Importance of Servicing

7 March 2023

Klargester Bearing Replacement

Responsibilities of owning an STP

Having a successful Sewage Treatment Plant or Pump Station on your premises requires maintenence to keep it in good working order. Annual servicing by companies such as Allerton are necessary, but you (as the customer) should occassionally check that it's working. Servicing and maintenance will prolong the life of your Sewage Treament Plant. Read our blog post here to learn more about the steps an engineer will take when servicing your unit. Here are some things you can do to make sure your treatment plant or pump station is working long term.

Caring for your unit

For pump stations and sewage treatment plant, keep your eye open for warning lights. Check this every so often to make sure everything is working okay. The below image is an example of a set of warning lights. On this particular unit, when the amber beacon flashes that means there is an issue with the air blower. If the red light flashes then there may be an issue with the water level. In any case give Allerton a ring!

Regarding sewage treatment plant only (including ConSepts), the bacteria are a living organism and, like any other animal, can be killed off by poisonous substances. We therefore recommend that you try and prevent the following from entering the system:

Excessive amounts of cooking oil and fats

Excessive amounts of cleaning agents, bleach etc

Remains of medicines

Motor engine oils, solvents or paint brush cleaning agents etc

Nappies, sanitary products, wet wipes or any fibrous materials etc

Chlorine backwash from swimming pools

Why is Servicing Important?

A pump station will soon let you know when it breaks down. Either the warning lights are spotted or the lavatory water doesn’t get way!
Sewage Units are a different matter. They can fail without you being aware. Warning lights need to be checked to see that they are not flashing.

The consequences of a breakdown or other problems generally means untreated sewage entering the ditch or river. This means pollution and possibly a fine by the Environment Agency if it’s a persistent breach of your licence. For those relying on field drains to disperse the final effluent the problem can be ignored but at the real risk that the system gets so blocked that it is useless for further drainage.

This means a costly replacement and in a different part of the garden... If you have the space for it!

Why Allerton?

Having Allerton service your unit each year means that the problem is recognised quickly and the drainage system saved.

Types of units we service include: WPL, Klargester, Condor, Entec, Mantair, Mono Pump, Waterwise, Clearwater, Marsh and many others... and the Allerton units of course! Some units are no longer being installed, however, we still service them to ensure they remain in good working order. Even if they are 30 years old or more!

So ensure the unit is serviced properly once a year and in the meantime check that it is running properly and that those red lights aren’t flashing. Our engineers will be happy to show how to do a quick check. Often you’ll also be able to notice if it’s not working if there’s no sound. Watch and listen!