Septic Maintenance Tips
Here’s a Few Things to Consider
Inside the septic tank, millions of bacteria break down organic substances and contribute to the treatment process. Disposal of strong chemicals such as household cleaners, paints, varnishes, solvents, garden pesticides and photographic chemicals can kill these bacteria and disrupt the treatment process. Also, they can damage the soil drainfield or contaminate local wells. Ordinary use of sink and toilet bowl cleaners shouldn’t cause problems: however, excessive use can be detrimental.
Keeping Your Septic System Clean
Items that should never enter your septic system include disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, paper towels, rags, coffee grounds, grease, cigarette butts, tampons, Kleenex, or cotton balls. Providing and using a sink strainer fine enough in mesh to retain the coffee grounds and other fine material will help keep the system in working order.
Also use single-ply white toilet tissue because it breaks down easily, Most homeowners can decrease their water consumption by 20-30 percent. Besides being beneficial for your septic system, such conservation saves wear and tear on the well pump and saves you money on hot water heating expenses.
Septic tanks and leach fields are frequently damaged when heavy equipment, trucks and even large livestock (such as horses) pass over them, An accurate diagram of the system enables the homeowner to keep these loads from the critical areas, and also provides easy locating when tank is due to be pumped.
Septic Usage Do’s and Don’ts
Keep your septic system healthy by following these simple guidelines.
Do
- Do conserve water: the less water you use, the less water your system has to treat. By reducing water use you can add years to the life of your septic system and avoid repairs.
- Do Use low-flow shower heads.
- Do Reduce toilet flushes.
- Do Fix leaky faucets immediately.
- Do Take shorter showers.
- Do Wash no more than two loads of laundry per day and do full loads.
- Do Wash only full dishwasher loads.
- DO keep accurate maintenance and system installation records.
- Do know where the lids are located and mark them well.
- DO educate yourself about your specific septic system design–how it works, and what, if any, alarm systems it has.
- DO make annual septic tank inspections – checking scum and sludge levels. Also periodically check the drain field for wet areas or settling.
- DO landscape your system correctly. Planting grass over the leach field is the best idea. It is best if the field gets sufficient sunlight, so keep nearby trees from shading the field permanently.
- DO use liquid detergents. Powder detergents have clay in them and can clog your leach field.
- Do add a lint filter to the washing machine discharge side to prevent lint and other damaging debris from the system.
And the Don’ts
- DON’T neglect your system. All septic tanks must be pumped on a regular basis!
- DON’T drive vehicles of any type over your leach field.
- DON’T graze or pen livestock on the field.
- DON’T allow rain gutters to discharge over the leach field.
- DON’T flush anything down the toilet other than human waste and toilet paper.
- DON’T put the following in your tank:
- Cooking Oil, Fats or Grease
- Bleach or Clorox
- Coffee Grounds
- Industrial Cleaners
- Paint or Solvents
- Paper Towels
- Anything Plastic
- Feminine Hygiene Products: Condoms or Disposable Diapers
- Cigarette Butts
- Expired Medications, Especially Antibiotics
- Large amounts of harsh cleaning products, bleach or disinfectants.
- Automobile fluids, such as gas, oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid etc.
- DON’T use a garbage disposal. Tank bacteria can not break down ground up food.
- Never ever enter an empty septic tank for any reason. You can easily be overcome by odorless fumes that are noxious or dangerous. Only a trained technician with proper breathing equipment assisted by a safety team should enter an empty tank. PERIOD!
Get in Touch
Diffley and Daughters can supply you with a free estimate on pipe replacement or new sewer installs. Whether it’s a new septic install, sewer connection, sewer repair, we’ll leave your property as clean as possible. From compacting topsoil to prevent sunken areas, to re-loaming the work site, your property will come back as nice as before we started.