Professional Tips for Maintaining Your Septic Tank
Sewage cleaning workers equipment with sewer on a town street on industrial truck
Did you know septic tanks should be pumped once every four years? Avoid having your septic tank overflow by following these professional septic-tank maintenance tips:
Keep Leaves & Tree Roots Away From The Sewer Pipes
Tree roots can find their way into septic tanks and sewer pipes, causing backups in the septic tank, which leads to seeping sewage onto the ground or out of manholes. Be sure to keep all leaves and other debris away from sewer pipes, septic tanks, septic system lines, septic tank covers and septic tanks.
Do Not Use Bleach In Your Septic System
Bleach may clean your home but it will destroy the bacterial environment in septic tanks, at least temporarily. If septic tank bacteria are destroyed, septic seepage can result. To clean your toilet, use only septic-safe products that do not contain bleach or fragrances.
Keep Disposable Wipes Out of Your Septic Tank
Disposable wipes and other thick household papers like napkins and paper towels should never be flushed down septic systems either because they don’t dissolve like toilet tissue does and they will cause a blockage in the septic system’s drainfield. Also do not put excessive amounts of toilet tissue down the drain at once as this can also cause a septic system blockage.
Reduce Hair Product Usage In Your Shower
Don’t use shampoo or conditioner in your septic system. Shampoo and conditioners contain fats, oils and waxes that will clog septic pipes. You should also keep hair out of the drain when you shower. Hair is made up of natural soaps, which can cause septic tank problems if allowed to build up inside septic systems. The best way to prevent septic system blockages is to simply not allow hair to enter into septic systems at all by using strainers attached directly to bathtub drains.
Limit Laundry Detergent & Fabric Softener You Use
Do not put large amounts of laundry detergent or fabric softener down septic systems. Doing so can destroy septic tank bacterial environments and septic seepage will result. You should never use a septic system as a trash can either, which means you should not dispose of any greasy food scraps that would kill septic tank bacteria if disposed of in septic systems.
Never Pour Cooking Grease, Oil or Fat Down the Drain
Grease is another item that should never go down the kitchen sink drain because it does not dissolve like toilet tissue does and grease causes septic back-ups at least temporarily until septic tank bacteria adapts to the change. This adaptation normally takes about three days but can last as long as several weeks during which time grease may build inside septic tanks and sewer pipes.
Never Grass Clippings or Other Yard Waste Into a Septic System
Grass clippings and other yard waste can seep into septic systems through septic tank covers whether the lids are clear, missing or cracked. Over time septic tank covers will break down from exposure to weather and this is why septic tanks should always have lids that fit properly, being either sealed shut with screws or cemented into place. Dispose of grass clippings and other yard waste at a dump station so it gets disposed of in an environmentally safe manner instead of polluting septic systems with seepage which can often lead to land pollution as well.
If You Have a Leach Field, Put Sand or Gravel in the Drains
Putting sand or gravel in septic system leach fields keeps septic tank effluent flowing properly. The holes in septic leach field lines should never be filled with rocks, concrete or other solid substances either because septic tank effluent needs to pass through them freely to get into seepage fields. If septic leach field holes are blocked up, septic seepage will result and this can destroy ecosystems where septic systems are present when nutrients from septic systems build up to dangerous levels.
Septic seepage will result if you do not properly maintain septic systems. Purchasing septic tank services on a regular basis is one of the best ways to maintain septic systems. With this knowledge, you are now ready to have a septic system professionally maintained.
