If your area experiences serious flooding, you're going to want to check your septic tank for damage. Settling or floating in particular, can lead to pipe connections being severed, which will cause waste to leak out.
One of the worst things that could happen to your septic system is for solid waste to infiltrate your leach field. To prevent this from happening, you will have to clean the tank out regularly to ensure that all solids that enter the tank are kept safely behind the baffles.
When a septic tank is not pumped out regularly, there is not enough room for the solids and lighter elements to separate from the effluent, resulting in a contaminated or pipe-clogging discharge.
There are typically three things that create problems with your septic system's drain field: the tank has overfilled and needs to be pumped and cleaned, a pipe is blocked causing a backup, or the drain field itself is clogged. The first step is cleaning the tank and lines.
If you're buying a home that's not connected to a municipal sewer system, you're going to want to ask the seller about the location of septic tank.
DIY septic tank cleaning agents don’t really get to the root cause of septic tank problems. Sometimes, chemicals might actually do more harm than good since they kill bacteria necessary for the proper functioning of the septic tank.
There are three main components to a modern septic system: the tank, the drainfield, and the soil. Although they are all dependent on one another, each performs a specific role and must be properly maintained for efficient functioning.
Contrary to myth and misunderstanding, the purpose of a septic system is not to dispose of waste materials. Its purpose is to treat contaminated water before it reenters the water system. If a system malfunctions, it cannot perform the job for which it was designed.
Never work around a septic tank alone. In addition, make sure that all covers and hinges are not damaged and in proper working order. This will prevent their failing to keep people and pets from falling in.
If your home has a septic tank, you're going to want to make sure that it gets periodic attention. Typically, you're going to want to have a septic cleaning company come in to inspect the system and pump out the tank.
One of the worst things that could happen in your home is for the septic system to back up. As such, it would be a good idea to have the septic tank cleaned regularly and avoid flushing things that can potentially clog the sewer lines.
Waiting too long to pump out a septic tank can result in more damage than just a sewage backup into your home. The inside of the tank can corrode or the leach field can become polluted.
For added protection to your drain field, as well as providing peace of mind, your septic system may benefit by installing a filter to the outlet tee in the system in order to reduce the amount of suspended solids leaving the tank.
If the septic tank is suspect, whether due to age or capacity, you should have it pumped out before and after periods of heavy use to both avoid a backup and to restore the system to more manageable levels.
Be careful with what chemicals enter your septic system. The wrong ones will not only kill the bacteria needed to break down the effluent in the system, they will also permanently damage the leach field.
If you have a septic system, do not allow chemicals such as anti-freeze, household cleaners, gasoline, or other toxic substances to enter. They can corrode the tank as well as permanently pollute the leach field.
If your septic system uses a grinder pump, septic pump, or sewage ejector pump, even tiny, seemingly innocuous items like dental floss and cotton swaps can cause the motor to burn out, damage the impeller, and other expensive damage.
There are four main components to a modern septic system: the tank, the drain lines, the drainfield, and the soil. Although they are all dependent on one another, each performs a specific role and must be properly maintained for efficient functioning.
Ever wonder what happens to the stuff from the septic tank? After we pump it out, we take the waste to a proper treatment facility where it is safely processed according to local and EPA guidelines.
Baffles on septic tanks are designed to prevent clogging of inlet and outlet liquid. If the original installation was improper or, as in the case of steel tanks, the baffles have rusted, consider replacing the damaged baffles with septic tee pipes made from plastic.
Adding a gray water system to your home’s plumbing will improve the overall performance of the septic system. Gray water lines can be laid out so that your gardens, shrubs, and lawns can be watered by it.
Before hosting a large party, have the septic tank pumped out, especially if it has been a while since it has been done. This will help prevent an accident as well as avoiding inadvertently overloading the system.
As important as trees and shrubs are for the environment and for your home’s look, their roots can wreak havoc with septic systems. Before planting, locate the tank and lines. Then consider the species being planted and locate them far enough away from the system so its roots do not invade it.
While there may be a generally recommended pumping interval, that is not an absolute; the number of people in the household and the tank size determine how often the system needs to be pumped out.
