Show your Septic System some love and care & it will take care of you!
This time of the year people are thinking of others-loved ones, family and friends. Well we at A-Norton Septic Contracting think of septic systems. While everyone deserve some nice things on Valentine’s Day we think your septic system does too. No, not flowers, candy or fragrant toilet paper-We are talking love & care. Just like anything or anyone else in your life-your septic system deserves to be treated well. Here is what we recommend for many years of service that your septic has provided you that you can do for your septic:
Gift #1 Pump your septic tank (and pump tank if you have one) Your Septic Tank is a filter that gathers all the wastewater you generate, it needs to be cleaned and checked for proper operation at least every 2-3 years. More so if the system is older and/or water usage is high.
Gift #2 Know the location of you septic system: DO NOT DRIVE vehicles or build deck, patios, landscape over any part of the septic system.
Gift #3 Practice water conservation.Large volumes of water, especially when delivered to the septic system over short periods-flush suspended & untreated particles into the drain field and will form a clogging mat. Wash full loads of clothes or set washing machine water levels for smaller ones. Front loading machines use less water also. Scatter loads throughout the week. AVOID doing multiple back to back loads. Adjust water softeners for minimum amount of regenerating that will still give you acceptable water. If allowed: Have water softener discharge into a drywell-NOT your septic system.
Gift #4 DON’T send bacteria-killing toxins down the drain. These include: Drain cleaners, antibacterial soaps, disinfectants, bleaches-whiteners, discarded prescription medicines and the worse one-paint. Paint clogs up the septic tank and drain field which can result in the malfunctioning of the septic system.
Gift #5 DON’T send anything down the drain that can’t be broken down. It will clog the drain field and septic tank which can cause back-up of sewage into your home. Cooking grease, cigarette butts, paint, coffee grinds and feminine products are some examples. DON’T install a garbage disposal. If you have one already, use it sparingly or disconnect it.
Gift #6 Install an effluent filter onto your existing septic tank. This small option will promote longevity to your septic system by filtering out unecessary debris that would normally be flushed into your septic tank & clog your drain field. Resulting in a malfunctioning of your septic system that can cause a major financial & emotional heachache for you. (picture below shows an effluent filter doing its job-preventing debris, hair, lint, etc from passing thru the septic tank into your drain field or seepage tank)
You may get away with abusing or not cleaning your septic for a significant period of time, but trust us the end result could be expensive and inconvenient. Treat you septic well and it will take care of you when you need it! In the long run it will keep your home, property and environment healthy & working well for many years to come.
Remember it is the most expensive utility in your home-make it last!
Contact us at A-Norton Septic Contracting We know Septic Systems! And we are always glad to help!!
Selling a home? Have a client buying a home? You have been on both sides of the picket fence if you are a realtor. Have you had the following happen to you? Had a great client, lovely home or property involved, looking to close real soon-ONLY to have the deal fall thru due to a Septic System issue? Well you shouldn't have if you called us. In this housing market no-one can afford to lose a sale.
We @ A-Norton Septic Contracting are here to help.
If you are a listing agent-you know that in order to sell a home the experts recommend to FIX IT! Which means: Anything that is not operating, including windows, leaking roofs or appliances should be repaired or replaced. It is cheaper to fix it than to deduct from the sales price. That includes the Septic System (which is the most expensive, most utilized appliance/utility in the home) We can guide you accordingly if you are under contact or better yet consult with us if your client is listing a home with you to have us a do an on-site evaluation of the current Septic System. This simple effort can go a long way to make a deal instead of break one.
By knowing the status of the Septic System before you are under contract-that repair may be able to be made with minimal cost & time as a opposed to having a war with your client, the listing or selling agent & their client, both parties’ lawyers, the mortgage company & the local Health Department, then postponing the closing or losing that sale.
Get it sold! Consult with us!!!
Contact us at A-Norton Septic Contracting We know Septic Systems! And we are always glad to help!!
A septic system resolution? For New Year's?
As we all try to start the New Year with good intentions, ideas, and commitments we should keep in mind that some may last & others may not. Some people have been quoted as saying:
“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right”. ~Oprah Winfrey
“Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true” .~Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850
“People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas” ~Author Unknown
At A-Norton Septic Contracting what we want people not to worry about is their septic system-all year long. Since your most important utility in your home is your Septic System, your everyday living depends on it working correctly. Your showers, toilets, sinks and washing machines are all involved with your septic system. A faulty system can wreck havoc on your lifestyle, environment and home. So keep this in mind when making your resolutions this New Year. Your Septic System should be care for regardless if you made a resolution or not. The US Government Department of Health, Education and Welfare Public Service says, “A septic tank system will serve a home satisfactorily only if it is properly designed, installed and adequately maintained. Even a good system which does not have proper care and attention may become a nuisance and burdensome expense”
So resolve to keep your septic system working well past Jan 2nd.
Regularly!
If you have a pump tank for a mounded system-Pump that too!
And “May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions”. ~Joey Adams
Tis the season to be jolly! Is your septic system ready for the holidays? With winter almost here, the hustle & bustle of the holidays approaching who has time to think of their septic system. Well, we recommend you do. The reasons: We’ll give you twelve good reasons!
1) Have you pumped out your septic tank lately? If the answer is no-we strongly recommend that it be serviced. With holiday entertaining and more water usage this will help alleviate any problems.
2) When there is snow on the ground & your tank needs to be serviced does someone has to dig 1-3 feet to access the tank lid? If you answered yes. Either have your ice pick & shovel ready or save yourself the trouble and backache. Have a access riser installed on the tank lid to bring them just below surface. If you have to have the tanks serviced for routine septic tank maintenance or an emergency they will be easy to access at this time of year or any time of year.
3) Does your tank have an effluent filter? Has it been checked lately? If you answered no then you better get outside & check or have us check for you. An effluent filter traps unwanted debris, hair, lint, etc that may normally clog your drain field-but left unchecked the filter can clog too & act like a dam by not preventing any water flow. This will result in your tank backing up & maybe into your home too. Not a pretty holiday sight!
4) Going away for the holidays? Make sure you have no toilets running in the house. A running toilet can deposit a large volume of water into your septic system which can result in premature failing of your drain field.
5) Having a lot of people over for the holidays? Make sure your guests are “septic educated” by letting them know what to flush & what not to flush. (Contact A-Norton Septic Contracting for our Septic 101 information brochure) Clogging toilets can happen quite quickly which an emergency service visit may be needed to unclog.
6) Holiday baking, cooking, cleaning? Be careful what you wash, rinse or throw down the drain. Food items, cooking grease, too much bleach can cause problems for your septic tank & septic system.
7) Invited all your friends, family, and neighbors over for the festivities? Make sure no one parks on your septic system. Unless you have a heavy duty traffic bearing (must be HD rated) septic tank NO-ONE should be driving or parking on your septic tank. Absolutely NO driving on the disposal area. (the heaviest item that can go over your disposal area is your lawnmower)
8) Selling your home? Make sure your septic system can pass the home inspection. At this time of year-repair and/or replacement can be costly and time consuming due to frozen soil and winter conditions.
9) Buying a home? Make sure you have a Septic Contractor inspection of your future home’s septic system. A home inspector may not have the credentials or experience to check this important home utility. Consult wisely.
10) Leaking drain field or overflowing septic tank? This leaking effluent can cause icing in and around your property. Fix problems now before issues occur. Local Health Department violations can be issued at any time of year.
11) Is your Septic System working part time? Holiday time is not the time to be fussing with your most expensive utility in your home. Make sure all components are working including your effluent pump. With winter approaching make sure this pump is working well and all electrical connection are correct. A non-working pump will not pump sewage out of the pump tank into the your drain field which can result in back-ups into your home and basement. Winter storms bring power outages. Septic Systems that utilize a pump system (mounded septic systems) will not work without any electric. Think about have a generator connection to keep those pumps working so showers, toilets etc can work efficently and drain correctly.
12) Call A-Norton Septic Contracting for all your Septic System needs.
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
A-Norton Septic Contracting wishes everyone a Happy & Healthy Holiday Season now & always! Thank you to all our customers for your loyal patronage throughout the years!!
When a homeowner is in need of any type of home improvement a good contractor is what one wants. Fair with price, completes work as per estimate & plan, and works in a timely matter along with bringing you the agreed final product without headaches & hassles is what we all wish for. Now do we get that with just any contractor? Usually not. That is why it pays to research a contractor. Just don’t pick one based on price. Compare estimates based on apples to apples, not apples to a lemon. Looking into their company, years of expertise, long satisfied referral list, project completion time, knowledge of the product or field they are working in is what make one stand out from another.
Asking around-by checking with neighbors, local authorities and even checking with local supply companies (such as plumbing & building) can help you out. Some web-based consumer sites such as Angies List or Service Magic can lead you to reliable pre-screened contractors. But when the decision needs to be made it is always your decision. So make a good one. People learn from mistakes is the old saying-but try to avoid the costly mistakes if you can. A lot of contractors can talk the talk but can’t produce in the end. When it comes to installing & repairing Septic Systems there is a lot of confusion & “hidden agendas” with some local contractors. Your Septic System is your most expensive utility in your home. Leaving it to the “cheapest” contractor can do more harm than good. Some contractors only "excavate" for Septic Systems. They don’t even service them. So if you had a problem-lots of luck trying to get them to handle the issue let alone have them call you back. Once the job is done so are they. Or the contractor that doesn’t have the resources to complete the entire job. They use other contractors to sub contract the work out. So you are getting a few contractors involved in your project instead of one full service company. The contractor offering “will beat any estimate” will mostly likely be shortchanging you & the project (by compromising material, labor, end result) than themselves. Or the best is the bait & switch contractor. They offer a low price to get you hooked & then start the job only to state that “more materials are need as required by the local health department” which then requires more money that what was originally estimated for. (if this is the case with a job of yours-best to consult with the local health department to verify this information is correct before handing over any money to that contractor) Read all the fine print in an estimate. This can make or break your budget by hiring a contractor that won't do the final grading (as required by most health departments) or fix your sprinkler system or restore your lawn (resulting in you having to hire another contractor for additional costs that you pay for) The saying goes “Quality workmanship & materials costs money, poor workmanship and materials cost more money” The following list should be a guide line to finding that "good contractor"..........
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Experience Make sure they have it! A long list of referrals will let you know.
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Trust Licensed & Insured is a must! Ask the local health departments.
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Dependability Make sure the job is finished promptly! and most of all-correctly!
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Quality This is a big factor in having a long lasting septic system!
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Service Get referrals-Ask around! Are they a full service company?
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Communication Is key! Do they call you back? Explain & guide you?
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Price Find the best overall "value" not the cheapest price!
Try to avoid the following scenarios that may occur if you don't choose well!
Front yard left a rutty mess! Now have to pay someone else to fix it!
Left this mess for the homeowner to clean up! You get what you pay for!
Digging for septic gold? No-this is just how they left their excavation-This is where experience is lacking! Note the safety fencing.
Job well done? Other contractor's final grading!
Contact us at A-Norton Septic Contracting We know Septic Systems! And we are always glad to help!!
Is your septic system scary? Is your septic system showing you its ugly dark side?
Lush green grass, black oozy liquid, horrible smells, slow-moving toilets & drains??? If so-You may have the Septic System Failing “Monster”. If you are experiencing one or all of these situations you may have a problem. Various conditions can wreck havoc on your septic system. It is important to address any issues you may be having before it becomes a major headache. With winter soon approaching in NJ you don’t want to have any Septic System issues when there is snow or bad weather conditions that can prevent you from making any needed repairs or remediation. Your Septic System is your most utilized & costly appliance in your home. Just like you winterize your sprinkler system or your pool-Your septic system can use some seasonal care too. Preventative maintenance will keep your Septic System functioning properly. Consult with us at A-Norton Septic Contracting. We'll take the scary part out of your septic system care and/or repair.
Treat your Septic System Well!!!!!!! or it will get ugly on you!!!!!!!
Well since the passing of Hurricane Irene in NJ this month and now a rain shower at least a few days a week with no sun in sight to help dry us out-How does that effect your septic system? When we have this much rain fall along with a record amount of rain for August our ground is completely saturated. Even more so with areas that have a high water table to begin with. So again what does that mean for septic systems? An individual subsurface sewage disposal system aka: septic system-consists of a septic tank followed by a disposal area or drain field, seepage pit, cesspool. Wastewater exists the septic tank and is discharged into the disposal area for further treatment by the soil. If the disposal area is overloaded with too much liquid it will flood, causing sewage to flow to the ground surface creating break-outs, backups in plumbing fixtures and preventing treatment of wastewater. So what does that mean? During times of heavy rainfall-use water sparingly & efficently!
- Space out your loads of laundry or bring your laundry to the local laundry mat. Try the local hamilton washery
- Keep your sprinklers off or best choice is re-route your sprinklers around your septic system not on top of the disposal area.
- Minimize water usage throught the home.
- Fix or replace leaking toilets.
- Keep roof drains, basement sump pump drains and other rainwater or surface drainage system away from your drain field.
- Pump out your septic tank. Preventative maintenance is key to an long lasting septic system.
- When there are power outages-remember those that have a mounded or pump-type septic system will not have the power to pump the effluent out of the septic tank into the disposal area. This may result in a backup into your home. Remember: No power, no pump. Your septic's effluent pump will not work without power. Have a generator ready. Be prepared!
- Your Septic System is suppose to work 24/7. In times of bad weather & loss of power-Take care of your septic, so it can take care of you.
