Our Septic Care & Vacuum Services Blog | D & L Environmental Ltd.

The septic system in your home may appear rather simple, but it is a delicate system that requires proper maintenance.

That’s why we wanted to provide this brief article to help you understand how a septic tank works.

The following information will help you learn a great deal about your septic tank in Kelowna, what can go wrong, and when to call for a professional septic tank service.

Septic Tank: The Vital Parts

Although a septic tank is a stand-alone unit, it is a part of your home’s septic system.

The vital components of these systems include your drainage pipe, septic tank and drainage field.

Each one of these parts plays a vital role in keeping the system running. If anything goes wrong with any component of the septic system, you will have a problem on your hands.

Now that you know the essentials of what makes a septic tank system, let’s see how it works.

The Intricate Design of a Septic Tank

To help you understand how a septic tank works, we’ve broken down the process into several steps.

Step 1

The wastewater and sewage from your house go through the main drainage pipe, which is connected to your septic tank.

Step 2

Once the water exits the drainpipe, it ends up in a septic tank. Septic tanks can be made of concrete, fiberglass, or polyethylene. The primary role of the septic tank is to hold the water so that solid particles can settle down while grease and oil remain floating to the top.

The solid particles at the bottom form sludge while oil and grease form scum. The special compartments built in a septic tank prevent sludge and scum from leaving the tank.

Step 3

The captured water between sludge and scum exits the septic tank and ends up in a drainfield.

Step 4

Drainfield consists of several pipes that take the water from the septic tank and pipe it into the ground.

Step 5

The soil works as a final natural filter that breaks down harmful bacteria, viruses, and nutrients in the water.

When You Need Septic Service in Kelowna

As a leading Kelowna septic tank service provider, D & L Environmental is fully equipped to meet your septic system & servicing needs.

While every septic tank should be serviced at least once in a couple of years, the following signs indicate that you need a septic tank service:

• Muddy soil and/or pooling water around your septic tank
• Wastewater backing up into your household
• The grass around drainfield appears spongy and bright green
• You can sense the characteristic odor around the drainfield and septic tank

Hopefully, this information will help you understand how your septic tank works and when to get a septic tank service.

For Okanagan septic cleaning & service, get in touch today. For septic emergencies in Kelowna or the Okanagan call 250-765-0999.

Sewer backup and flooding can become serious problems if left untreated.

Most septic systems are prone to septic backup – or sewer backup – but there are effective prevention measures to help minimize any chances of sewer or water infiltration.

Dangers of a Sewer Backup

A sewer backup can cause severe flooding, which can turn into a veritable nightmare for a homeowner.

Septic system backups can damage everything in its way:

• electrical infrastructure
• furniture
• walls & floors

Unfortunately, this problem has become pretty standard lately since most sewer and septic systems are aging.

With that in mind, here are a few tips on how to prevent sewer backup.

Regular Septic System Maintenance is Vital

Sewer and septic backup is a problem that can quickly escalate.

The best way to prevent it is to maintain your sewer lateral. Maintaining the pipeline between the city’s sewer main and your house will help you avoid any unnecessary risks.

Check your lateral now and then to see if it’s filled with deteriorated or cracked tree roots.

Proper grease disposal

Avoid pouring grease or cooking oil into the drain.

Grease can cause a clog in the main sewer or drain, as it will solidify upon cooling off.

Proper paper disposal

Feminine products, cloth, disposable diapers and paper towels should not be thrown into the drain. These products and materials take a very long time to decompose.

Because of that, they will clog your line, causing a sewer backup that could flood your property, home and everything in it.

In case that you find any paper during your regular checkups, perform a prompt cleanup to minimize the possible damage of a septic backup.

Try Plastic Piping for Your Septic System

You can create a far more effective and secure line by considering plastic piping.

They can withstand a lot of damage and weather conditions while they are resilient to tree roots.

Avoid Illegal Plumbing Connections

Illegal connections can cause silt and debris to clog your pipes.

Always go with standard drainage systems.

Your connection depends on the area where you live.

If it’s illegal to connect other flood control systems, sump pumps or French drains to your sewer, try some other solution.

Consider a Valve for Backwater Prevention

A backwater prevention valve can be directly installed onto your sewer line.

It prevents sewage from going back in.

If installed correctly and regularly maintained, this valve is the line of protection against any sewer backups, flooding problems and so on.

Hire professionals to maintain and clean up your septic system

Preventing sewer problems from escalating is a far better solution than having to come up with a rushed solution.

The best thing to do if you have a sewer backup problem is to hire a reputable and experienced crew, with proper expertise and equipment to remove the spillage and clear out all pipes and drainage.

It’s also recommended to disinfect and flush out plumbing fixtures to ensure the problem doesn’t escalate into something even worse.

For septic & sewer maintenance in Kelowna and around the Okanagan, count on D&L. We providing all the necessary services you need to keep your septic system in order.

Contact us to get your quote today.

A septic tank is a vital part of your home plumbing and sewage system.

Whether it is constructed from concrete or plastic, you will need to make sure that your septic tank efficiently collects the sewage and wastewater from the household. Why? Because septic tanks are not built to hold an infinite amount of sewage and wastewater.

The Okanagan climate might seem to make excavation difficult to perform when the soil is frozen. But hydrovac trucks with warm water make the whole process a lot easier.

If your home or property isn’t on a sewer system, chances are you are using a septic system. Septic systems are essential as they remove all wastewater.

It’s important to make sure that your septic system is in solid working condition to run efficiently without causing backups, overflows or even health issues.

Drilling mud is also known as drilling fluid.

It’s common in the oil and gas industry and is used at numerous sites across BC including the Okanagan. Drilling mud is a viscous and heavy mixture of dirt and fluid, mostly used in gas and oil drilling efforts to cool and lubricate the drill bit that cuts through rocks and turf.

Septic tanks are common in many parts of the Okanagan. Many homes have no connection to a public sewer line.

This alternative is a good option, but it does require certain forms of maintenance. Your septic tank needs to be pumped and cleaned regularly to maintain its capabilities and provide a good sewer alternative.

The name vacuum truck sounds impressive, even a bit sci-fi!

No, it’s not something you use to clean really big carpets in mansions or to capture otherworldly apparitions Ghostbusters style. These vacuum trucks are used for septic cleaning in private residences, hydrovac daylighting and a number of other useful projects.

Winter can be tough on your septic system. Ice, snow, and the lack of proper maintenance throughout the year can cause a number of issues with septic tanks.

When winter strikes in Canada, it’s difficult to find an Okanagan hydrovac truck to perform excavations for you. As you know, Okanagan winters are cold, making underground utility work difficult or sometimes even close to impossible. Even if you are able to clean the layer of snow above the ground, the soil could freeze.