There are four main components in a septic tank system.

• Main drain: This is where all of the different pipes in your house lead to. All of your home’s wastewater will flow through the main drain into the septic tank.
• Septic tank: The tank will be located several feet away from your home, depending on local building ordinances. There will be a cap for pumping and inspection access. The wastewater will collect in the tank, letting the solids settle on the bottom. The water on top will then be distributed into the drain field.
• Drainfield: Sometimes referred to as a leach field, will be in a large area of your yard. It’s a specifically designed system of various materials that will distribute the wastewater slowly into the soil.
• Soil: The soil beneath the drain field will remove the contaminants from the wastewater. The water will eventually be purified before it reaches the groundwater.

How long will the system last? 
The longevity of the septic tank system depends on what the tank is made of and the specifics of the soil in the drain field. Tanks made of steel might only last 15 to 20 years. You’ll get a longer life out of a concrete or plastic tank, as they can last for 40 years or longer.
What size septic tank do you need? 
The size of the tank will depend on the size of your home and how many bedrooms it has or the designed flow derived by the Local Health Department. Most septic tanks will hold at least 750 gallons. The most common size is around 1000 gallons but can be as large as 1250 gallons or more depending on Health Department requirements. The most important thing is to have a tank that will support the home’s actual water usage.
Give us a call today for all of your septic tank and septic system installation needs. Whether you’re looking for septic system pumping, inspection, repair, or installation, our local septic system installers will be at your service with unparalleled service and communication. We’re even available 24-hours a day for any emergency septic system issues!

Unless you’ve had issues in the past, you should have a routine septic tank inspection at least once a year. The inspector will need to access the tank(s) in order to perform the inspection.
How long does an inspection take?  
A few different factors affect how long it will take. It can take as little as an hour, or as long as three hours, or more. It depends on the complexities of your particular tank, and if any issues are found that need to be investigated.
What is inspected? 

• • The inspector will check the solids levels in the tank. Waste settles at the bottom of your tank while floatables such as grease and food form a scum layer. Once certain levels in the tank are reached, pumping may be required (usually every three to seven years).
  • They’ll check the ground around the tank to make sure that there isn’t any raw sewage leaking out of the tank.
  • If the tank is empty at the time of the inspection, the inspector may determine if groundwater is leaking into the septic tank.
  • The inspector will make inspect all access openings and lids
  • The inlet and outlet pipes may be observed making sure they are connected and operational.
  • Any pumps, controls, treatment or filtration components may be observed and checked for operation
  • The drainfield will be inspected for saturation, vegetation, and depressions.

The goal of these inspections is to identify any issues before they become larger problems that could lead to an expensive repair.

• Tank lids may have become compromised over time making the system unsafe or vulnerable to infiltration such as stormwater.
• There could be sewage on the ground around the tank or in the yard over the drain field. This could indicate a potential septic failure.
• There could system blockages causing poor plumbing performance.
• There is an ideal level for the wastewater in the septic tank. If it’s too high, it’s not draining correctly towards the drain field. And, if it’s too low, the tank could be cracked.

Give us a call today and we’ll schedule your NC septic inspection. At Full Circle Environmental, we apply our environmentally-friendly methods combined with our customer-oriented approach to every job. We’re even available 24-hours a day for any emergency septic tank needs. We look forward to taking care of all of your septic tank’s inspection needs.