How a Septic System Works

Septic Service for Kutztown, Pennsylvania

Have your septic, cesspool, or sand-mound system cleaning performed by the professionals at Fisher Sanitary Service Inc., located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.
How a Septic System Works
The two most common types of homeowner systems are septic tanks and cesspools. Septic tanks are broken down into two categories, a septic system with an in-ground drain field, and a septic system with an elevated sand mound system.
Septic Tanks:
Waste water flows into the tank from the house where the solid waste settles out, and the remaining relatively clear water flows out into the drain field through a pipe located at the opposite end of the tank from the inlet pipe. It then flows into the drain field via the distribution box, which distributes the liquid evenly throughout the drain field through a series of pipes. Tanks may range in size from 500 - 1,500 gallons. 
Diagram of Side of House, Septic Service in Kutztown, PA
Cesspool, Kutztown, PA
Elevated Sand Mounds:
Contains a septic tank and pump. The pump takes the water that flows from the septic tank into it and pumps it into an elevated sand mound. An elevated sand mound is exactly what it sounds like, an area of raised earth through which the waste-water filters. 
Sandmound, Kutztown, PA
Cesspools:
Typically found in homes built in 1950 or earlier, cesspools are a hand-dug pit filled in around the sides with bricks, rocks, or cinder blocks and often have a dirt bottom. The waste fluid filters out through the perforated sides of the tank.
Sludge Diagram, Septic Service in Kutztown, PA
Important
In order to pump out your septic system or cesspool, you need to expose the manhole lid. For most townships, we are not legally allowed to pump through a 4 inch – 6 inch pipe. If your lid is not at ground level, we ask that you have the system dug up and ready to be pumped by the date your service is scheduled. The manhole lid is typically either a square or a circular lid, usually 2 feet in diameter.
To request a service for your septic system cleaning, contact us at (610) 683-7776. Please refer to the types of systems page to get an
idea of what system you might have, as well as to figure out how many compartments and separate manhole lids must be exposed.
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