Septic System Maintenance Facts
Everything mechanical has a designed purpose and requires maintenance. If the devise is misused or not maintained it will most likely fail. This is true of your septic system. Without a septic system maintenance program even the best-designed septic system will fail. The old saying "garbage in = garbage out" applies to your septic system. Your septic system is comprised of a delicate balance of living microorganisms and bacteria. If bad things are put down the drain, bad things will happen to your septic system. In conjunction with our remediation equipment, several other actions can be taken to improve the performance and extend the life of your septic system. Learn more on septic system maintenance
Repair leaking fixtures: A leaking faucet or flapper valve in the toilet can flood your septic system with hundreds or even thousands of gallons of water per day. The typical system is only designed for 75 gallons of water use per day per person!
Do not use flush-activated toilet bowl tablets or cleaners. These products contain high amounts of chlorine bleach that kills the bacteria in the septic tank. When these products are used in the toilet tank they damage the rubber flapper valve causing it to leak.
Test the toilet flapper: If you have hard, rusty, or particles in your water, the debris can become logged in the toilet flapper valve causing a leak. Test the valve every month. When the flapper valve is leaking you may hear a slight hissing sound coming from the toilet. Even if the hissing sound is not present the valve could be leaking. This is known as the "silent leak". The "silent leak" will not flood the septic system as bad as a hissing leak; however, overtime a significant amount of unnecessary water can flow through the system. The best way to test the flapper valve is to allow the tank to fill normally. Then simply remove the toilet tank cover and drip three drops of dark food coloring into the tank. Do not flush the toilet. If the dye appears in the toilet bowl within an hour the valve should be repaired or replaced. A good time to perform the test is when you do another repetitive task such as making a monthly payment on your car, home or utility payment!
Install an approved effluent filter: An effluent filter in the outlet pipe of the septic tank can help keep solids out of the distribution component.
Install water conserving fixtures: Conserving showerheads, faucets, and toilets are available from most plumbing contractors and home building centers. Unlike older fixtures that have excess water flow, they are designed to provide adequate water flow for their function. Keep in mind that every gallon of water used in the house needs to be processed by your septic system. A low flush toilet can use 50% of the water of an older toilet!
Install lint traps or filters: These are as simple as a wire mesh sleeve that slips over the end of the washing machine discharge hose to a more elaborate cartridge filter. We all know that the dryer filter must be cleaned regularly. This filter fills quickly with lint with each load of laundry. A similar process occurs in the washing machine. Small particles of the fabric are rubbed off of your cloths and float into the wash and rinse water. The fibers are then flushed down the drain into the septic system. The cotton material is biodegradable. However, many of today's fabrics are synthetic and are not biodegradable. Some examples are polyester, nylon, and rayon. If these materials flow into the distribution component there is absolutely no way for them to be removed other than replacement of the absorption component!
Implement a water conservation plan: Many people have bad habits that that can be broken. These habits can be: running the faucet while brushing your teeth or hands, running the shower the entire time while washing your hair and body, only partially filling the laundry wash machine with it set to large load, running the faucet to get a cold drink of water instead of keeping a bottle refrigerated.
Use preferred household chemicals: Most modern cleaning agents are very good at disinfecting and cleaning. Unfortunately, if they are flushed down the drain into the septic system they continue their disinfecting action. This disinfecting can upset the delicate biological bacteria action of the septic system. When the cleaner kills the bacteria in the septic system, the system dies. The solids are not broken down and digested and flow into the distribution component. Avoid or minimize the use of chlorine bleach and cleaners containing chlorine bleach. Many cleansers and dishwasher detergents contain chlorine bleach. Anti-bacterial hand and dish soaps are only marginally better than conventional soaps at decreasing bacteria. Studies show that using a little more clear water is just as or more effective in removing bacteria than the anti-bacterial products. Powdered soaps contain ground clay to form the powder. The ground clay can be carried into the distribution component and clog it. Avoid or minimize the use of powdered soaps and replace them with liquid soaps.
Minimize wastes down the kitchen drain: Fats, greases, coffee grounds, egg or nut shells and food are very difficult for the septic system bacteria to break down. Scrape all kitchen wastes into the garbage rather than rinsing them down the drain. Avoid or minimize the use of the kitchen sink garbage disposal. These are great appliances but should only be used when the house is ed to a sewer system.
Use the garbage can: Do not flush chemicals such as caustic soda, acids, copper sulfate, chemical cleaners, paint thinner, latex or oil based paint, solvents, waxes, polish pesticides, poisons, fuels or motor oil or hazardous wastes. Do not flush anything other than toilet tissues down your toilet such as filter tip cigarettes sanitary napkins or paper towels or rags plastic objects or disposable diapers. All of these items cannot or are very difficult for the bacteria to break down.
Divert Water Softener Discharge: Discharge your water softener to another suitable location. Check your local codes and ordinances. Not only does the softener use a significant amount of water, the discharge contains salt. When the salt reaches the distribution component it can form an ionic bond between the soil particles creating an impermeable layer causing the absorption component to clog.
Landscaping and rainwater runoff: Route your downspouts away from the absorption component. Do not modify the landscape adjacent to the absorption component so runoff water is directed towards it. If required, modify the existing landscape to divert water away from the distribution component. Do not plant trees or shrubs above the absorption component. The roots of the plantings will grow into the absorption component. Keep heavy vehicles off of the absorption component. The heavy vehicles not only compact the soils but also can crush the perforated laterals of the absorption component. The compacted soil is less permeable than loose soil. Also, the more compacted the soil the more likely for the frost to reach the absorption component-causing freezing in northern climates.
Dumping RV Holding Tanks: Do not dump RV holding tank waste into your septic tank. This produces a large surge of sewage to the system and will most likely force untreated effluent out of the septic tank into the distribution component. Also, most RV owners use some type of odor control chemicals. These are usually blue liquids or tablets. These odor control chemicals are disinfectants to kill the odor causing anaerobic bacteria in the waste. When the disinfected waste is dumped into the septic tank it kills the bacteria in the system.
Pumping: State and local codes may prescribe a pumping frequency. Do not pump more frequently than required by code. Most experts believe that systems should be pumped when the volume of sludge and scum reaches about 25-30% of the volume of the tank, which may be once every 2 to 4 years. A licensed contractor can monitor the volume of sludge and recommend a pumping frequency. Frequent pumping disrupts the biological process. It may take 6-8 weeks for anaerobic bacteria population to establish itself inside in the septic tank after pumping. It may only take 1-2 weeks for your tank to fill to the point where effluent is flowing into the distribution component. Therefore, for 4 to 7 weeks the effluent flowing out of the tank may not be fully treated. The partially treated waste flows into the absorption component and can cause
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