If you live in a rural area, or you have a temporary property in the country, then you may be familiar with how septic tanks work. Where a municipal sewage system is unavailable, these ensure that people can use sewage treatment in comfort. If you’re planning to have one of these installed, you need to know how to maintain it properly. Here are some of the dos and don’ts of maintaining a septic system.

Dos:

– Make sure your system is regularly inspected. From the day your system starts being used, you should be in contact with an on-site septic tank service providers. These guys are certified to monitor and maintain your septic system. How often you’ll need to have inspections done varies on the system. It could be once every three months, or once every three years, so make sure you find out.

– Have septic tank pumping and septic tank cleaning every 3-5 years. Again, the frequency varies depending on how much your septic system is used. If there’s more water being used in the property, the septic tank will fill up faster, and will need pumping more often. You kind out more about the process by reading The Saviours Of Water: An Interesting Look Into Liquid Waste Management.

– Conserve the water in your home. The less water you use in your property, the longer your septic tank will last. Getting your whole family to play along can be difficult, but not impossible. It may be worth getting some “low flow” fixtures for shower heads and faucets. Washing in full loads is another effective way to conserve water.

Don’ts

– Use the garbage disposal. I know this is second nature to a lot of people. However, every time you do this at the property in question, you’ll be adding grease and solids to the drain field. This can build up quickly, and cause a clog which will be very costly to repair. If using the disposal is a given, try to limit your use.

– Flush anything other than toilet paper down the toilet. Whether its diapers, tampons, sanitary wipes, find somewhere else for it. This will damage the septic system in much the same way garbage disposal will.

– Use drains to dispose of chemicals. This includes cleaning products, antifreeze, pesticides, and so on. Essentially, anything that isn’t waste. Many of these chemicals can cause irreparable damage to the septic system, much faster than you’d expect.

– Lay weight on over the septic tank or drain field. Set out some markers showing where the system is buried, and make sure everyone knows to keep weight off it. Don’t park any vehicles there, and ensure that any grazing animals are kept well away. If there’s too much weight above the system, it could pack the soil down and break pipes. I probably don’t have to tell you that this will be expensive to repair!

Refer back to this guide as you get used to using your septic system. If you use it properly, you’ll get many trouble-free years from it.