It is not complicated to maintain a septic system. Surely it does not require expensive tools and complex processes to take care of it either. There are only four elements to the upkeep of any septic system which are as below
- Frequent inspection and pumping
- Proper disposal of waste material
- Efficiently using water in the house
- Maintaining the drain field
Inspect the Septic Tank and pump it
Every household septic system needs an inspection every third year after installation. It is required for the household to hire a professional service and get this done. If you own an alternate system that comprises of mechanical components or electrical components like float switches, then you should get the inspection done at least once in a year. The major factors influencing the frequency of pumping and inspecting are
- Size of the tank
- Size of the household
- Volume of solid in the waste water
- Waste water generated in total
When the professionals arrive at your door, you need to note the levels in your tank for future reference. Scum and sludge can have damaging effect for the environment hence if the scum is within six inches of the T outlet or is the sludge layer falls within twelve inches of the T outlet then it is time to pump the tank clean. If any repairs are suggested by the professional, you must get them done immediately.
Everything reaches the Septic Tank eventually
Proper disposal of waste in the household is extremely important if you are not connected to the sewer system and rely on your septic undergroud. Whether you are showering, flushing the toilet, grinding at the garbage disposal or pouring something down the sink, all the waste ultimately reaches the septic system for decomposition. Hence you must remember few points to maintain the system and increase its life:
- Toilet is not your trach can. You cannot dump everything under the sun down the drain
- Plastic and latex is the worst enemy of the septic system
- Diapers and sanitary pads too belong in the trash
- Cigarette buds are a common cause that cause problems in the septic system.
- Oil and grease do not fare well in the tank hence should be avoided being poured in the sink.
- Think before it sinks – A Septic Tank only works till there are microorganisms working hard to decompose the waste in the tank. The moment you start pouring chemicals and solvents into the sink, the decomposition stops as the microbes start dying.
Efficient water usage is essential for your Septic Tank
Simply put, the less water reaches the tank, the more efficiently things will decompose down there. If your average daily consumption of water per person is above 70 gallons a day then you are doing something wrong, unless of course if your tank itself is ginormous. It is essential to take care of leaky pipes and drippy faucets because just one can cause you to lose nearly 200 gallons every day. Less water in the septic system also makes room for lesser failures. Hence you can make note of following points to make your household water efficient and maintain the septic tank :
- Install high efficiency toilets that consume 30% less water
- Use faucet aerators combined with highly efficient shower heads
- Intelligent usage of washing machine is also a key factor. Spread the laundry over the week and don’t do it all in one go. Also, use the right mode depending on the load size.
- All equipment that uses water should be high energy star rated.
Maintaining the drain field is also a pertinent task. Few things to remember for better functioning of the drain field are:
- No parking or driving over it
- No planting of trees randomly over the field
- No terrestrial drainage systems on the field.
