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FAQ’s

Overview – What is a septic system.

If your property is not connected to town sewage for disposal of liquid waste, you will have either a septic tank/grease trap and sullage tank (older properties), or a septic treatment system (newer properties).

 

What’s the difference?

Older houses may have one, two or three septic tanks, depending on the number of bathrooms, a grease trap (usually outside the kitchen window) and a sullage or ‘grey water’ tank.

All the waste from the toilets will go firstly into the septic tank and then to the absorbtion trenches.  Kitchen sink and laundry drains will go firstly to the grease trap and then to the sullage tank.  From there the waste or ‘grey’ water will be pumped out onto your garden or paddock.

Newer properties are more likely to have a much larger ‘all in one’  liquid waste treatment system.  These come in many different forms and are often known by their brand names such as Bio-Cycle, Sep-Tech,  Aqua Nova,  Aussie Clean, Super-Treat etc. These systems collect all the liquid waste from the house and pass it through a four stage aerated filtration process to break down the solids as much as possible and then allow the remaining grey water to soak away via absorption trenches, sand beds or aerobic treatment systems.

 

How often should I pump my system out?

We recommend the following:

Grease Traps – Annually

Grey Water/Sullage tanks – Annually

Septic Tanks – depending on size and number of people in the house every 3 to 5 years.

 

Why should I get my grease and sullage tanks cleaned annually?

A grease trap is just that.  It traps the grease from your kitchen sink, dishwasher and washing machine, preventing it from entering your sullage tank.  Over time this builds up into a solid mass, blocking the trap and preventing it from working properly.  This results in two main problems:

  • firstly your sink will not empty,
  • secondly your sullage water will smell bad and your sullage pump may stop working.

An annual pump out and clean will prevent these issues.

The waste water in your sullage tank contains the sediment not captured by the grease trap.  Over time this will build up and eventually block the sullage pump – often the blocked pump may need to be replaced if left too long.  An annual pump out and clean removes the silt prolonging the life of your pump.

 

How do I know if my system needs attention?

If any of the following sounds familiar –

  • Slow draining sinks,
  • Smelly drains,
  • Toilet flushing slowly,
  • Leaching or flooding in your septic tank or holding tank,
  • Or you simply have no idea when it was last done.

Then a service call is recommended.  We will attend and advise on what needs doing .

 

What attention does my waste treatment system need?

All waste treatment systems should receive quarterly maintenance from a licenced technician.

We are happy to work with your preferred technician to provide pump out services when required, normally every 5-7 years.  Your technician will tell you when a pump out is required.

 

Do you charge for quotes and inspections?

No – most of the time we can identify your system over the phone and quote accordingly.  However, if you are unsure of your system we offer free, on site no-obligation quotes and inspections.

 

Are there any hidden extras?

No – once a quote is provided it is firm for the agreed task.  Should we identify anything else needing attention we will always discuss this with the customer before commencing any additional work.

 

What happens when it rains?

Normally rain will not affect a service call, unless it’s torrential or we need to access your tanks across unsealed or grass areas.  In this case it’s better to wait a day or two for the ground to dry out before we complete the service.   Thunderstorms and lightning are a different matter and work will be rescheduled around these.

 

Is there a cancellation charge?

No – we do not charge for cancellations or postponements, weather related or otherwise.