26/11/2023
π½π **Pumping Out of the Mushroom Vent: A Septic Tale of Woe!** ππ½
Hey, all you lovely folks in Septic-Land! πβ¨ Our trusty septic tanks do a lot of dirty work behind the scenes, and we're here to spill the beans (not the sewage!) on a little-known but crucial aspect β the Mushroom Vent! You should never let anyone pump septic out of the Mushroom as it will cause a multitude of expensive issues.
π« **Reasons to Avoid the Mushroom Mishap:**
**Not a Magical Fountain:** Contrary to popular belief, the Mushroom Vent is NOT a magical fountain of septic joy. It's there for air circulation, not as an entry point for the p**p evacuation squad! Your septic tank requires the ability to breathe through the Mushroom Vent otherwise the plumbing in your house will back up and you won't be able to flush the toilet, take a shower, drain your washing machine or wash the dishes.
**Fragile Farewell:** Pumping through the Mushroom Vent says farewell to your septic's structural integrity. It's like expecting a delicate dance from Godzilla β not gonna end well! PVC gets very brittle in the NZ sunlight and it can be like working with thin glass, so just leave it alone to do its job. It is not meant to support the weight of a septic hose and the hard jolts of sucking out the solids so don't turn it into the VIP entrance for sewage removal!
**Sloppy Seconds:** Pumping out of your septic tank's mushroom only eliminates the liquid portion of your sewage sitting at the top! There are 3 parts to the sewage - liquid, sludge and solids. ALL 3 of them should always be pumped out! If you pump out of the Mushroom Vent, you're paying for a small portion of your septic to be pumped out. How do we know? Because getting the sludge and the solids mixed in with the liquid requires rough handling of the sucker hose to stir and combine the 3 to all be sucked out. This continuous up and down with the heavy, rigid sucker hose breaks the Mushoom Vent every time because again - it was not built to be tank access and cannot support the weight of the hose!
**Drainage Field Death:" Pumping only liquids out of the mushroom leaves sludge and solids behind! This cakey mess gets forced into the drainage field over time and because the holes in the drainage field are not properly flushed out with liquids, they get clogged with poo, wipes and lots of other wonderful things that are flushed down the toilet. We've even sucked out toys and garden tools!
We've had a few locals who have had to ring us less that 1-2 years after being pumped out because the sludge and solid "foam" left behind from pumping out of the Mushroom Vent has floated to the top and plugged the Mushroom Vent - resulting in no or slow draining house plumbing. Imagine how happy they were to pay for this service again so soon.
Remember, folks, steer clear of the Mushroom Vent fiasco, and let your septic system do its thing in peace. Happy pumping, and may your sewage adventures be as smooth as a well-oiled plunger! π½β¨