Septic Tank Risers for Mackinaw Homes
If your septic company has to dig up the lid every time they visit, a riser can pay for itself. Risers extend the tank openings to the surface and are capped with lids that lock.
Request a call and a company working in Mackinaw will explain the options and install risers on your tank.
What a septic riser is
A riser is a short pipe or collar, usually plastic or concrete, that attaches to the tank opening and extends it to ground level. A lid on top, typically secured with screws or a lock, keeps it closed. Most tanks have at least two openings, and many benefit from a riser on each, plus one on the effluent filter.
Benefits of adding risers
Risers cut the time and cost of every pumping and inspection, since no digging is needed. They make it easy to check the effluent filter, spot problems early and show inspectors the tank during a home sale. They also protect your lawn from repeated digging.
How riser installation works
The crew locates and uncovers the tank openings, cleans the surfaces, attaches the risers with adhesive or fasteners, seals the joints and cuts the risers to height. After the lids are installed and secured, the soil is backfilled around them. Installing risers during a pumping visit saves a separate trip.
Keeping lids secure
A secure lid is a safety requirement, not an option. Check lids once in a while for cracks or loose screws. If a lid is damaged, cover the opening and call for a replacement.
What affects riser cost
Price depends on the number of openings, how deep the tank is, the riser material and whether the job is combined with pumping. Deeper tanks need taller risers and more digging. Insulated or traffic-rated lids cost more.
Questions to ask about risers
Ask how many openings your tank has, which should get risers, what material they use, and whether lids are secured with screws or locks. Ask if they can install during your next pumping.
Plastic or concrete risers
Plastic risers are lightweight, easy to trim to height and do not corrode, so they suit most existing tanks. Concrete risers are heavy and durable but harder to install and can let in water if joints are not sealed well. Your septic company can recommend the right option for your tank.
After the risers go in
Make a note of where the lids are for future owners and service crews. Mowing around them is easy if they sit flush, and they make it simple to check the effluent filter or water level. Report any loose or damaged lid to your septic company.
Good times to add risers
The best time to add risers is during a scheduled pumping, when the lids are already dug up. They are also worth adding after buying a home if no one knows where the lids are, or if your service company charges extra to dig.
Risers on Tazewell County septic tanks
Many older tanks in Tazewell County were buried deep with no easy access, so riser installation is a common job for companies serving Mackinaw and Tremont, Minier, Morton. Adding them during the next pumping visit avoids digging twice.
Risers and lids for Mackinaw weather
Where soils are rated very limited, as most mapped soils near Mackinaw are, frequent checks of the tank and filter help protect the drain field. Risers make those checks quick. Mackinaw averages about 39 inches of precipitation a year, so ask for sealed joints that keep rain and groundwater out. With about 3 months below freezing, an insulated lid can help protect the tank opening in winter.
Local conditions in Mackinaw that affect septic riser and lid installation
Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Mackinaw, the USDA soil survey rates 81% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 19% as somewhat limited and 0% as not limited. The most common drainage class is well drained. Soils like these often call for careful system design, such as a larger drain field, a mound or another engineered system, and a site evaluation before any new installation or replacement.
Mackinaw averages about 39 inches of precipitation a year, and May is usually the wettest month. Average temperatures stay below freezing for about 3 months a year, with January averaging 25°F, so tank lids and shallow lines benefit from a layer of snow or mulch rather than being cleared bare.
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 Mackinaw means for septic riser and lid installation
By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Mackinaw as 61% well drained, 16% moderately well drained, 12% somewhat poorly drained, 7% poorly drained, 3% excessively drained. Risers bring the tank lids to the surface, which makes regular pumping and inspection quicker and cleaner.
Source: USDA NRCS Soil Survey (SSURGO), Soil Data Access
Septic companies near Mackinaw
These are the septic companies in our directory closest to Mackinaw, with straight-line distance. Call any of them directly, or send one request and we will pass it to the best match.
- G & D Tank LLC, Tremont, IL, 6.2 mi
- Tazewell County Septic Service, Pekin, IL, 12.4 mi
- Boyer's Sewer & Drain, Peoria Heights, IL, 18.8 mi
- Zeschke Septic Cleaning, Bloomington, IL, 20.1 mi
- Adams Septic & Sewer Service Inc, Peoria, IL, 22.2 mi
- River City Septic & Excavating, Dunlap, IL, 24.3 mi
Septic Riser and Lid Installation in nearby towns
We also cover septic riser and lid installation in these towns near Mackinaw:
About Mackinaw, IL
Mackinaw is in Tazewell County, Illinois. About 1,845 people live there, across 1.2 square miles of land (about 1,536 per square mile).
Septic Riser and Lid Installation questions in Mackinaw
- How long does riser installation take?
- Usually a few hours, often done during a pumping visit.
- Will risers make my yard look worse?
- Lids sit at or just above ground level and are usually green or tan. Many homeowners find them less noticeable than the patches left by repeated digging.
- Can I mow over a septic riser?
- Most lids sit at grade so you can mow around them easily. Avoid driving heavy equipment over them unless they are traffic rated.
- Is SepticTank.com the company that installs risers?
- No. SepticTank.com connects you with an independent local septic company that serves Mackinaw. That company does the work and sets its own prices.