot of customers will agree to an installation under the impression that they won’t need to clean it. You’ve been lied to and should no longer do work with that installer. He is either just lying to you for the fun of it, or is not confident enough in his work to sell you on what’s actually going on.

I hear people talk all the time about how they haven’t cleaned out their tank in 20 years and it works fine blah blah. I guarantee you most of these people are going to have issues that can’t be fixed down the road. I have definitely been to homes where the system is pretty clean and didn’t need us to do any work, but that’s really infrequent. One such customer is an airline pilot and is only home for 2 days out of the week. Needless to say, his septic system doesn’t experience daily use. For everyone that has a family and uses their system daily, you should really get your system pumped regularly.

In a conventional system, the bacteria don’t break waste down as quickly as in an aerobic system. The bacteria are slower and less aggressive. All systems are different and different regions have different tank sized. In our area, 500 gallon tanks are the standard size. In other states, it may be as much as 1000 or 1500 gallons. Here’s a handy graph to show you how often you need to pump based on members of the household vs tank size. It’s always better to pump more often than less often though. Waiting too long can actually just ruin your field lines and require a replacement. Playing it safe can save you a lot of money.

Zones in a Septic System

There are three zones in a septic system trash tank and conventional system. They all tell you what is happening in the system and when it should be pumped. Most of the time we will address this.

The first layer is the scum layer where paper, food, and grease settle. This layer is visible, stiff, and stable compared to other layers. Sometimes this layer is not present, though, and can lead people to thinking that everything is fine. This happens when too much water is used or there isn’t much of the aforementioned waste in the tank. A good rule of thumb for aerobic septic systems and conventional septic systems is that when this tank has a scum layer that you can stick a shovel in and not break through to water with the head of the shovel, the system needs to be pumped out. When you pipes are clogged and won’t drain a lot of times it’s due to the scum layer being so thick that it blocks the inlet baffle on the top.

The second layer Is the clear zone where most of the particles and solids have either settled to the bottom or the top. The water in this area is pretty clear and free of solids. This is the area where the baffles take in water and why having them on is so important. The graphic below shows a good example of what it looks like if you did a side view and could see what it looks like. The picture below it is a tank that needs to be pumped. The bottom one there is probably damage to the field lines.

This is why baffles are so necessary; they don’t allow scum to enter the field lines. If there is no baffle, nothing is stopping the solids from just running into the field lines and plugging up the holes water discharges through.

Why Waiting Will Cost You In The Long Run

Your system gets rid of water through pipes or chambers that have small holes in them. These tiny holes are where the water drains out before being absorbed through the ground where most of the treatment happens. If you wait too long, like in the pictures, solids will enter the field lines. Grease takes an enormous amount of time to break down, and if it gets into the field lines there is a good chance you’ll need to have them redone. You may also need to flat out install a new system. Both projects will be very expensive to do. 3,000 to 10,000, maybe even more. The bottom layer is also a concern. It can get thick enough that water may not be able to leave the system. When we pull up and look at a tank that has no scum layer, yet is full, the scum layer probably went into the field lines because the water level rose too high. This is pretty dangerous because when the sludge layer makes it out of the tank, homeowners may look in a tank and see it as clear and not needing cleaning.

On an aerobic septic system, it is imperative to do a good cleanout. In states that use pumps to discharge water through sprinklers, the pumps are designed for water wells. This means the water needs to be clean to operate at optimal pressure and get the 10-15 year life expectancy you deserve. This is even more essential for systems with drain fields because you really don’t want solids going into your chambers. Unfortunately, some states(Ohio and Illinois come to mind) don’t require a trash tank to be installed on all aerobic septic systems. This increases how many clean outs you need and how frequently you’ll need to do it. We believe this is simply short-sightedness on the part of installers and legislators. This results in your one-tank systems needing pumping every couple of years; entirely too often, in our opinion.

This effluent pump(pictured below) is from a family of five that went 8 years without cleaning their tank. As you can see, the pump screen that takes in water is covered with sludge. The float needing replacement 6 months later, but the pump still works to this day, 10 years in the tank.

It is vital to take out and clean high head effluent pumps like this. Many pumpers will charge extra for this service. Be sure to ask and clarify what all you’re paying for. It’s easy to clean the screens on the pumps. They simply snap off and can be washed with a water hose before popping back on.

Whoever is pumping your tank should use the built-in pressure washers to clean the tank. Simply sticking the hose in the tank and letting it suck out the water and some sludge is not enough. It should only take about 15-25 minutes to completely clean it once the water level is down.

Most people wait too long to get a septic pump/clean out and it has a negative effect on the components of the septic system. When you want this done, you want a reputable company to do it and you want to be there when they do. We have been to many jobs where nothing was done and the customer paid, thinking the system was pumped out. We will go over scam pumpers in another article.

We’re working on a list of reputable pumpers by state. They are not the cheapest, but we know they do a good job and you always get what you pay for. These are the pumpers you can hire without needing to be home to watch. All we want is the proper job to be done.

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