Franks Septic Service

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Franks Septic Service offers complete septic pumping, inspections, baffle replacements, Zabel Filter cleaning, septic repairs, installing well risers and light excavation.
We have over 14 years experience in the septic field, we offer prompt and courteous service and we are locally located in Hillsborough and service the Dublin, Peterborough, Stoddard, Bradford, Greenfield, Antrim, Bennington, Hancock, Henniker, Hillsboro, Warner, Washington, Weare, Windsor, and Francestown communities.
Septic Pumping: Our policy is to clean your entire tank to the bottom. We then inspect the tank for cracks, holes or water running back in from the leach field. We remove all scum and sludge and check your bacteria. We remove waste from septic tanks, cesspools, holding tanks and pump chambers. We also inspect the inlet and outlet baffles to make sure they are in place.

(a) Septic tanks shall be inspected for accumulation of sludge and surface scum at least once every year.
(b) When the combined thickness of the sludge and surface scum equal 1/3 or more of the tank depth, the tank shall be pumped by a licensed septic tank pumper.
Also reference NH RSA 485-A, 485-A:34,III

Septic Tank Maintenance:
How often you pump your septic system is determined by the amount of people in the home, the amount of water used and the size of the tank. It is not based on the amount of bathrooms located in the home. The size of the septic tank should be determined by the number of bedrooms in the home. For an average home the following schedule is recommended for pumping septic tanks:

If homeowners follow a recommended pumping schedule, it can prolong the life of their leach field. The average life span of a leach field is approximately 20 years. The cost of replacing a leach field once it fails is approximately $10,000. Economically, it is a lot cheaper to have your tank maintained properly and extending the life of the field, then paying for a new leach field.
If your home has a garbage disposal it can cut the life of your septic tank and field in half. A garbage disposal puts straight food waste into your tank and the bacteria in the tank can not digest raw food.
If your home has a water softener, it can also cut the life of your septic tank and field in half. The salt that is dispensed through the water in the tank corrodes the cement of the tank, eventually weakening the tank.
Do not drive over the leach field, this may crush the pipes and prohibit the drainage of water. Do not plant bushes, trees or any plant which produces a lot of roots, this can clog up your septic pipes. This also applies to the pipe running from the house to the tank and the pipe to the leach field. Do not cover the leach field with anything other than grass. Grass helps prevent erosion and also helps with the absorption of the water.
It is suggested that any tank that is deeper than 2 feet have a well riser installed. Tanks are installed by contractors and the lid can range from being on the surface to 6 feet below the surface. Every tank is different. If the homeowner does not want to dig further than 1-2 feet every time the tank is pumped or pay Franks Septic to dig, we will gladly install a well riser. This is a cement circle that goes over the round hole of the tank and comes with a lid. The risers come in 1 foot sections. The closer to the surface of the ground the riser is, the easier it is to reach and pump.

In Search of the Septic Tank:
Many homeowners do not know where their septic tank is located. If the home is older, there may be no blue prints stating where the tank is located. Septic system designs have only been required by the State to be filed within the last 15-20 years. An easy way to locate your tank during the winter is because of the heat produced by the tank, the snow will melt over the tank first. Mark this area. Franks Septic has a sensor that can be flushed down the toilet into the septic tank. We have a monitor that will pick up the signal from the sensor thereby locating the tank. This will only work on pipes made of PVC. If the system is older it might contain iron piping and the signal will not go through this. As another alternative, find the septic pipe leading from the house, follow that direction and by using a crow bar keep putting it into the ground until you find the cement or steel tank. If unsure, Franks Septic can be called to find you tank.

Septic Dos and Donts:
Dont add yeast, baking soda, store bought septic chemicals, and bleach. The natural bacteria in your tank lives at a certain pH level. The bacteria eats waste and it is separated into water and solids. If you change the pH level of the bacteria it will die, and will not separate the water and solids and your tank will fill up and also produce a septic smell. Yeast does not provide the needed bacteria in your tank. It simply ferments what is in there. Baking soda changes the pH level in the tank, thereby killing the bacteria. Store bought septic chemicals can also change the pH level and do not provide live bacteria to your tank. Bleach can change the pH level if used in large quantities, used sparingly, it will not affect the bacteria. If there is no bacteria left in your tank, Franks Septic does sell live bacteria which can be added to your tank and start the organic process of breaking down the solids.
Dont flush any combination of the following down the toilet: hair, diapers, baby wipes, wipes of any kind, cigarette butts, condoms, sanitary napkins, tampons, paper towel, table napkins, cat litter, paint, grease, oil or any type of chemical. All of these are not digestible by the bacteria. They will all float on the top of the tank and will clog the tank, blocking the outlet baffle to your leach field, possibly entering your leach field and will produce expensive problems. Franks Septic suggests that products that say they are safe for septic systems and are biodegradable also not be flushed down the toilet. Some products that are biodegradable need sunlight to break down. There is no sunlight in a septic tank, and therefore the product will not break down.
Dont do an excessive amount of laundry all in one day. This will over load the tank with water and thereby overload the leach field. There is a higher tendency to back up into the house because the water can only drain from the leach field at a certain rate to not saturate the ground. Space the laundry out over the week instead.
Dont use laundry detergent high in phosphorous. Powder detergent tends to clump together and can cause a blockage in the pipes. Liquid detergent is better.
Dont flush large amounts of toilet paper down the toilet. Children tend to do this more often. Large amounts can cause a blockage in the pipes as well as in the inlet baffle to the tank, causing back ups into the house. Children should also be told not to flush toys down the toilet as well.
Dont build any decks, additions, sheds, other buildings or driveways over the septic tank. This will prevent access to the tank and ultimately, if the tank needs to be replaced, it can not.
Do set up a pumping schedule so that any problems with the system can be found early and fixed before they become larger and more expensive problems. If the outlet baffle falls off, waste will automatically flow into the leach field thereby clogging the leach field pipes and preventing water from flowing out. The field will eventually fail if this is not fixed.
Do become knowledgeable about your septic system. Ask us any questions and we will be glad to answer them to the best of our knowledge.
Do check for any leaking faucets or shower heads. This adds constant water into your tank besides every day water usage. Filling your tank with too much water, again causes strain on the leach field drainage.
Do call Franks Septic if your toilets, sinks or showers begin to drain slowly, or start making gurgling sounds, or if you begin smelling sewage, it means your tank needs to be pumped and/or there is the beginning of a blockage in the pipes that needs to be removed.

Signs of a Failing Septic System:
Septic systems can fail due to failure to pump on a regular schedule, poor soil for proper drainage, improper installation of the tank or field, over use putting too much water in the system and age.
The field fails because the ground becomes completely saturated either by water or waste. This then causes the water to begin flowing back into the tank. The tank becomes full constantly and may begin to back up into the house.
The beginning signs of a failed field are excessive grass growth over the leach field. It will be the most beautiful lawn youve ever seen. You also might get water build up if you have low lying sections of the leach field. Next you will notice the grass will become mushy in areas. This is followed by the grass dying, and actual waste appearing on the ground causing black mushy areas. There will be a septage smell radiating from the ground as well. At this time, the tank will always be full because the water is running back, blockages and back ups become more frequent. The field is now failed and must be replaced.
In the local area, many older homes do not have leach fields. Many of them have a tank which drains into a cesspool. Some just have a pipe that runs out in the ground. Upon inspection, Franks Septic may recommend upgrading the septic system due to State Code and health regulations.

Septic Tank Inspections:
Franks Septic performs inspections for the sale of your home. An inspection entails pumping the tank to the bottom. This allows us to completely check the tank for cracks or holes. The inlet and outlet baffles are then checked to make sure they are in place. The bacteria is checked. A small hole is dug in the leach field to see if there is standing water or discoloration of the stones. If either of these are present, that means the field is failing. A written report will be given upon request.
2003-2010 Frank's Septic Service