Maintenance Tips for Septic Tanks

 

Maintaining your septic tank doesn’t have to be a complicated affair, but it does require some diligence to prevent expensive headaches down the road. After all, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Here are four essentials of septic tank maintenance to remember:

 

• Pump regularly
• Use water efficiently
• Dispose of waste properly
• Maintain your drainfield

By following our septic tank cleaning and maintenance tips, you’ll be much less likely to encounter costly, unpleasant issues. When you take care of your septic tank system, it will take care of you.

For an average household septic tank system, we recommend pumping every three to four years. While these are general guidelines, you may need to pump more or less often depending on your:

 

• Household size
• Total wastewater generated
• The volume of solids in wastewater
• Septic tank size

Although not required, it's a good idea to have a maintenance record. We offer a refrigerator magnet on which our technician will write the month/year of the next recommended pumping to make it easier to remember.

All of the water that goes down your house’s drains will end up in the septic tank. When you conserve water, it improves the operation of your septic tank and reduces failure risks. Here are some ways to use water more efficiently:

 

• High-efficiency toilets
• Faucet aerators and high-efficiency showerheads
• Energy Star appliances

With laundry, avoid washing small loads on the washing machine’s largest setting since it wastes water and energy. Instead, use the proper load size to reduce water waste. You should also spread washing machine use throughout the week. Heavy washer machine use can harm your septic tank because it doesn’t allow enough time to treat waste while increasing the risk of drainfield flooding.

Remember, everything that goes down your drains will go into your septic tank. When you flush or pour something that you shouldn’t, you’ll affect the septic tank’s performance and possibly cause a major problem. See our big no-no’s for toilets and sinks so you don’t cause avoidable septic tank issues.

• Cooking grease or oil
• Any type of wipes (Just because they're flushable, doesn’t mean they’re biodegradable!)
• Photographic solutions
• Feminine hygiene products
• Condoms
• Dental floss
• Diapers
• Cigarette butts
• Coffee grounds
• Cat litter
• Paper towels
• Pharmaceuticals
• Household chemicals (gasoline, oil, pesticides, antifreeze, paint, etc.)

• Chemical drain openers for a clogged drain (use boiling water or a drain snake instead)
• Cooking oil or grease
• Oil-based paints, solvents, or toxic cleaners
• Garbage disposal waste (avoid or limit use to reduce the fats, grease, and solids that enter your septic tank and clog the drainfield)

The drainfield removes contaminants from the liquid that emerges from your septic tank which is essential for septic system maintenance. Here are a few things you should do to maintain it:

 

• Don’t park or drive on your drainfield
• Plant trees away from your drainfield to keep roots from growing into your septic system
• Keep roof drains, sump pumps, and other rainwater drainage systems away from the drainfield area (excess water can slow down or stop the wastewater treatment process)

Maintainance isn’t just good for the health of your septic tank, it’s good for your wallet in the long run. Honey-Wagon Septic Service would be happy to help you maintain and pump your septic tank and tackle any issues that arise. Contact us to schedule your routine septic tank maintenance now to ensure everything is running smoothly.

 

Give us a call today at (913) 681-3563 or (816) 525-5100 to schedule an appointment.