Commercial, Residential
Allentown PA, “The City Without Limits,” Needs a Septic Service Without Limits!
We at Kline’s, your friendly local septic service, would like to give a shout out to Allentown, PA.
Allentown has certainly earned its slogan, “the city without limits,” as the core of development in the Lehigh Valley area. It is the third most populous city in Pennsylvania, trailing only Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and boasts a prosperous theater and business district. The city also has a healthy appetite for sports as the home to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, affiliate team to the Philadelphia Flyers, and the IronPigs, AAA affiliate of the Phillies.
Though it’s easy to focus on the booming development of Allentown, it’s also highlighted by a rich history. It features three historic districts and a wealth of Victorian housing. It even has a history of hiding the Liberty Bell in a church during the American Revolution. (Ha, Philadelphia! You can’t hog all the attention!) Today, you can visit this church site that is now a popular museum.
If you’re lucky enough to call Allentown, PA your home, Kline’s would like to extend their septic services to you. Whether you have a personal residence or a business, Kline’s is here to fulfill all of your septic service Allentown PA needs. From standard problems like clogged drains and leaks to more unsightly (and probably smelly) problems like septic backups, we got you covered. If you have a commercial property with more specialized needs such as grease trap cleaning and waste disposal, you also have a reliable service in Kline’s.
Even if you aren’t currently experiencing an issue but are now wondering if and when one might occur, Kline’s can help you there, too. We offer a 3 step septic maintenance plan that will tune up your septic system before a costly problem rears its ugly head.
If you reside in or near Allentown, PA, we hope you will contact Kline’s Services for any of your septic system needs.
Residential
What Can Cause a Weak Sump Pump Flow?
A sump pump plays an important role in keeping your basement or crawl space dry. Sump pumps prevent flooding by collecting groundwater as it rises through cracks in the foundation. In the event of flooding, sump pumps work to drain the water by pumping it through a pipe so it drains away from the house. There are two common types of sump pumps:
Submersible
A submersible sump pump sits below the surface of the basement floor.
Pedestal
A pedestal pump sits above the basin and is typically a louder pump than a submersible pump.
Sump pumps are powered with electricity by plugging into a standard wall outlet with a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). Depending upon the model, a sump pump may have battery back-up in case of power outage.
Possible Causes of a Weak Sump Pump Flow:
Given a sump pumps important role in preventing a flooded basement or crawl space, it’s important that the pump has strong flow for pumping water away from the house. What can cause a weak sump pump flow? Here are a few possible causes:
- Clogged Screens-A clogged screen on your sump pump is certainly a possible source of weak flow.
- Switch Issues-Switches can become disconnected and may contain debris.
- Frozen drainage pipes-With cold weather, a frozen drainage pipe is another possible cause of weak flow.
A sump pump is an electrical piece of equipment that should only be handled by a professional. As with any home maintenance, it’s better to be proactive rather than reactive. Don’t wait for a disaster to flood your basement before checking your sump pump. Our professional staff will check for clogged screens, switch issues, and any other problems that may be keeping your sump pump from fully functioning. To schedule an appointment, contact us today!
Commercial, Residential
Town Spotlight: Reading, PA Embraces Pretzels To Septic Services Industries
Reading, PA is famous for its spot on the monopoly board, but a railroad isn’t the only thing it’s known for. Also known as the “Pretzel Capital of the World,” you shouldn’t be surprised to find more than a few pretzel establishments that call the city home. It’s the fifth most populated city in the state and boasts a rich cultural and industrial life. It may not be as well known as Philadelphia, but it’s success in farming and its abundance of civilized establishments such as colleges and a symphony orchestra are nothing to be scoffed at.
Speaking of things not to be scoffed at, let’s not forget the modest business of septic services. In the city of Reading where both residential and commercial buildings are abundant, it’s a very necessary trade. Luckily, Kline’s Services has you covered whether you’re a personal homeowner or you’re a business owner with more specialized needs.
All of you homeowners, Kline’s knows how important the place you live in is. Leaks and clogged drains in your home? Unacceptable! Our expert plumbing service is here to put an end to any such nonsense. In fact, Kline’s approach is to keep it to where their future visits are for routine maintenance, only. We’re actually looking for potential problems to stop them before they occur and cost you hard-earned money. We also offer septic pumping and repairs, and you can check out our 3 Step Septic Maintenance Plan to really keep things running smoothly.
We hope you’re not feeling left out, business owners, because we can serve you beyond general septic and plumbing maintenance. We can also handle services such as cleaning your grease traps and disposing of your waste.
So if you’re in need of anything septic system related in the Reading area, no need to worry! Just contact Kline’s and go get a pretzel instead!
Commercial
Four Risks of Uncleaned Grease Traps
Having a grease trap that is not regularly cleaned and maintained, poses more than just a risk of bad-tasting food, but serious safety risks, as well as expenses. Here are four things a dirty grease trap can create:
Fire
Visible grease build-up on kitchen hoods, ducts, other ventilation systems, and kitchen surfaces are obvious, but industrial grease traps post a not-so-obvious threat to the safety and cleanliness of commercial and industrial kitchens.
Over half of restaurant building fires come from hazardous cooking conditions, resulting in millions of dollars in damage, as well as lost revenue.
It takes only a few ounces of grease to be a severe fire risk and a grease fire can burn through a typical fast food restaurant in as quickly as five minutes.
Odor
Old grease holds odors that can travel and contaminate the flavors of your foods. Not only can the smell permeate the food, but the building as well, making the atmosphere feel thick and unclean.
Blockages
As grease traps do their job, they separate grease from liquids, allowing for grease to stay trapped instead of seeping into sewage and pipes, causing blockages.
However, if your grease trap is not regularly cleaned (or has not been properly inspected and cleaned for a while), you can develop blockages that could lead to stiff fines and penalties for damages.
Expenses
If you weigh the cost of fire damage, lost customers, possible fines and property loss, against the cost of regularly scheduled maintenance of your grease trap, the conclusion is simple. By making arrangements to keep your grease trap clean and clear, you avoid potential disasters that could cost you in the long run.
Contact us today and ask about our proven 14 Point Inside Grease Trap Preventative Maintenance Program. By grease pumping, we can ensure your grease trap is clean, maintained and up to all health regulations.
Commercial
Video Drain Inspection Services
As water begins to rise in the sink, the panic level rises. Quickly turn off the faucet and make sure the drain isn’t blocked. Sometimes, this isn’t enough. Buildup in a drain can prevent water from flowing. There are several common drainage problems every building faces, and professional drain cleaning technicians are ready to resolve every problem.
The most common drains to clog are in the bathroom and kitchen. Both rooms undergo heavy traffic and use. In the bathroom, the most common culprit of drainage issues is hair and dirt build up in the pipes over time. For both the toilet and sink drains, the causes boil down to misuse. Dropping inappropriate waste products down a drain make big issues. Paper towels and baby wipes don’t belong in the toilet, just as kitchen sinks are not designed to dispose of oil and grease. With drain clogs being a common occurrence, many do-it-yourself solutions have surfaced over the years. Here is some of advice from your plumber:
- Avoid using caustic chemicals to open up clogged drains. These chemicals often do more harm than good and are not safe to keep around the house.
- Only paper products designed for toilet use should be flushed down the drain. The toilet is not a garbage can.
- Leave it to the professionals. A professional technician is much faster and efficient than tackling the problem yourself.
Drain cleaning technicians have all the right tools for the job. The handiest is the video drain inspection camera. This tiny camera helps a technician know exactly what the problem is without wasting time. It can diagnose drain problems such as cracks, clogs, and even tree root issues. Drainage problems are best handled by the professionals with all the experience and gadgets to get the job done. Video drain inspections are the fastest and most accurate way to ascertain the cause of a drain problem. Contact us for more information about video drain inspections and cleaning.
Residential
Septic Maintenance Q&A: What happens if I don’t Pump my Septic?
Just because your septic system seems to be in working order, doesn’t mean you can ignore routine septic maintenance. Septic pumping plays an important part in keeping your tanks serviced. Doing checkups on your system is a way to keep costs down in the future when a major problem arises.
First, you need to know how your system works.
How Does Your Septic System Work?
Your system essentially works like this: When you run water or flush a toilet your plumbing transports that water, replete with biowaste, to the septic tank.
In the first chamber with the power gravity, refuse separates into one of three bi-products. The solids are called sludge which travels to the bottom. The effluence is the water that comprises most of the tank’s volume. The scum is the oily substance that floats to the top.
Issues That May Arise.
If you don’t pump your tank these products can venture further into the inner workings of your septic system. Sludge could become trapped in one of the many filters utilized by your system. This causes blockage, which causes effluent water to flood back into your home.
If the oily scum could contaminate your ejector pit. This could render your pump useless and cause you major problems immediately. Some newer pump systems have an alarm for that reason. You need to know your system intimately to prevent any mishaps.
Pumping your system regularly is a great way to ensure septic livelihood. Contact us here at Kline to discuss your system.
Residential
Septic Maintenance Will Save You Money
A functioning septic system is something you don’t even think about on a daily basis. You flush your toilet; the system takes over from there. But don’t let this fool you. Failure to keep up with septic maintenance can cause big problems and big bills.
Kline Services strongly recommends a three-step preventative maintenance program. With regular pumping, bacterial additives, and the installation of a filter, you can avoid a lot of problems. Experts say the number one reason for septic system failure is a lack of preventative maintenance. So what does this maintenance do?
Pumping the septic tank makes sure it doesn’t get too full and removes the top layer, which is made up of fats and oils that don’t break down. If the tank is overfull, showers and sinks will drain slowly, and it can even cause sewage to back up into the house. Without regular servicing, build-up will form in the tank that is difficult to remove. If this buildup gets bad enough, it can even mean you have to replace the tank.
Even worse, without regular septic maintenance, solids can flow into the pipes of the leach field, clogging them permanently. The overflow caused by this can bubble up to the surface, creating a swampy mess. It can also contaminate the water table, affecting wells and streams. The leach field pipes must be replaced in this case.
If you wait to take care of your septic system until there are problems, it is always going to cost more and be more of a hassle than preventing them in the first place. Some issues can force you to replace the entire system, at a cost of $20,000 or more.
Fortunately, the professionals at Kline’s Services are experts at septic maintenance. Contact us, and let us help you avoid expensive problems down the road.
Commercial, Residential
Landisville, PA Septic Service
Saving the planet or saving your health?
About 71% of the earth is covered by water. About 60% of the human body is made of water. Thank goodness that we, in cooperation with the environment, can recycle water!
We jump onto the water cycle in our homes where we use it to drink and to clean our bodies and homes. We drain it from our sinks and tubs and flush it along with our wastes, and our properly maintained waste treatment systems handle it from there.
From where?
If you’re not on a municipal or other public or neighborhood waste treatment system, chances are you have a septic system.
What’s a septic system?
A septic system is an onsite wastewater treatment system that takes both “black” water and “gray” water out of your home or commercial space and into a tank where it’s treated and the water returns to the earth. As long as it’s working properly, a septic system is easily forgotten.
What if my septic needs repair?
Wastewater management is tricky business. Clogged drains, leaky toilets, and backed up septic systems are not everybody’s cup of soup! When that system that you usually take for granted assaults your senses with sights and smells not meant for human experience, it’s time to call experienced professionals who can quickly diagnose and remedy the issue.
The well-trained pros at Kline’s https://klinesservices.com/cities/landisville-2/ are ready to solve your residential or commercial septic ailments any time. They have the right training and equipment to get in and get the job done so that you can go back to whatever you do best.
Once the problem is remedied, don’t slip back into forgetting about your septic system. Contact us today to set up a regular maintenance plan to keep your system properly functioning for your worry-free flushing and draining future.
Residential
Simple Septic Tips for Easy Maintenance
You have plenty of details to think about each day. One thing you’d probably rather not worry about is your septic system. Fortunately, if you follow a few simple tips to keep your septic system working efficiently, you shouldn’t have to worry about it at all.
Be careful what you put in it
Your septic system depends on bacteria to digest solids. But if the bacteria are overwhelmed by too many solids, they can’t do their work, so try not to use your garbage disposal too much. Certain things, like coffee grounds, cigarette butts, and facial tissues are very difficult to break down, so keep them out of your system. Familiarize yourself with the things that shouldn’t be added to your system. Once you get used to the habits that baby your bacteria, you won’t have to give it a thought.
Opt for septic safe products, like toilet paper and detergent. They’re formulated to break down well and don’t contain additives that can cause clogs. Choose cleaning products carefully, too. Bleach is usually safe in the laundry, but in general, you want to avoid too many antibacterial products.
Be careful what you put on it
It’s important not to compact the soil on top of your leach field. Don’t drive or park on top of it. Keep drainage directed away, too. If that soil becomes too compacted or waterlogged, the system won’t function properly. Planting grass over it will help keep erosion under control. However, trees can clog pipes with their roots, so plant them about 100 feet away.
If you’re building on your property, keep in mind that adding a structure like a pool over your system is not safe, and will make it difficult or impossible to access it for maintenance. Give it some breathing room, and it will return the favor!
Remember our three key septic tips
- Service your system regularly. Don’t wait until you have a problem. Regular maintenance will prevent big problems and can find small problems before they grow.
- Install a filter to keep your leach field free of debris. This will ward off clogs and damage that can be expensive to repair.
- Use a bacterial additive. Regularly topping off the hard-working bacteria in your system will keep things running smoothly.
We’re here at Kline’s Services to answer any questions. Give us a call and let us know how we can help.
Commercial
Treating the Overflowing Lagoon
An optimally flowing lagoon should never require too much attention, but time changes all things. It is very common that a lagoon was once handling the work capacity it was designed for is bogging down with additional strains on it as the population grows around it. According to the EPA, “Organic overload is normally caused by increased influent organic shock loads without corresponding increase in treatment plant capacity.” Or in layman’s terms, we keep putting more strain and work into the lagoon without giving it the proper extra care and space that it needs. We have to think about the risk of overflowing lagoons, and lagoon cleaning. Before a disaster occurs with the lagoon, there are signs; side effects indicating that the lagoon is no longer in good working order.
What Happens to a Flooded Lagoon
Lagoons should be a proper color: only crystal blue, green, or brown will do. Any other color points directly to there being a sub-optimal level of digested oxygen, or DO, from an influx of algae and bacteria in the water. The algae will also lead to an increase in the odor surrounding the lagoon. As they feed by anaerobic digestion, the gases they release will escape the lagoon at once, releasing them with a powerful, noxious, sulfurous odor. There will also be an increase in sludge build-up as the lagoon cannot properly handle the strains it is placed under. Preventative maintenance by professional observation is key to keeping this from developing into a disaster.
What To Do
At Kline’s Services, we follow EPA guidelines in aerating an overly-strained and too-full lagoon. Thus we are saving clients future expenses and headaches by addressing the problem head-on. Following EPA guidelines, we ensure the lagoon will be fully up-to-code, and with proper treatment, we can prevent this from happening again anytime in the near future.
