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Day-to-Day Management Tips for your Septic Tanks

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In today’s society, a septic tank is already considered one of the essential needs of every household. In this time and age where “backyard restrooms” are a thing of the past, an effective and efficient septic tank is a necessary part of our lives.

When it comes to maintaining your septic tank, you should remember to schedule regular visits from professional service providers. However, there are also simple day-to-day ways you can adopt to keep your septic tanks in top shape in between visits.

Here are the simple daily tips for the care and management of your septic tanks:

What to do:

• Use Less Water. Conserving water is not only good for the environment and your water bill; it also means your septic tank will have less water to process. An overworked septic tank means a decrease in efficiency – and in the long run a shorter life expectancy.
• Check Daily for Leaks. One of the simplest and best ways to maintain your septic tanks is to do a daily check-up of your plumbing for any problems, such as leaks. You could do this once a day (or every other day) and will not take much of your time.

What not to do:

• Pour Chemicals into the Drain. Pouring of chemicals should be done minimally or dilute in water first before pouring it into the sink or the drain. Excessive amounts of chemicals will damage your septic tank and might cause problems in the future. Chemicals can include household items like bleach and detergents.
• Pour Grease into the Drain. Pouring grease or used oil down the drain or down the sink should never be done. Pouring grease down the drain could clog the pipes and could cause serious problems with the piping.

How to Prolong the Life of an Aging Septic Tank

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An aging septic tank usually has a lifespan of 20 years or more. But its life can be extended depending on how well it is maintained and taken care of. The life of your aging septic tank can be maximized from 30 to 40 years with proper usage. The following tips are listed to help prolong the lifespan of a septic tank.

  • Rainwater must be kept away or diverted from the drainfield. The drainfield is where the treated waste is absorbed. If the drainfield becomes muddy or soggy it would be less absorbent thus will result in failure of the whole septic system in the long run.
  • Keep tress away from the aging septic tank. The growing roots may affect the tank year after year. Trees should be kept away within a proximity of 100 feet. In worst case scenarios, the roots may break the drainpipes and will require that the whole system be replaced or fixed immediately.
  • Do not flush solid objects in the toilet. How many times have we been warned about this? Objects such as tissues, napkins, tampons, diapers and other solid objects may clog the pipes or would easily fill up the aging septic tank. If so, fill the tank with solid rapidly and would need to be pumped out earlier than the usual schedule.
  • Do not pour grease or oil down the sink. These substances may cause damage to the aging septic tank. These oils and grease will eventually solidify causing blockage in the drainage system. If this is done repeatedly in years it would be difficult to clear them out.
  • Maintain a regular cleaning schedule. Any septic tank would need regular pumping and cleaning. Every three or four years it would need to be cleaned to prevent accumulation of clogs and debris that would be more difficult to remove in the following years. Do not wait until the tank is clogged before it is scheduled for pumping and cleaning.

Tips on Septic Tank Cleaning

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In some rural areas, septic tanks are used in the absence of large sewage facilities or sewer connections. But part of having a system like this comes also with the responsibility of septic tank cleaning. It would need maintenance in order for it to work properly. Septic cleaning isn’t such a difficult task. For most part it would only require minimal efforts and discipline on the owners side. To give some insights and tips on how to do septic tank leaning, tips are listed below.

  • Avoid making the drainfield soggy by the rainwater. If the drainfield becomes soggy it would be harder to neutralize and absorb liquid waste. Plan how you will divert rainwater from sogging the drainfield.
  • Refrain from disposing items into the toilet. These solid waste materials might be too bulky and clog the pipes in the septic tank. Likewise it would fill up the tank faster than it is capable of.
  • Do not use too much heavy cleaners. These cleaners would kill bacteria in the tank that would prevent wastes to be decomposed.
  • Don’t pour down grease in the drain. Grease that is poured from the drain will clog the drainfield thus making it hard for the soil to absorb waste water. If this problem occurs, a new drainfield might be needed.
  • Hazardous chemicals should be avoided. Paint thinner, gasoline, varnish should be disposed properly because these might contaminate the groundwater and ruin the whole septic system.
  • Regular maintenance should be performed. The solids accumulated in the tank should later on be pumped out. It is advisable for a family of four members who uses a 1,000-gallon tank to have it pumped after three to five years of usage. While it is also warned to never open the tank without the help or without the expertise of a professional. The gases and bacteria from the septic tank are dangerous.

Septic Tanks and Field Cleaning

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Maintaining septic tanks and field cleaning is important in order to prevent septic systems failure. Signs of septic tank failure may be recognized by these signs.

  • There is a noticeable wet area that surfaces on the drainfield. This problem is caused by solid particles that clog the drainfield. Sometimes it can also be caused by tree roots that seep underground and which makes it hard for waste water to disperse through the drainfield.
  • The toilet runs slow. In worst scenarios, this could be because the floor is already flooded with wastes and sewage. This might be because of a full septic tank or there is failure in the drainfield.
  • Bad odors can be smelled from the house especially from the toilet, from the septic tanks or the drainfield. If the septic system is working properly, there shouldn’t be any bad odors. If there is odor it might be a sign that the system is near being faulty.

With these signs it is important to stress why maintaining septic tanks and field cleaning is necessary. These tips below will help maintain a functional septic tank system.

  • The septic tank and the drainfield should never be overloaded. To do so, households should decrease water usage. This can be done by reduce water level when doing the laundry or reduce the water that’s needed to flush the toilet.
  • Do not dispose garbage in the toilet. Remember, it is not a garbage can. Do not flush tissues, napkins, diapers, tampons, and other clutter in the toilet. This will result to clogging of the septic pipes.
  • Trees should be away from the septic system. Trees should be at 100 feet away in proximity from the septic system. Roots might be cause of a problem in the future.
  • Avoid overusing heavy cleaners. These will kill bacteria in the septic tank so it would be harder to break down solid wastes.

Things You Need to Know About Septic Systems

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For a whole septic system to work the main component is the septic tank.

A septic tank is a sewage treatment system in rural areas which is not connected or regulated by main or big sewage systems usually provided by the government or main corporations. A septic system is composed of a septic tank and a drainfield. In the process, from the house, the waste water flows to the septic tank. The tank is made ideally in a way that the waste settles at the bottom and the waste water is retained. Eventually the solid wastes are decomposed partially and this forms sludge. A formation of light particles and grease called scum is formed and floats on top of the waste water. In a septic system, baffles are installed. These are to prevent scums and solid wastes from escaping. The treated waste water is then released to a drainfield.

As any other kind of system, a septic system needs maintenance. In failing to do so, some problems may be encountered. Even when the septic system seems to be functioning well, when it hasn’t been pumped for 5 years, it can cause pollution of the ground water and in some cases may clog the drainfield.

For this cause, simple maintenance tips may be applied. For one, it is always best to conserve water. Drips should be immediately fixed. In any kind of system, do not overload it. This we know, is the primary cause of why a system encounters problems and eventually results in failure. It’s also advisable not to dump hard solids or fats in the sink; these can easily build up and clog the pipes. Also, when you decrease the solid load in the tank, it also gives a length of time before the tanks needs to be pumped.

Aging Septic Systems: Tips to Lengthen Septic Tank Life

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A septic system usually has a span of 20 years or so. But this can be drastically extended for up to 30 or even 40 years, depending on how you take care of your aging septic system. Here are some helpful tips to maximize your aging septic systems.

  • Make sure rainwater stays out of your drain field. You need to make sure that your drain field is not soaked with rainwater. Otherwise, the capacity of your drain field to react on wastes from your sink will diminish, if not totally fail in the long run.
  • Make sure that trees around your house will not hinder your aging septic system. Trees growing around the house may also affect the aging septic system’s performance. The roots may creep around the drain and cause blockage to the flow of liquid wastes. Worse, if left for years, these roots may even break the drainpipes causing more damages, as you would have to replace the entire pipe.
  • Do not throw unnecessary materials into the toilet. It has been a misnomer, if not a common practice in most households to just throw anything and everything in the toilet and flush it out. Remember, toilets are not garbage. Throwing garbage in the toilet will only shorten your already aging septic system.
  • Avoid pouring oily substances in the sink. Another thing that causes huge damage to the aging septic system are the oily substances poured into it. Accumulated greases solidify and block the drains. When this goes on for years, it would be difficult to clear it with simple snaking.
  • Regular cleaning service. Now the most important part in maintaining your aging septic system is its regular clearing and cleaning. Ideally, your septic tanks have to be pumped every three to six years. Doing it regularly will prevent the accumulation of debris and other clogs that become more and more difficult to remove through the years. Never wait for your aging septic system to be clogged before having it pumped and clean.

Aging septic systems’ lifespan may be extended. With the right use of your septic system, you can be spared for another decade from replacing the entire system.