Septic tank maintenance

You just purchased a new house, move in, spruce up the place a bit, and then settle in with your family. What better time to invite friends over to celebrate your new humble abode?

The party is moving along nicely, everyone seems to be having a great time. And then a report surfaces that the toilet upstairs is clogged, and worse, it is over flowing. How could this be? What could be the cause?

Too often the septic system in a home is the last thing that potential home buyers have inspected. More times than not, a septic system in disrepair or poor condition is the cause in the scenario mentioned above. So how do you properly maintain a septic system? What steps should be taken to ensure proper functionality and minimize issues? This guide is intended to help you determine how to care for your home by taking care of your septic system.

Providing details regarding preventative maintenance to home owners can be a life saver, as well as provide sound financial savings. There is a very important distinction that needs to be made that involves a common misconception: do I have a septic tank or do I have sewer services provided by my local municipality? It's often surprising for people outside of metro areas to hear that they need to be concerned with a septic system. If you are required to sign up for local sewer and water service, you are most likely part of a larger septic system that is maintained at a higher level.

But what happens when you purchase a home that does not fit this description and you have a septic system? First of all, you must find out the state of affairs you're in and you need to have the tank inspected. There are a number of service companies that can diagnose problems within your septic system. Why fix problems when you can prevent them in the first place? Septic systems are designed to process the waste (liquid and solid) that is eliminated from within your home. This waste has to be cared for, processed and disposed of properly. When these things don't occur, problems arise. To prevent such problems there are very simple steps you can take to prevent them all together.

When all of the waste from your home enters your septic tank, it begins to build up over time. When the tank is full the new waste has nowhere to go and it will attempt to find release outlets. Knowing what happens after you flush the toilet, turn on the garbage disposal, wash a load of clothes or pour something down the drain helps to explain why and how the septic tank can become full. We will attempt to explain how septic systems work so that you better understand the need for proper attention.

Somewhere outside your house there is a large concrete septic tank designed to deal with your family's wastewater. When this waste leaves your home it enters the septic tank. As you can imagine, things that float will rise to the top and form a layer of sludge. Below the sludge is a layer of water that is free of solids. At the bottom of the tank you will find items that are heavy and do not float; this layer is referred to as sludge.

When new material enters the tank a certain amount of water will be displaced from the tank, pass through a series of pipes and end up in the drain field behind your house. This drain field, which is underground, is an area that is constructed with gravel and dirt. The water is then absorbed by the ground.

What happens when there is no room left for solids to accumulate in the tank? Clogged pipes occur. Drains begin to backup. This is when it's time to invest in having your system cleaned out. That's when it's time to for more assistance with your septic tank maintenance issues.