Why Home Septic Tanks Need Maintenance
If you have a septic tank on your residential property, it’s important that you perform regular septic tank maintenance. When you’re new to septic systems, you might not realize how important your septic tank is—until something goes wrong, and you can’t bathe, wash clothing or dishes and flush the toilet until it’s fixed.
Here’s an overview of why home septic tanks need regular maintenance.
Avoid backed-up drains and septic overflow
When your septic tank is clogged or too full, sewage can back up in your showers and tubs, sinks and toilets. It may also lead to septic overflow in your yard. Keep an eye out for spongy or suspiciously green patches of grass, raw sewage odors and flooding.
Septic systems can process a great deal of wastewater, but eventually the solids will build up in the tank. That’s why you have to have your tank pumped every three to five years, or more frequently, depending on how large your household is. If you notice any of the signs above, call a septic contractor for emergency pumping right away.
Keep the groundwater supply clean
Another reason to maintain your septic tank is to help keep the groundwater supply clean. Septic systems depend on the wastewater spending a certain amount of time in both the tank and the drain field. This separates solids from effluent, and removes harmful bacteria before the water rejoins the groundwater system.
If you fail to maintain your septic tank and it floods your yard, you could be polluting the groundwater. That’s bad news if your home also runs on well water. Plus, it smells awful—septic tank overflow will not endear you to your neighbors.
Avoid health hazards
Finally, septic tank overflow can be a health hazard. Any time you have raw sewage in your yard, you could be subject to a number of different illnesses. Keep your pets and children far away from the drain field, as well as any other areas where it seems like there’s a septic tank problem.
How to maintain your septic tank
Maintaining your septic tank is relatively easy, as long as you keep up with it. First, make sure you pump your tank every three to five years, and whenever you notice signs that it could be full. Set a calendar reminder every time you have your tank serviced, so you’ll never forget.
Next, make sure you follow the “rules” for what you send to your septic tank. Generally, you should only flush wastewater and human waste down the drain. Fats, oils, grease, food scraps, coffee grounds, hygiene products and baby wipes should be disposed of in another way. This is because they clog pipes and cause your tank to fill up faster. You’ll also need to switch to septic-friendly household cleaners.
With a little practice, maintaining your septic tank should be easy. If you find yourself in the middle of a septic emergency, however, reach out to Macken Services, Inc. We’ll help you keep your septic system in good working condition with preventative maintenance.
Categorised in: Septic Systems
This post was written by Writer