Each Manassas VA septic system needs a working alarm for high-level and sewage release warnings. The difficulty for many system owners is they cannot determine if there is a problem unless the high-level warning sounds much sooner than a waste removal service is needed. This does not happen often, but when it does, each alarm must be dealt with immediately to hopefully prevent a larger problem.
Leaks into or out of the tank are the usual culprits. Severe storms can force rain or floodwater into a septic tank, especially if the access hatch was not properly secured after the last waste removal or other servicing. The alarm can also alert owners if a nearby broken pipe releases water or other liquid and it begins to seep in and fill the tank.
We take any Manassas VA septic system alarm activation here at SES Mid-Atlantic as a warning which can serve to prevent an overfill or force expensive repairs to the septic tank or other parts of the system. At every installation and servicing, our specialists advise owners about potential threats and encourage them to contact us immediately whenever the alarm goes off.
The threat possibilities are also why we recommend each client allow us to create an annual maintenance schedule. We check the alarm for operation after each waste removal service and at least once a year additionally. Even worse than a leak or an overfill is when the alarm does not sound off and a minor problem becomes a major incident.
Most alarms indicate the septic tank is approaching its maximum fill level. It indicates the need for servicing which can put the tank at risk for permanent damage if not handled quickly, and even force untreated sewage back into the home or over a large area around the tank outside. A functioning septic sewer alarm in your Manassas VA home can prevent this and thousands of dollars in repair and cleanup costs.
A system alarm is comprised of two primary components: The float control switch and the sewer ejector pump. Together, these components sound the overfill warning and release partially treated sewage, if needed, into the surrounding area. When working properly, the control switch sounds the alarm quickly enough to schedule waste removal before the ejector is required.
If the septic tank level continues to rise, the float rises also, triggering the alarm for a second time. This starts the ejector and begins releasing the higher levels of partially treated sewage or effluent. After enough of this wastewater has been released, the float lowers to its normal level which stops the pump and switches off the alarm. Every one of these Manassas VA septic system alarm incidents can also help indicate leakage issues where too much water finds its way into the tank, forcing the ejector pump to work past normal parameters.
Too much water is a problem, regardless of the source. Although SES Mid-Atlantic technicians place a minimal amount of water into a septic tank at each installation, this is for county inspectors to perform integrity and leak checks before certifying each one for use. All fluid required to keep the system operational is flushed into the tank under normal, daily operations. There is no reason for an owner or anyone else to add water into the septic system. More does not increase bacterial growth, nor does it help in breaking down solid matter. It only raises the level of wastewater, which triggers the alarm and forces the owner or tank manager to schedule an unexpected removal service.
What a Manassas VA septic system alarm cannot do though is detect odors. Every septic system is a sealed operation, so there should be no odor, even while standing next to the access hatch. If there is a lingering odor more than a few hours after a waste removal, it may indicate that the hatch was not properly secured.
If the access hatch was secured, then the most likely scenario is that there is a pipe leak or the injector pump somehow engaged without the alarm sounding. Damage to the intake or outlet pipes can slowly release wastewater or odors into the surrounding soil, creating the sewage odor without adding any water to the tank or triggering the alarm.
After more than three decades in business, SES Mid-Atlantic has installed septic systems and alarms of every type. Our teams specialize in more than just a few personal homes off a city sewer grid, but large apartment buildings, entire residential areas, and industrial parks as well. Our business is also only one of three septic installation companies licensed as a Responsible Management Entity (RME) under EPA guidelines.
To meet those demands, we maintain an in-house design team to create exactly what each customer needs. In addition to residential and commercial systems, we have also successfully designed and installed septic systems for private hospitals and municipal buildings.
Even when a home or business is tied to a city sewer grid, we can create and install a septic system which fits onto the property, takes it off the city or county sewer system, and replace the oversight with a maintenance schedule that provides the owner with control over their home or business waste needs.
If you need this additional control, or are developing a new building outside an existing sewer grid, contact our offices today to schedule an interview. We can quickly design a septic system for your requirements. Call 866-249-5630 today.