General guidelines stipulate that septic tanks should be pumped roughly every three years, but it will vary considerably based on usage and maintenance. With adequate treatment and upkeep, a household can go longer between pump outs.

However, it’s required for many states that households have inspections in routine increments. An inspection doesn’t automatically mean the homeowner will need septic tank cleaning services. The inspections are merely mandatory checks to avoid the potential for a backup.

A homeowner can avoid frequent pump outs by following regular treatment and maintenance suited to your system, usage, and household size.

Maintaining Healthy Homes with Regular Septic Tank Maintenance

The septic tank consumes a household’s waste, entering the system through an inlet pipe to the tank beneath the ground. With adequate care and upkeep and proper use, this system can remain healthy and clean.

That means not tossing inappropriate materials into the tank and enlisting the services of professional contractors for preventive servicing and cleaning. As a homeowner it’s crucial also to become familiar with the system’s functionality to understand what to expose the tank to and what to avoid.

Typically, a septic tank is either concrete or fiber glass. After roughly 48 hours of entering, the solid waste will sink forming a layer of sludge beneath the surface.

Lighter material, including oils, fats, and grease, will create a “scum layer” across the surface. The tank consists of fittings meant to hold these wastes, so they don’t flood out from their confinement.

Keeping this system maintained is critical for optimum health and hygiene of the home and surrounding environment. Here are tips to ensure your tank remains clean and healthy.

· Keep the tank pumped regularly

A homeowner should prioritize preventive inspections and cleanings. Maintaining a routine service schedule, roughly every three years, will help to ensure the system doesn’t break down from an over accumulation of scum and sludge. Regular service is much more cost-efficient than replacing a tank.

A competent, qualified specialist will inspect for defects, damage, and leaks within the system and document the preventive assessment and cleaning for future reference. This record will be necessary if an issue arises, or you are to put the house on the market.

· Scheduling laundry and other household routines all in one day

Many homeowners appoint a particular day for laundry and other household chores to conserve water and other resources. The issue leads to the potential for overloading the septic tank, which could pour out into the drain field at some point.

Learn how to handle sewage overflows in your home at https://www.napasan.com/155/Sewer-Overflow-Prevention.

The system needs sufficient time for wastewater treatment making it easier for the tank if the household chores are divided into smaller sizes and a few days each week including laundry loads and household cleaning.

· Pay attention to what goes in the drains

Toilets are not trash bins. People will often toss anything in the toilet, believing it will deteriorate, like tissues, feminine products, diapers, floss, and wet wipes, each capable of creating clogs.

Toilet paper is specifically designed to be accepted and broken down by the system. It should be the only material flushed in the toilet.

This goes for the kitchen sink as well. Tossing coffee grounds, eggshells, grease, butter, oils, fats, cream, and other similar materials into the drain can create blockages in the piping with a thick scum layer deposited in the tank.

Biodegradable food products are the only acceptable ones and will be the only ones capable of breaking down easily.

· Natural cleaning

Refrain from using harsh cleaning solutions including drain and toilet bowl cleaners, bleach or disinfectants. Good bacteria are destroyed within the system with these solutions. Instead, natural cleaning substances like vinegar and lemon are powerful enough and biodegradable.

Soaps and laundry solutions should also be natural to extend the septic tank’s lifespan.

Professional Septic Tank Cleaning

A qualified septic tank specialist will perform pump out/clean and do a thorough inspection of the system with preventive servicing. With the inspection, the tank and its components will be checked for defects, damage, clogs, and leaking. The “drain field, piping system, and drainage box” will also be inspected.

With some services, specialists will make small corrections like tank adjustments for the greatest function or pipe repair or replacements if these are damaged. These services ensure the system runs efficiently and for an extended lifespan.

Go here for the average costs of septic tank maintenance and then follow for the steps involved in professional septic tank cleaning.

· The inspection

The specialist will first do an inspection, including the piping, the tank, its lid and components, distribution box, and the drain field. This helps the professional note any defects or damage, possible leaks or blockages that need immediate attention.

· Pump out

The septic tank will be pumped out with a special pump meant to remove wastewater and sludge to avoid an over accumulation. The process also allows easier access to the tank to clean it and the various parts.

· Cleaning

Cleaning solutions and tools are incorporated to thoroughly clean the tank of any sludge or scum remnants remaining after the system is pumped out.

· Corrections/Repairs/Maintenance

After the tank and its parts are clean, some service specialists will make any necessary corrections for defects found. That could include tank adjustments for the best system operation or repairing or replacing pipes that have developed defects.

The system will go through a final inspection to ensure it’s functioning properly. If any major problems exist, the homeowner will be advised so a course of action can be established.

Final Thought

With adequate care and proper use, including the services of a competent, qualified septic tank specialist, the system will function efficiently, effectively and for an extended lifespan.

Preventive maintenance including an inspection, pump out, cleaning and repairs or corrections should be done roughly every three years to avoid the possibility of a breakdown.

The damages can be extensive and exceptionally expensive while regular servicing in comparison is quite cost efficient and a wise investment. You not only want to ensure optimum health and hygiene for your home but always do your part to be environmentally friendly.