How to Properly Care for and Maintain Drain Fields [infographic]

At Clark Septic, we offer a wide variety of septic system services as a full-service septic company in Oviedo, Florida. While we are equipped to handle even the most complex drain field repair and installation concerns after a failed drain field, we would prefer to help you with maintaining it so it gives you the long life that you expect. Here are a few tips for caring for and maintaining your home’s drain field.

• Regular Inspections- Many drain field issues start out small and manageable, but if you wait until a major symptom develops, you could face a more complicated repair. With an annual inspection, you can avoid this scenario and deal with a small repair cost instead.
• No Heavy Weight- Never drive over or park on top of any part of your septic system, particularly the drain field, which is not designed to withstand heavy weight. Anything heavier than lawn equipment should be routed as far from the drain field as possible.
• No Deep Roots- Be careful not to plant trees, shrubs, or landscaping that develops deep roots anywhere near your drain field. The roots will be drawn to the effluent and water, eventually entangling themselves in the drain field and rendering it inoperable.
• Practice Water Conservation- The less water your household uses, the happier your drain field will be. Spacing out laundry loads, showers, and other water usage that goes down the drain and into the septic system is imperative to keep the system from becoming overwhelmed and unable to filter the effluent properly.
• No FOG- FOG stands for fats, oils, and grease, which are to be avoided as much as possible in your septic system. These materials float to the top in the septic tank, where they will be removed when the tank is pumped, but if the layer gets too thick, it can end up joining the effluent below as it travels to the drain field and clog it up.
• Flush Responsibly- Be careful what you introduce to the septic system, as only bio-degradable materials can effectively decompose without putting the tank and drain field at risk.
• Be Diligent- Even with an annual inspection from your septic tank company, you should still make regular inspections of the area around the drain field and call if you notice sponginess, standing water, foul odors, or lusher-than-normal grass.