What an aerobic system is, and why every tank gets cleaned
An aerobic system treats household wastewater with air. Instead of one tank doing everything, the water moves through stages. A pretreatment or trash tank catches the solids first, an aeration chamber mixes air into the water so oxygen loving bacteria can break it down, and a pump or clarifier tank holds the treated water before it goes out to the spray heads.
Each tank collects something different, so cleaning only the one nearest the drive leaves the rest of the system working from a dirty start. That is why the clean on an aerobic system goes tank by tank, and why the job takes a driver who knows what each tank is for.
How the clean runs: explained first, each tank in turn
Before the hose goes in, the driver explains the system to you: what each tank does, where the aerator and the pump sit, and what the control panel is telling you. Plenty of owners have never had that conversation, and it makes the rest of the job make sense.
Then each tank is pumped in turn and shown to you. A customer named David J. said it better than we can, in a Yelp review: “The driver was very experienced and explained everything about my aerobic before cleaning all 3 tanks and showed me the job when completed.” (David J., Yelp)
Jones Septic does this around Tomball and north Houston seven days a week, 7am to 7pm. Call (281) 351-5702, tell us what you have and when it was last cleaned, and the estimate is free.
After the clean: spray heads, alarm light, aerator
When the tanks are done, the useful checks are the ones you can make from the yard. The aerator should be running and audible, the spray heads should be putting water onto the lawn in an even pattern, and the control panel should not be showing an alarm light.
An alarm light or a buzzer at the panel means the system wants attention, for example a high water level, a pump that has stopped or an aerator that is not running. Do not silence it and forget it. Call.
A wet lawn, a sour smell near the tanks or a panel light that will not go off are all reasons to phone (281) 351-5702 any day between 7am and 7pm and describe what you see.
