Many old septic tanks don’t have risers; instead, they have an access point that’s buried, often under several feet of dirt, in your backyard. But your septic maintenance company can likely easily retrofit the tank with a riser to make things easier for everyone. Learn some of the benefits of tank risers.
1. You May Save on Pumping Costs
How would you like to dig through four feet of dirt before you could start work each morning? Although in past decades, digging down to find the septic tank was an accepted part of the job, today it can be avoided by simply installing a riser. In fact, some septic companies add extra charges for the digging or simply charge a higher labor cost because of the extra time needed.
Installing a riser will cost money too, but it’s a one-time investment that can save you fees for years or even decades to come.
2. You Will Avoid Messing Up Your Landscaping
You may look at the big green lid of your neighbor’s tank riser and decide that you don’t want such an unsightly feature in your yard. Unfortunately, though, the inevitable digging up of your landscaping that a septic pumping will require otherwise is much more disturbing to the landscape.
If you have a riser put in, you can cleverly conceal it with a small wishing well or other decorative cover. And you’ll be able to landscape around it nicely without having to worry about all your hard work being dug up every couple of years.
Of course, you’ll still want to limit your landscaping to safe options (non-woody plants with shallow roots), but you’ll still have a wide variety of landscaping options.
3. You Will Have Quicker Access for Emergencies
If you have a riser, you won’t have to look at a map like you’re about to dig up a really smelly treasure chest. Your septic technician will be able to go right to the spot, open the lid, and get to work. This time saving can be a lifesaver in septic emergencies. It allows personnel to get right to diagnosing and fixing the problem rather than wasting time with preliminaries.
Although great septic maintenance can reduce the chances of an emergency, it’s better to be safe than sorry. When septic gases or, worse, raw sewage is backing up into your home, you’ll be glad you have a riser to allow quick access.
4. You Can Have Safety Features
Quick access to the septic tank is useful for you and for maintenance and repair personnel, but you don’t want anyone else to have access – like your kids, for example. Falling into the tank can be fatal, after all. So you’ll be glad to know that many recent septic risers have safety features to prevent problems.
For example, some have lids that are filled with sand to make them too heavy for kids to easily move. Others use safety screws or special locking systems.
Although not all risers and lids are created equal, a high-quality combo will be tough, tamper-resistant, and weather-resistant. It will also have plenty of strong screws or another kid-proof locking system to hold the lid in place. When used correctly along with an added (or pre-installed) safety screen, this type of riser can safeguard well against accidents.
These four benefits show how septic risers can help provide a time- and money-saving convenience that can make your life (and your septic maintenance technician’s life) easier. Keep in mind that if your septic tank has multiple access points, it will need multiple risers for maximum convenience, and they should all be high-quality with added safety screens.
If you have risers but no safety screens, you’ll be relieved to know that these come in a variety of standard sizes, such as 12, 20, and 24 inches in diameter, allowing you to have them retrofitted into your existing risers without having the whole riser replaced.
For more information about our pumping services or to have risers and safety screens installed, get in touch with Billy Bell Plumbing Inc today.