Your septic system helps the plumbing in your home to do its job well. Think of what goes through your system—water and waste from tubs, toilets, sinks and showers — all makes its way through your plumbing and through your septic system. Modern plumbing is a great gift to our homes, helping us maintain better hygiene and cleanliness. However, all this water and waste need somewhere to go, and maintaining the system that takes care of its removal is incredibly important. Here are a few things you can do to help with septic maintenance for your septic system.
First, it is important to remember that your tank was only meant to uphold a certain amount of daily usage. To help maintain your system, do not overburden it with excess water usage or waste disposal (such as from your garbage disposal) if you have a smaller tank. This can clog the system prematurely and cause it to back up, requiring immediate septic maintenance. For instance, you can spread out your laundry throughout the week, rather than doing it all in one day.
Second, you should be wise about what you let flow through the system. Obviously, septic systems are meant to take care of some of the less-than-pleasant or hygienic wastes that come from our homes as a part of daily life. However, these systems take care of all wastewater from the home, so it is important to think about what you are allowing to flow down your drains. Certain chemicals and items can cause damage to your tank and entire system.
Finally, septic pumping should be regularly scheduled every three to five years for proper septic maintenance. This gets rid of the sludge at the bottom of the tank and helps keep it from leeching down into your drain field, causing premature clogging of your field and potentially leading to the need for a drain field replacement. Properly scheduled septic tank pumping is a crucial part of septic maintenance.
Call us at Clark Septic to discuss the real do’s and don’ts of septic tank usage and maintenance. We look forward to hearing from you!