How to Maintain Your Septic System Correctly

I wouldn’t trade living out in the country for anything however it definitely has a couple of things to consider that will never be an issue with a town home. A well and a septic tank are the two biggest issues that come to mind. They both will require maintenance over the years and even (expensively) even need to be replaced. Our well isn’t huge and that translates to not a whole lot of water pressure BUMMER and we have two (two?!) septic tanks that came with the house and I used them both when I ran all the plumbing!

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)

If you live in a house that has its own septic system, you have already faced the necessity to check it now and then to make sure everything is operating well. 

Indeed, there are several essential rules on what to do to keep the septic tank and the whole system “healthy”, including even what detergents to use. But today we would like to introduce you to the major care instructions that are useful to know in order to avoid clogging and other unpleasant consequences.

Healthy Septic System. How to Achieve That?

Don’t worry, you won’t have to educate yourself to become a maintenance professional or pay enormous money for the professional help from the specialists!

What we suggest is the basic rules of care together with the major dos and don’ts.

• Inspect regularly and pump it

The usual system is better to be inspected every three years. For this purpose, you will need help from the professionals. Pumping must be done with the same frequency.

If you are a lucky owner of the alternative variant, such inspections must be more frequent, let’s say, once a year is enough.

Of course, this is the approximate data. Everything hangs upon how big your household is, the total amount of wastewater and the number of solids in it, and how big your tank, of course.

• Record data

For the professional inspection, we recommend you collect the maintenance records. It will help to know when to clean it or whether it needs any fixing.

Also, include all the repairs that took place before so that the service provider could understand the current state of the system.

• Mind how you use water

The excessive water that ends up in the tank can soon lead to its breakage. To avoid that, pay attention on how much water your household uses. Repair any leaking pipes, toilets, or taps since they increase the daily water use from 70 gallons per person/day to 200 gallons!

Replace the old toilet reservoirs to the new ones that have smaller volumes (1.6 gallons instead of 3.5-6 gallons in old models). Renovate your showerheads and faucet aerators to cut down the excessive use of water, too.

And don’t launder all the clothing on the same day! Better divide it into several smaller loads and do them during the week ensuring you choose the proper load size and washing regime.

• Dispose waste correctly

Everything we wash down the drain goes to the septic system. So before tossing something there, give it a check: maybe, it is dangerous for the tank?

Never flush oily and greasy liquids 

Diapers, non-flushable tissues, dental floss, cigarettes, food leftovers, and cat litter – it all must go to the trash!

Any chemicals like harsh cleaning liquids, gas, or other aggressive substances are also prohibited.

No oil-based paints, solvents, or toxic liquids are allowed either.

All those things damage the microorganisms living in a septic tank that leads to its failure.

1. Drainfield matters, too

Since drainfield deletes the contaminants from the liquid that comes out of the septic container, its safety is a must.

Never park the car or drive on it.

Plant trees far enough from it to avoid roots growing into the septic system.

Keep the rainwater drainage system as far as possible from the drainfield since the excess liquid makes the process of wastewater treatment more complicated.

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)