Septic Tank and Drain Field Maintenance

Tips for Homeowners

Maintenance to the septic system is a basic process you need to do regularly for a fully operational home. In doing so, you need to include the septic tank, the drain field and even the soil. In actuality, the amount of waste deposited to the system at a given time sets the stage in planning the maintenance. Here are a few tips to help you plan your own.

• During construction, make sure that excess water from rain or other sources are diverted away from the drain field. This is because such types of water are essentially clean and are safe for absorption of typical soil near plants.
• Avoid overloading the tanks with excess water from leaks on your toilets and faucets. This means you need to check all faucets and drains and ensure the pipes don’t have holes. All faucets should also be tightly attached.
• Uproot trees and large plants near your drain field to prevent roots from damaging it. Some trees have roots that spread very wide and might reach and pierce through the walls of your field. It can also do damage on your other pipes as well.
• In terms of usage, avoid flushing or draining down solid items such as disposable diapers, napkins, paper towels, tampons, cigarette butts, filters, coffee beans, tissues and many more. Always place a filter on all your drains to prevent solids that are prone to clogging pipes from accumulating in your system.
• Only use strong drain cleaners every once in a while or when you feel that the drains are taking too long to process. This is because there are useful bacteria in the septic system that break down the solids. Cleaning solutions kill the bacteria and removes the catalysts for breaking down the solid objects.
• Despite the advice that septic tanks should be drained once filled, make it a habit to have it pumped around every 5 years for an average family of four or five.

When you experience problems in your septic system, call the experts at Certified Plumbing for a drain field inspection and repair. Do not do anything by yourself if you do not have the training.