When you have a septic system with a sanitation tank. If you take good care of your septic system, you won’t need to use septic system services very often if ever. Having a one bathroom septic system is a particularly simple system, and it needs to be taken care of properly. Make sure that nothing solid goes into the system, and it should keep running just fine indefinitely.
If you do have plumbing septic problems, you will need a residential septic service that can come out and take care of the problems. It may be that the septic system stopped working properly and will need to be pumped out. This can happen if too much goes into the system or if solid items go in and start to take up too much room inside the septic tank.
There are enzyme treatments that you can use to help your septic tank to stay clear. These are added to the toilet and flushed so that the enzymes go into the septic tank. They then “eat” the waste that is there and keep the tank more clear. This is helpful for many tanks even if you don’t flush anything solid into the tank.
Nearly 25% of U.S. homes use a septic tank instead of their city’s sewer system. A septic tank can cause trouble for homeowners when it’s not properly maintained. The homes with access to the central sewer lines simply don’t need to worry about septic cleaning. With that said, taking care of septic systems before problems arise can greatly reduce future emergencies.
What’s That Smell? The Worst Case Scenario.
As you might have guessed, a problem with the septic tank may make itself known by causing the house and immediate area to smell, like rotten eggs specifically. However an intense sulfur smell is usually not the only, nor the first, sign that something is remiss. Sinks and other drains may back up, or drain slowly. The area outside that covers the septic system may grow swampy or sink.
What Can I Do to Avoid This? Start With the Right Tank Size.
A large part of avoiding problems with a septic system is to have with the right system. For example, a family of four would need at a minimum a 1,000 gallon tank to meet their needs. Most single family homes each person in the home will use somewhere around 70 gallons of water every day. As a rule, the septic tank should be able to hold at least two days of waste water. This is how long it takes for solid waste to settle and the liquids to filter out.
What Kind of Maintenance Does a System Need? Septic Cleaning in Easy Steps.
Septic pumping is an absolutely necessary step in maintaining a septic system. When the solids settle to the bottom of the tank, they form sludge. Eventually the sludge will need to be removed, which typically occurs about every two to three years for the average home. Because of the nature of the job, you might prefer to find a good septic service in your area.
Another component to septic cleaning is avoiding certain behaviors that will put undue stress on the system. While liquids separate from solids, which settle to the bottom sludge, fats and oils rise to the top. An excess of this scum will cause troubles.
This happens because all the waste water from a home is filtered through the septic tank. Try to avoid washing leftover fats and solids. If possible, try to compost these items or trash them, but don’t send it down the garbage drain. It might cause problems that require a septic cleaning.
While there is nothing terrible about having one, septic tanks do require a bit more thought than the alternative. Make sure your tank is the right size for the size of your family. Then put your tank on a regular cleaning schedule. Remember to be conscious of what you and the rest of house are putting down the drain. Following these steps will keep your septic system running smoothly for years to come.
