When your home relies on a septic system for waste water disposal, it's important to understand the basics of owning such a system. In general, you won't have to do much for your system except to have a professional waste water removal company come and pump out your system every three years. In order to protect your system and help it last longer, there are a number of ways you can make a difference. For example, if you have a larger family that uses the system regularly, you should have the system inspected and pumped out every two years instead.
Stop Using a Garbage Disposal
While a garbage disposal is great for getting rid of food scraps, you are better off throwing the food scraps into the trash or composting the scraps to make soil. When you use your garbage disposal for vegetable peels, egg shells, and more, these food particles are rarely broken down by your septic system. If you use your garbage disposal too often, this will fill up your septic system and cause problems with the way it handles waste water.
Don't Pour Grease Down Your Drains
Grease can wreak havoc with your septic system. It's important to remember that your septic system is a natural environment that relies on bacteria to break down any solids in the waste water. Grease is going to accumulate in your system, and you will risk creating a clog.
Watch What You Plant Over Your Septic Tank
The best ground cover to plant over your septic tank is grass. If you plant trees or large bushes too close to your septic tank, the roots can eventually reach the tank and break holes in it. While problems won't happen right away, you can ruin the structural integrity of your septic tank over time when you plant trees too close by.
Don't Flush Paper Towels, Plastics, or Hygiene Products Down Your Toilet
Everything you flush down your toilet ends up in your septic system. If the paper isn't toilet paper, it may not break down as readily as toilet paper does. Anything plastic, such as applicators, should never be flushed, and no hygiene products belong down the toilet. When you flush items down your toilet, they can block your septic tank and access to the leach field. Make sure to have a trash can right in the bathroom to avoid the need for flushing waste down the toilet.
For more information, contact local professionals like Zeb Watts Septic & Underground, Inc.
Share12 January 2017
My name is Angie, and welcome to my blog about sanitation and hygienic practices. Proper sanitation measures are very important so that individuals don't become ill due to diseases that can be contracted through unsafe and unsanitary conditions. I frequently give speeches in and around my city about proper sanitation measures and how sanitation can be improved. I wanted to be able to reach more people, so I decided to write this blog. While reading these articles you'll learn about many aspects of sanitation, including solutions, technologies and management. I hope that when you read my blog, you'll discover the importance of sanitation and how the proper methods can keep you and your family safe.