Aerobic System Maintenance for Austell Homes
If your home in Austell has an aerobic septic system, it depends on an aerator, controls and often a disinfection step to work correctly. When any of those fail, the system can smell, alarm or discharge poorly treated water.
Request a call and a local company that knows aerobic units can inspect and service yours.
Inside an aerobic treatment unit
Most units have three stages: pretreatment, aeration and clarification, followed by disinfection and dispersal. The aerator runs much of the day, and an alarm warns of high water or equipment failure. Each part has to work for the system to treat water properly.
What a maintenance visit looks like
On a maintenance visit the technician listens to and checks the aerator, clears the air lines and diffusers, tests the alarm and timer, and looks at the color and clarity of the water in each chamber. They measure sludge, top off or check the disinfection unit, and leave a written record of what they found and fixed.
When your aerobic alarm goes off
First check the breaker for the system. If it has tripped and trips again after resetting, do not keep resetting it. Cut back on water use and schedule service. Tell the company the brand of your unit if you can find it, since parts differ between manufacturers.
Service schedules and contracts
Aerobic units often come with a service contract for the first years, and many areas require one afterward. A contract sets a regular schedule, handles required reporting and usually gives faster response when an alarm sounds.
Warning signs from an aerobic system
Pay attention if the unit goes quiet, if the discharge looks cloudy or gray instead of clear, or if you smell sewage near the unit or the spray area. Wet spots that do not dry out, spray heads that never seem to run and an alarm that keeps coming back all point to a problem that a technician should look at soon.
What to ask before signing a service contract
Before you sign, ask how many visits a year are included, whether parts and chlorine are covered, and how fast they respond to an alarm. Ask if they file any inspection reports your county requires on your behalf, and whether they are certified to work on your brand of aerobic unit.
Knowing your equipment
It helps to know the brand and model of your aerobic unit, where the control panel is, and whether your system uses spray heads or drip lines. Keep the manual and past service records together. When you call a company in Austell, that information lets them bring the right parts and finish the visit in one trip.
What homeowners in Austell can do between visits
Check that the aerator is running when you walk past the unit, and listen for unusual noise. Keep the area around the unit clear so air can move freely. Top off chlorine tablets if your system uses them and you have been shown how. Avoid bleach, drain cleaners and large amounts of antibacterial soap, which can weaken the bacteria that do the treatment.
Who services aerobic systems near Austell
Not every septic company works on aerobic units, so ask before you book. Companies serving Austell and Powder Springs, Douglasville, Hiram that do this work can usually handle routine maintenance, alarm calls and pumping of the pretreatment tank in one relationship, which keeps the records for your system in one place.
Why Austell conditions matter for aerobic systems
Soils vary around Austell, and aerobic units are common on the lots with the most challenging conditions. About 51 inches of precipitation a year can overload spray fields and let water into tanks, so keep an eye on alarms after storms.
Local conditions in Austell that affect aerobic septic service
Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Austell, the USDA soil survey rates 52% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 48% as somewhat limited and 0% as not limited. The most common drainage class is well drained. Conditions vary from lot to lot here, so a site evaluation is the only way to know how well a particular yard will handle a drain field.
Austell averages about 51 inches of precipitation a year, and December is usually the wettest month. January is the coldest month at about 40°F on average, so freezing is rarely the main concern here. Heavy rain and saturated ground are the bigger factors for drain fields.
Sources: USDA NRCS Soil Survey (SSURGO), Soil Data Access; NASA POWER long-term climatology. Soil ratings describe mapped soil types near the city center and do not replace a site evaluation of your property.
What the soil around Austell means for aerobic septic service
By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Austell as 75% well drained, 10% moderately well drained, 8% somewhat poorly drained, 5% somewhat excessively drained, 1% excessively drained, 1% poorly drained. Aerobic systems are often used where soil is too limited for a conventional field; around Austell, 52% of the soil is rated very limited.
Source: USDA NRCS Soil Survey (SSURGO), Soil Data Access
Septic companies near Austell
These are the septic companies in our directory closest to Austell, with straight-line distance. Call any of them directly, or send one request and we will pass it to the best match.
- Baker Complete Septic Tank Service, Douglasville, GA, 4.8 mi
- Seabrook Septic Tank Service, Douglasville, GA, 5.0 mi
- Samples Septic Service, Douglasville, GA, 5.4 mi
- Koberg Fluid Systems, Marietta, GA, 8.8 mi
- Payne's Septic Tank Service, Acworth, GA, 13.4 mi
- All American Septic Inc, Dallas, GA, 14.5 mi
Aerobic Septic Service in nearby towns
We also cover aerobic septic service in these towns near Austell:
- Powder Springs, 3.8 mi
- Douglasville, 6.6 mi
- Hiram, 7.8 mi
- Smyrna, 7.9 mi
- Marietta, 10.9 mi
- Dallas, 13.1 mi
About Austell, GA
Austell is in Cobb County, Georgia. About 8,148 people live there, across 6.3 square miles of land (about 1,285 per square mile).
Aerobic Septic Service questions in Austell
- Do aerobic systems need to be pumped?
- Yes. The pretreatment tank and sometimes other chambers still collect solids and need periodic pumping, usually less often than a conventional tank.
- Can I turn off my aerator to save power?
- No. Without air, the bacteria that treat the water die off, and the system can smell and discharge poorly treated water.
- How long does an aerator last?
- Aerators and compressors wear out over time. Regular service helps catch them before they fail completely.
- Is SepticTank.com the company that services my system?
- No. SepticTank.com connects you with an independent local septic company that serves Austell. That company performs the service and sets its prices.