Multi-stage septic systems rely heavily on a lift station. The lift station is a series of components that "lift" or push raw sewage from a lower tank to a higher tank. Like any other thing build by man, the lift stations in these septic systems can break and cause problems. Maintenance is so important to keeping these lift stations functioning. Here are some other reasons why you should not skip your scheduled maintenance when it comes to these lift stations.
Out-of-Order Pumps Cause Sewage Backup
Pumps within the lift system are responsible for pushing waste uphill and into another reservoir. If you have not completed your system maintenance, a broken pump cannot push sewage up against gravity. What occurs then is that you get all of that sewage, which is currently stuck in the lowest tank, overflowing. It can force its way up through the ground, and/or force its way back into your home or office building. It is definitely not a pretty site, nor is it a pleasant-smelling one. Maintenance can detect when a pump is about to fail so you can then replace it so that you do not have this concern.
Float Chains That Are Broken
Within each graduated tank in your system, there are float chains and floats. The floats sit on top of the building sewage and are attached to chains. When the sewage reaches the top, the float pulls on its chain and activates a pump. The pump pushes the sewage up and into the next tank. If the chain breaks, your float just bobs around on the top of the sewage and never activates the pump, causing problems similar to a broken pump (see above). Usually, the chains are fairly sturdy, but over time the sewage can weaken them. Only regular maintenance can spot this problem before the chains completely break.
Integrity of the Tanks
The septic systems that utilize lift stations are built to last. However, defects in the manufacturing process could cause the integrity of the tanks to fail. As such, you could awaken or arrive home to a cesspool of sewage on your lawn. If you did have lift station maintenance performed regularly, this can be ruled out quickly. Then it becomes the job of the septic system repair technician to unearth each tank separately to see where the holding tanks have broken through. The leaking tank is replaced (a very costly endeavor) and your yard restored, thus proving that the maintenance saved you time and money in figuring out the problem.
For more information about maintaining your lift station and septic tank in general, contact septic service companies like Martin Septic Service Inc.
