Slaying the Sludge: Essential Septic Tank Cleaning Equipment Unveiled

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Your restaurant, campground, or cafeteria generates a lot of waste. Your septic tank contains a significant fraction of the organic sludge waste and must be cleaned at regular intervals to keep things functioning smoothly. However, have you ever thought about the kind of equipment cleaning companies use?

Well, commercial septic tanks are larger and filthier than the septic tanks at home. That’s why commercial septic tank cleaning demands more heavy-duty and specialized equipment. The gear often gives off the Cleaning Services expertise of the cleaning company you hire.

Before we dive into the types of septic tank cleaning equipment, let’s brush up on the cleaning process.

Septic tank cleaning process:

The septic tank cleaning process can be boiled down to three essential steps:

• Locate tank– If your septic tank has a very clear and defined location, this step can be eliminated. However, most commercial septic tanks are customized and have inconspicuous locations. That’s why Grease trap cleaning companies in Kildare use gear specifically designed to narrow down the exact position of your septic tank on your property.
• Remove waste– Next, technicians pump out the toxic waste that has been accumulating in your tank.
• Disposal– Next, the extracted waste gets transported to a treatment facility where it gets processed.

What happens if I don’t clean my septic tank?

If you fail to clean septic tanks regularly, it leads to severe consequences:

• Environmental damage due to leaked sewage infecting soil and groundwater.
• Reduced health of your septic tank and severe system malfunction due to sewage flowing back into your drains.
• Alarming health hazards in case of sewage leaks full of harmful bacteria and all kinds of nasty pathogens.
• You’ll have to pay hefty fines or may lose your restaurant or cafeteria licence if you fail to clean and maintain your septic tank in safe conditions.

With that out of the way, let’s check out the equipment used in septic tank cleaning.

Septic tank cleaning equipment:

1. Locating gear

Since septic tanks used in commercial establishments are big, customised, and often deep underground, a visual inspection may not be enough to locate them. That’s why septic tank cleaning services in Ireland use septic tank locators. Primarily, there are three types of locators used in the industry:

• Electromagnetic locator that uses electromagnetic fields to detect metal septic tanks.
• A radiofrequency locator that uses radio waves to detect water content in a tank. More accurate and expensive.
• GPR (Ground Penetrating Radars) helps you image everything under the soil. More expensive and great for avoiding pipes and cables.

2. Waste removal equipment

Pump trucks or vacuum trucks are usually used for septic tank emptying. As the name suggests, these trucks have large holding tanks mounted on the trucks and a power pump or vacuum pump is used to pump out all the sludge from your tank. A long suction hose is inserted into the tank and the sludge gets pumped out and emptied to the truck.

If you have a very large septic tank, multiple trucks may be necessary and that may inflate septic tank cleaning prices significantly. Once the sludge gets removed, the trucks go to a licensed wastewater treatment facility that must adhere to strict environmental regulations to treat the sludge safely and responsibly.

3. Safety gear

Septic tank cleaning technicians and professionals deal with extremely hazardous waste. That’s why they need to take extra precautions at work. Their gear includes:

• Nitrile or Butyl Gloves that provide a strong barrier against harmful contaminants in the sewage.
• Steel-toed and Shanked Boots for protection against sludge and any sharp objects present near the tank.
• Safety Glasses that protect eyes from flying debris and waste particles. 
• A respirator with organic vapour cartridges that filter out harmful gases and odours from assaulting their senses.
• Earmuffs or earplugs (optional) to protect their ears from loud noises generated by trucks and pumps.
• Harnesses or lanyards (optional) for fall protection. 

Septic tanks that deal with large commercial clients have larger and higher volume trucks and sometimes even lease out specialised equipment for tricky and unexpected challenges. Make sure that the septic tank cleaning company you hire has extensive knowledge to clear your doubts about cleaning gear. A well-equipped and knowledgeable company ensures a safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly cleaning process.