Aerobic System Maintenance for Lehi Homes
If your home in Lehi 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.
How an aerobic system works
Wastewater first settles in a pretreatment tank. It then flows to an aeration chamber where a compressor or blower adds air, helping bacteria break down waste far more completely than in a standard tank. A clarifier lets remaining solids settle, and many systems add chlorine or another disinfection step before the treated water is sprayed or dispersed.
Items checked on every aerobic service call
A good service call covers the compressor and its filter, the air diffusers, every float and the alarm, the control panel and timer, the spray heads or drip lines, and the chlorine or UV unit. Many contracts in Utah County also include the inspection report some counties require, so ask whether filing it is part of the visit.
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.
How often to service an aerobic system
Many manufacturers and local rules call for service every few months, often two to four visits a year. The pretreatment tank still needs pumping periodically. the Utah County health department or your state agency may set minimum requirements, so check what applies to your property in Lehi.
When to call for aerobic service
Call if the alarm keeps coming back or the compressor is hot, noisy or has stopped. Also call if you smell sewage near the unit or it has been more than a few months since the last service visit. Early service is usually far cheaper than repairs after a failure.
Questions to ask an aerobic service company
Ask whether they service your brand of unit, what each visit includes, how they handle required reporting and how quickly they respond to alarms. Ask whether parts and chlorine are included in a service plan.
Parts that wear out on an aerobic unit
The parts that need replacing most often are the air compressor, its intake filter, the diffusers that release air into the tank, and the floats that switch the pumps. Spray heads clog, timers fail and chlorine feeders run dry. Knowing which parts your Lehi unit has helps you understand a service quote.
What homeowners in Lehi 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.
Aerobic units in Utah County
Aerobic systems are common in parts of Utah County where the soil cannot handle a conventional drain field. Because they rely on power, air and moving parts, they need regular attention from a company that services them. Homeowners in Lehi and nearby towns such as Highland, American Fork, Bluffdale often keep a maintenance contract in place for that reason.
Why Lehi conditions matter for aerobic systems
Most mapped soils near Lehi are rated very limited for septic absorption, which is one reason aerobic units are used here. The cleaner water they produce is easier on difficult soil, as long as the unit is serviced. Lehi averages about 21 inches of precipitation a year, and alarms tend to come more often in December. About 3 months below freezing make a sheltered, working aerator important, since treatment slows when the unit gets too cold.
Local conditions in Lehi that affect aerobic septic service
Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Lehi, the USDA soil survey rates 98% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 2% 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.
Lehi averages about 21 inches of precipitation a year, and December is usually the wettest month. Average temperatures stay below freezing for about 3 months a year, with December 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 Lehi means for aerobic septic service
By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Lehi as 58% well drained, 12% poorly drained, 12% somewhat excessively drained, 8% somewhat poorly drained, 6% moderately well drained, 2% excessively drained, 2% very poorly drained. Aerobic systems are often used where soil is too limited for a conventional field; around Lehi, 98% of the soil is rated very limited.
Source: USDA NRCS Soil Survey (SSURGO), Soil Data Access
Septic companies near Lehi
These are the septic companies in our directory closest to Lehi, with straight-line distance. Call any of them directly, or send one request and we will pass it to the best match.
- A1 Waste Pumping, Highland, UT, 2.5 mi
- AAA Septic Tank Pumping, Ogden, UT, 57.2 mi
- MKJ Construction, Fairview, UT, 59.1 mi
Aerobic Septic Service in nearby towns
We also cover aerobic septic service in these towns near Lehi:
- Highland, 4 mi
- American Fork, 4.8 mi
- Bluffdale, 5.4 mi
- Saratoga Springs, 5.5 mi
- Draper, 5.5 mi
- Alpine, 6.1 mi
About Lehi, UT
Lehi is in Utah County, Utah. About 90,227 people live there, across 30.3 square miles of land (about 2,974 per square mile).
Aerobic Septic Service questions in Lehi
- 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.
- What chlorine does an aerobic system use?
- Most use chlorine tablets made for wastewater treatment, not pool tablets. Ask your service company which product your unit requires.
- How long does an aerator last?
- Aerators and compressors wear out over time. Regular service helps catch them before they fail completely.
- Can a regular septic company service my aerobic unit?
- Many can, but not all. Ask whether the company works on aerobic systems and on your brand.