Fall Septic Maintenance: Preparing Your System for Pennsylvania Winters

If you have a septic system, it’s imperative that you’re taking care of it properly. There are too many people out there that don’t know how to protect their home for Pennsylvania winters, and we want to make sure that you do. Understanding how to prepare and care for your septic system over the winter period is important, especially when the winter is harsh as the correct maintenance and measures can make all the difference in the world. 

We know that you’re probably sitting there thinking that it might be a super mild winter, and that you might not even need to do that much, but you need to be prepared, always. The last thing that anyone wants is to be caught off guard, with their septic system paying the price, ending up costing you thousands to get a replacement.

So, in this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the ways that you can prepare your system for Pennsylvania winters, so keep reading if you would like to find out more.

Important Steps To Take 

So, first, you need to know what steps you should be taking, and why they are important. Having a full understanding of what you’re going to need to do will be massively helpful, and it serves as a ticklist of sorts to make things simpler for you.

Inspect The Area For Cracks Or Damage

The first thing that you need to do is go around and check the area, and the tank lid for any cracks. If there are any leaks or cracks, you need to get these fixed as soon as possible, as there should be no way for extra water to be getting into the tank.

When you’re doing this, just make a quick note for yourself as to where the tank lid actually is, because if the snow does start to come down quite heavily, it’s easily hidden.

While you’re already checking things, you might as well check the drains to ensure that there are no leaks, or any clogs in the system. This just makes sure that things are going to work smoothly through the winter, and you’re not giving yourself issues to deal with that could have been prevented. 

If You’re Not Going To Be There - Winterize Pipes

If you’re not going to be in the property throughout the winter, then you need to winterize the pipes to ensure that they do not freeze and burst while you’re away. Make sure that you have the system pumped before you go, and then when you do decide to come back after the cold season, ensure that you’re having the system checked again so that you know it’s in good condition. 

Keep Water Flowing Through

Moving water doesn’t freeze, and that’s why you want to keep water moving through the pipes as much as you can. We understand that this is probably already the case for most households as daily tasks such as doing laundry, taking showers, flushing the toilet and more things like this keep water moving through the pipes and the system. By doing this, you’re not giving the water an opportunity to freeze, which is important. 

If you are worried about this though, try to keep your home at a steady temperature. Keep your heating set to a warm temperature, as this will ensure that there is never enough cold to freeze them. You can even insulate them if you want an extra layer of protection. 

Don’t Put Anything On Septic Equipment

For some reason, there are a lot of people who park their cars on their tank lid or manhole cover. They also have a horrible habit of putting equipment on there and thinking that it’s not going to be a big deal. While it might not always be, there is always a chance that it could be. You might be thinking that surely if the ground is frozen there isn’t really much damage to be done - which isn’t always true. There is a very real danger of the weight of a vehicle or heavy equipment damaging the tank itself if you’re not careful. 

Don’t Move Any Snow

It’s probably very tempting to plow snow when it falls on your septic system, but you don’t want to do this. Leave it as an extra layer of insulation so that it helps avoid the septic tank freezing. You can just leave the snow and let it melt naturally over winter.

Have Your Septic Tank Pumped

Make sure that if your septic tank is due to be pumped, you’re not putting this off due to the cold weather. There really is no need as this can be done no matter what the weather is like. The last thing that you want to experience during a snowstorm of a bout of adverse weather is a septic tank backup. Get in touch with a professional, and get this sorted. 

A final quick checklist of things for you to do:

• Let grass grow over the area from around September for insulation
• Insulate the pipes if you haven’t already 
• Make sure you’re managing the soil around the area well

Why Is This Important?

You might be wondering why it’s so important for you to take the right steps for your septic system, but if you’ve ever experienced a harsh Pennsylvania winter, we’re pretty sure that you can guess. When the weather turns bad, what you don’t want is to be stuck inside, knowing that your septic system needs pumping, and having no way to get it done because you put it off. 

More than that, you don’t want any part of your septic system to break down. Now, this is true pretty much all times of year, because otherwise you could be looking at a costly repair, but this is more of an issue in the winter when it might not be possible to get the help you need asap. 

If you take the right precautions and you ensure that you’re doing everything you can to keep the system safe, chances are that it will be, and you’ll get through the winter without having to have any repairs completed. 

Why Get Help From Sonlight Services 

Sonlight Services are a team of professionals who are able to help you with this. Whether you need us to fix a problem that you’ve found, or help you complete your fall septic maintenance, we’re here for you. 

Reliable, Professional

We are a reliable, professional team that puts our clients at the forefront of everything that we do. We understand that emergencies happen at any time, day or night, and any day of the week. That’s why we offer our emergency services to those in need 24/7, all you have to do is get in touch with us, and we will be there to take care of your emergency. 

High-Quality Services

It’s important to us that we offer nothing short of excellence. We understand that there are other companies out there who claim the same and offer nothing close to it, but that’s not us. At Sonlight Services, we are not happy unless our clients are happy. We will discuss what we have done with you, and check that you’re happy with what we’ve provided. If not, we will rectify the issue, and ensure that our clients are completely satisfied before we leave your site.

Dedicated Professionals

When you hire someone to complete a job for you, you want to know that they are dedicated professionals, right? You want to make sure that they are highly-trained, that they are insured, that they are certified, right? That’s what we can offer you here at Sonlight Services. Each member of our team is trained to the highest possible standard to ensure that we are able to provide the best.

Our team is respectful, and open, understanding that communication is key when providing a service for someone, so feel free to ask them any questions that you might have while they are with you.

Don’t Trust Us? Trust Our Reviews

Finally, we know that it can be hard to trust a company that you’ve not heard of before. You don’t know us, and for all you know we could just be telling you what you want to hear. But, we’re not, and our 900+ 5* reviews are a testament to that. If you don’t want to take our word for it then that’s fine, but what about the word of our previous clients who have used us? Check out what our precious clients have had to say, and then use their reviews to make a decision about whether to get in touch.

If you’re interested in our services, you need help with your fall septic maintenance, or you need another service we offer, feel free to get in touch with us using the form at the bottom of this page. A member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible to discuss your query.