28 Mar, 2024
2 mins read

Septic Systems: 5 Tips for Taking Care of Your Septic Tank

Many residents of rural areas don’t have connected water and sewer systems, but wells and septic systems. These systems aren’t difficult to take care of, thanks to upgrades present in modern technologies. By following basic instructions and these tips, you can ensure your septic system operates properly for years to come.
Watch rainwater
A soggy and wet septic drainfield won’t properly handle liquid waste, leaving it unabsorbed and not neutralized. You’ll need to plan things like landscaping, gutters and drains to divert away water from the drainfield.
Don’t overload
One of the biggest reasons for septic system repairs is an overloaded system. Make sure your system and drainfield aren’t overloaded by checking regularly for leaks from toilets and faucets, and making necessary repairs. Aerators and flow-reduction nozzles on faucets and showers will help lower water consumption, as will reduce water levels for small laundry loads. Other ways to keep the system from overloading is to run the dishwasher only when you have a full load and to use a displacer to decrease the water needed to flush.
Keep trees away
Another reason to call for repairs is root damage from trees. Tree roots are notorious for damaging septic tanks, which can mean costly repairs. Keeping trees at least 100 feet away from your septic system will discourage these costly damages. Willow and other similar trees have very aggressive roots, so they should be kept even farther from the system and drainfield.
Be careful of what you dispose
Your toilet is not a garbage disposal. You shouldn’t flush (even if you are connected to a municipal sewer system) cat litter, diapers, sanitary items, coffee grounds, cigarette butts and other items, as they can quickly clog your tank. Do not overuse heavy cleaners, as they will kill beneficial bacterium that break down solids. Grease can also clog the drainfield, and make it impossible for the soil to absorb liquids. When that happens, you’ll need a new drainfield. Hazardous chemicals like varnish, gasoline and oils can ruin your system and are a hazard to groundwater sources.
Maintain regularly
If you want your system to work properly, the solids will eventually have to be pumped. The rule of thumb for a family of four with a 1,000-gallon tank is to have it pumped every three to five years. And while you might think it easy to take care of it yourself, never open a septic tank as it contains harmful materials and gases. Always have a professional handle the job.…

3 mins read

Homeowner Warranties – A Good Way to Help Sell Your Home

Would you prefer that you sold your home easily or with great difficulty? In a way, you could call this a trick question since there are many factors that do into making a home easier to sell. Drastically cutting the price of the home below what it is worth would help you sell it but you will not be gaining anything of value. Rather than follow such a method it would be a better idea to look towards other attractive benefits that would make a buyer look into the home. One such method would involve including a home warranty. While not a new idea, the home warranty is becoming more popular these days due to its increased effectiveness.
What is a home warranty? In a way, the concept is not much different than the warranty that would be afforded to a consumer product. It essentially provides a great help to the buyer as it financially covers any errant problems that may occur in the aftermath of purchasing the home. This does not include blanket coverage for every problem that might arise with the home. However, major services and functions will be covered through the warranty.
This is not to say that a homeowner warranty is identical to homeowner insurance. There is a huge difference between the two. Homeowner insurance is designed to cover a large portion (or all) of the value of the home in case of fires, natural disasters, and other such serious situations. A homeowner warranty is significantly scaled back from that but it is still of high value to a potential buyer. The warranty is mainly designed to pay for the costs of replacements and repairs of appliance and major home systems that have become broken as a result of normal wear and tear. The warranty may be called it or it may not. It all depends on how the home handles over the designated number of years the warranty covers after the sale.
As one can surmise, it may be possible to make a home warranty an attractive component to the sale of the home. Consider how the buyer looks at the availability of a homeowner warranty. The buyer sees the presence of the warranty as a huge discount on the home since some potentially expensive repairs are covered. Also, the buyer may feel very confident in the purchase of the home. Rather than looking towards problems associated with the purchase, they might assume that the house is probably in great shape. Why is this? It is because people assume that the warranty is easily offered because there is nothing wrong with the property. Consider this a form of reverse psychology that actually works quite well.
Sometimes you have to take a number of additional steps in order to sell a home. A homeowner warranty can be an excellent component in this regard and that is why it is so helpful to those looking to sell property.…