You probably have no idea what happens to water and waste after you flush it down your drains. But did you know that improperly handled waste can adversely affect the health of your family? This is true especially if you have a septic system in your home.
A septic system is different from a sewage system and thus requires different cleaning and maintenance routines. First, it is your responsibility to keep track of what goes down your drains if you have a septic system. In addition, you should ensure that your septic tank is properly cleaned and regularly maintained to protect the well-being of your family's health.
Below are helpful tips on proper septic tank maintenance.
Proper Waste Disposal
Flushing inappropriate items down the drain can lead to blocked drains, which will affect the overall performance of the septic system. For instance, only biodegradable toilet tissues should be flushed down your toilets. Items such as baby wipes and diapers should be disposed of in the trash can and not your toilet.
You should also observe what goes down your bathroom drains. Hair is the main cause of bathroom drains. Install a filter at the front of the main drain pipe to prevent hair and other inappropriate items from getting in your drains. Also, do not flush grease and solid food particles down your kitchen drain. Grease and solid foods accumulate in kitchen drain pipes over time and eventually result in clogged drains.
Pumping Out A Septic Tank
Ideally, a septic tank should be pumped out after every three to five years. However, the size of the septic tank and the number of people in a household will determine how often you should pump your septic tank.
It could be time to pump out your septic tank if you notice slow drainage in your household drains. Also, backing up toilets can be a sign that your septic tank needs a pump-out. Contact your septic tank maintenance expert if you notice such signs.
Bacteria Additive
A septic system needs the presence of natural bacteria to function properly. However, unnatural substances such as detergents and soap can kill the natural bacteria and thus mess with the functioning of a septic tank.
Bacteria additives can be used to break down any unnatural substances that could threaten the well-being of the natural bacteria in a septic system. Besides promoting the proper functionality of a septic system, bacteria additives are also responsible for keeping drain pipes clean and odour-free.
Talk to a septic take professional in your area to learn more.
If you have recently moved to a property which uses a septic tank, you may be finding the transition from mains sewerage difficult. There are so many things you need to know when using a septic tank. How often does the tank need to be cleaned? How do I stop the tank from becoming blocked? How can I best maintain the septic tank? This blog aims to answer some of these questions. I'm no expert but I have been using a septic tank for the past 4 years. During that time, I have learnt lots of cool things about the equipment.