Category: Uncategorized

Washington Septic Tank Failures: What You Need to Know

January 15, 2016

While most homes in the state of Washington are connected to public sewage lines, there are still a large percentage of homes who rely on septic tanks to handle their homes raw sewage. Septic systems are small underground tanks that provide basic treatment at a relatively low cost to areas without sewers. Properly maintained septic systems operate well but when they’re neglected they are a threat that can cause damage to the local public’s health and ecosystem. Most septic systems are installed across rural counties where resources are scarce. Homeowners end up ignoring their septic system and relying on the...

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Hydro jet into the New Year

January 7, 2016

If your pipes seem to take too long to drain or if you’re spending way too much time pouring caustic chemicals down your drains to no avail, hydro jetting your plumbing lines may be the best gift you give yourself this year. What Is Hydro Jetting? Hydro jetting is a blast… for your pipes and plumbing. Traditionally used in commercial services, like restaurants to clear sewage and drainage lines of grease and food buildups, FloHawks and other plumbing and septic companies now suggest hydro jetting for residential drain and sewage line cleaning for homeowners on municipal sewer systems and also...

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Clogged Toilets Fact vs. Fiction: The Best Way to Unclog a Toilet

December 8, 2015

With all the holidays, family and friends may be gathering at your home to enjoy the season together and to feast on way too much food – which can quickly lead to a clogged toilet situation. While a simple clogged toilet doesn’t necessarily require the services of a plumber to solve the problem, some clogs indicating a drainpipe breach or a septic system failure. While FloHawks Plumbing and Septic professionals, will be happy to come out on a holiday, at no extra charge to you, we’d like to let you in on a few tried and true ways you can...

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What Happens in the Drain Field from Waste to Wastewater?

December 2, 2015

Since they are stable and inexpensive, subsurface soil absorption fields (also called drain fields or leach fields) usually are considered to be the best method for treating and dispersing effluent from septic tanks and other on-site wastewater treatment systems. The basic function of a drain field is to deal with the septic tank effluent by allowing it to percolate into the ground. What Is A Drain Field? A drain field is a wastewater disposal system. Well-designed and maintained drain fields are an effective way to remove disease-causing microorganisms from septic tank wastewater (effluent). After passing through the septic tank, settled...

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Upsetting the System? Bacterial Breakdown in Septic Tanks

November 10, 2015

Life inside your septic tank is a carefully maintained of billions of naturally occurring microscopic critters living in a septic system, allowing it to work properly. For bacteria activity to occur, a septic tank should have a temperature above 40 degrees F. Bacteria, which are naturally present in all septic systems, digest the solids that have settled to the bottom of the tank and begin the decomposition process. A septic tank will usually have a pH between 6 and 7.5. How Bacteria Work The trillions of naturally occurring bacteria that thrive inside a septic system play a major part in...

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Are the chemical additives you are pouring in your septic really helping?

June 16, 2015

Numerous septic tank chemical additives products are readily available in the marketplace today. Manufacturers claim that these additives are designed to “rejuvenate” bacterial populations living in a septic system, which can easily be destroyed by household chemicals. Other enzyme type-additives are intended to reduce fats, oils, and grease in a septic tank and supposedly minimize the need for pumping. However this marketing can be very misleading. In fact, additives are not needed to enhance the normal function of a septic system. Don’t be fooled! They have no proven benefit, can contain questionable ingredients, and can be costly. Drain Cleaners Can...

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Keeping Your Grease Trap Clean

April 30, 2015

What Are Grease Traps? As their name implies, grease traps are designed specifically to trap fats, oils, or grease (FOG) before they can go down the drain and enter the public sewer line. Left unchecked, FOG can solidify and stick to the insides of pipes, trapping small pieces of food debris and other items. Left unchecked over time, this solid mass can continue to grow until it clogs the sewer lines and causes all kinds of destruction in the sewer system including sewage back up. The easiest way to solve this problem is to use a grease trap and prevent...

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Water Conservation: Good for the Environment and Good for Your Septic Tank

March 20, 2015

World Water Day is March 22, which is a good day to stop and notice how water is being used (or maybe even wasted) in and around your home. Using less water is not only good for the environment but it is also good for your septic system. Your septic system treats and disposes of sewage from toilets and also receives wastewater from other fixtures like showers, kitchen sinks, dishwashers, and washing machines. By using less water you are placing less of a load on the soil absorption area (drainfield) thereby extending the life of your septic system. Like any...

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What to Expect When Your Septic Tank Gets Cleaned

March 11, 2015

The average home with two baths and three occupants will produce 250 to 300 gallons of wastewater per day! That is a lot of flow for your on-site septic system to handle. Pumping your septic tank is the most important aspect of maintaining your septic system. A neglected system can quickly become a neighborhood health hazard and an expensive problem. Just how you would regularly service your car and get the oil changed every few thousand miles, you should regularly clean your septic tank after a few thousand flushes. If not, your septic tank, just like your car, may fail...

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Winterizing Your Home “Prep your Plumbing” and Avoid the Freeze

January 22, 2015

The cold winter months can bring a lot of headaches for homeowners. The low temperatures can cause pipes to freeze if specific precautions are not taken. Unlike other liquids, water expands when it is frozen. If water fills a pipe and it freezes, the frozen water often causes the pipe to literally burst. Broken pipes can result in extensive water damage that can ruin flooring, walls, and ceilings. The damage can be incredibly expensive to repair and worse yet can leave homeowners without access to water for days in the dead of winter. Even though you can never anticipate how...

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