Septic Tank & System Maintenance and Care in Boise, ID

Whether commercial or residential, ASAP Septic is the local industry leader for all things sewer and septic. We have decades of experience and are proud of our years of service to the people of Idaho. 

As a one-stop-shop septic company that also offers 24 hour emergency septic pumping and other services, we are passionate about being the one and only call you need to make for all of your septic and sewer needs. If you’re seeking a new installation, we can help you through each of the four steps for a successful installation: 

1. Approval & Permits

2. Septic System Design

3. Installation

4. Final Approval

Once a septic tank has been installed, they are mostly self-sufficient. By being proactive about the few maintenance items needed to keep your septic system running smoothly, you’ll be able to avoid each of the major issues that can arise. Here at ASAP Septic, we are passionate about maintaining high sanitation and health standards by offering top-tier septic services throughout southeast Idaho. An improperly installed or repaired septic tank can lead to leakage, backed-up sewage, contaminated properties, and more, and we understand the need for high-quality service with minute attention to detail to ensure that our homes and businesses continue to be safe, healthy, and beautiful places for people to thrive. 

While septic systems have occasionally been viewed as an option to only be utilized in rural areas, as Boise and her suburbs continue to grow, many potential homeowners find themselves considering homes with septic systems even if they previously may not have considered it. The good news is that there are many advantages of being off of the sewer system. Some of the perks include: 

• Eco-friendly: Because septic tanks release water to be filtered through the ground and re-absorbed by local water tables, septic systems allow water used in commercial and residential settings to safely re-enter the water cycle without the use of harsh chemicals. Additionally, septic systems require far less excavation for the installation of pipes, meaning less wildlife is disturbed during the installation process. 

• Affordability: Although the initial cost of installing a septic tank can be daunting, the long-term cost of a septic system, including maintenance, repairs, and pumping, is ultimately less than the cost of remaining on city sewer systems. Some find this to be surprising, but the long-term savings are worth the up-front cost! 

• Durability: Assuming a septic system is being properly maintained and regularly inspected, it can last decades before needing to be replaced. Needless to say, being able to avoid costly repair and replacement costs through fairly minimal maintenance is a huge advantage. In fact, depending on how long your family remains in a home, the tank may outlast the duration of your years there. 

As far as basic maintenance and care tasks for, we recommend having your system inspected at least every three years. The frequency with which your tank should be pumped will depend on your household’s water usage and occupancy. For example, a large family with six children at home will certainly produce more waste water than a bachelor who works full-time outside the home; even comparing the amount of water used for laundering clothing would be drastically different. Thus, we recommend consulting an expert for specific details, but as a general rule of thumb, septic tanks should be pumped every 2-5 years. 

Perhaps the easiest way to maximize the efficiency of your septic tank is to follow some basic guidelines to help it function properly. Here’s our top quick hits: 

• Avoid putting grease down drains. Septic tanks are equipped with a grease trap, but pouring hot oil or putting cooled chunks of fat down the drain can quickly gunk up the grease trap, as well as coating your pipes. Putting grease down drains should be avoided even if you’re on city water, but it’s especially important to avoid it if you have a septic system. 

• Avoid flushing anything other than toilet paper. Toilet paper is designed to dissolve in water; anything else--from feminine hygiene products to paper towels to Clorox wipes, even wipes that claim to be “flushable”--can become trapped in your septic system and cause blockage and backup. Not a problem anyone wants to deal with! It can save a lot of headache if you simply avoid flushing anything but toilet paper. 

• Avoid stacking high water load chores on the same day. Wash your whites one day, then colored clothing another day. If the kids need baths, alternate bath days with laundry days. A septic system temporarily holds wastewater in a tank before slowly allowing water to seep back into the ground, so running multiple loads of laundry, the dishwasher, and bathing all the kids on the same day can lead to overload, which can overwhelm your leach field and flood your yard. 

• Avoid powdered laundry detergents. We get it; powdered laundry detergents come in bulk and last a long time, and that’s awfully convenient! However, powdered detergents leave tiny solid particles in drain water. One or two times may not seem like a big deal, but a couple loads of laundry per week for years on end can add up. As they get caught in the grease trap and other parts of your septic system, they can cause blockage over time and reduce the flow of water into the tank.  

Septic systems may seem daunting to those who have never owned a home or business with one, but they don’t have to be! Especially with experts like our team at ASAP Septic on your side, it’s a simple task to navigate the ins and outs of septic system living. We are located in Boise and serve Mountain Home, Payette, ID, and all surrounding areas in southern Idaho. For more information or to schedule our services, fill out our online contact form or give us a call at (208) 991-7184 today.