The Top Ways to Avoid Thanksgiving Plumbing and Septic Disasters

November 19, 2021 Published by Leave your thoughts

Thanksgiving festivities mean fun for the whole family—but for homeowners with septic tanks, this can be a stressful time of year. Inviting guests over always raises the chances of clogging the system or having a sewage backup in the house.

The good news is that septic problems can be avoided by following these tips:

  • Schedule pumping now: Septic tanks need to be pumped every three to five years to avoid overflows and backups. If it’s been a while since yours has been pumped, we recommend doing so now before it gets extra use during the holidays.
  • Use the trash can: Fats, oils and grease (FOGs) are a major danger during post-meal cleanup. They solidify after they’ve gone down the kitchen sink, leading to nasty plumbing clogs or even septic woes. Be sure to put all FOGs in the wastebasket instead of down the drain.
  • Avoid the garbage disposal: Your garbage disposal can come in handy when you’re cleaning up leftovers—but we don’t recommend using it. Just like with FOGs, relying on the garbage disposal causes clogs in your home or out in the drain field. Make a habit of throwing all food scraps in the trash.
  • Watch what you flush: The only things that should go down the toilet are waste and toilet paper. Septic tanks aren’t designed to handle anything but those. Not even something as small as dental floss should be flushed! Post a friendly reminder in your bathroom reminding guests that your home is connected to a septic system.
  • Limit water usage: Septic tanks are only designed to handle a certain amount of wastewater per day. Too much water flowing into the tank can lead to a variety of septic issues, like an overflow. Try to limit water usage by taking quick showers and not doing too many laundry loads while guests are in town.
  • Inspect drains and pipes: You can do yourself a big favor before guests arrive by going from sink to sink and looking for signs of leaks or clogs. Turn the faucet on, and see how long it takes the water to go down the drain. A slow drain could mean a clog somewhere in your home’s plumbing or the septic tank.
  • Mind your parking: We know that finding parking can be tough when you’re having guests over, but don’t let anyone park in the grass on top of the drain field or septic tank. Parking a heavy vehicle on your septic system can cause significant structural damage that’s costly to repair.
  • Call for help ASAP: Finally, don’t hesitate to call a professional plumber as soon as you notice something’s wrong with your plumbing or septic tank. Plumbing and septic issues only get worse and more expensive to fix over time.

Hire Macken Services, Inc. today

Time is running out before Thanksgiving, so now’s the perfect time to call our septic professionals at Macken Services, Inc. Contact us today to schedule pumping or to perform a routine inspection of your septic tank.

Categorised in:

This post was written by Writer

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *