Thursday, May 15, 2014

Septic Tank Horror Stories

We’ve all heard the horror stories when it comes to Septic Tanks.   I’m not saying all of these stories have been fabricated but some of them are just so horrifying that I prefer to not believe what I am told.  I guess the saying is true “Ignorance is bliss”. 

Oh the Horror!                                                                                                          
*Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

Take the story of my friend “Jim”.  This story starts off beautifully enough.  Jim was engaged to get married to Lily.  Jim and Lily had recently moved into a spacious house out in the suburbs of New York.  With tons of open space in their backyard they opted to throw their wedding in their home.  This story is a perfect example of life mimicking art.  Remember that scene from “Meet the Parents” where Ben Stiller’s Character overflows the septic system which then leads to sewage bubbling out of the ground resulting in the downfall of the wedding.  Yeah this has actually happened to someone before, and I’ll tell you this, it’s not as funny when it happens in real life.  It turns out Jim never bothered to run a cleaning on the tanks when he moved in.  That and the fact that 20 people were staying in his home made for a disastrous situation.

Then there’s John who came home to a frantic dog.  Upon opening his door John felt a strong odor (similar to swamp gas is how he puts it) hit his face.  Not knowing what to make of it John ran down to his basement where he found his 6 month old pup perched on the sofa barking out for help.  Turns out Johns basement was flooded with sewage.  Upon going upstairs John realized that sewage was oozing out of his pipes as well.  I can’t even imagine coming home to a scene that is reminiscent of a Stephen King novel. 

Why oh why did this happen to me!?!?


            The truth is these horror stories could have been avoided.   By following some simple guidelines these guys along with so many others could have avoided becoming a victim of this foul smelling problem. 

  1. Try to minimize the disposal of oils as this may block your grease trap leading to clogging of your pipes and overflow.
  2.  Chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides and even bleach have been known to damage the components of septic tanks. Some chemicals like Silver Nitrate are able to kill off whole cultures of bacteria needed for the system to operate
  3. Be aware of shrubs and trees close to your pipes.  Roots have been known to rupture pipes leading to flooding.
  4. Do not flush non bio-degradable products down the toilet.  Cigarette butts, tampons and cotton swabs will collect and with time clogging your system. 
  5. Garbage disposal systems are not ideal when using a septic tank.  Food that has not been properly broken down can with time build up causing blockage. 

Jones Septic Service to the rescue!

            The idea of having to flush out one’s own septic system is enough to make anyone coward. Let’s face it, this task is better off left to the professionals.  So why not contact Jones Septic Services for Septic PumpingAmenia NY, Septic Pumping Hopewell NY and Septic Pumping Red Hook NY services.

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