Two Simple Tips For Preventing Frequent Septic Tank Pumping
Posted on: 24 May 2015
On average, a septic tank should need to be pumped approximately once every three to five years. However, if your home is producing more waste water or solid waste than the average home, you could find yourself requiring this service as often as once every few months in order to prevent an overflow. Not only can this greatly increase your overall maintenance costs, but it can also greatly increase the chances of a premature system failure. Thankfully, you can avoid both of these issues by choosing to make some minor changes in your daily routine.
1. Small Changes Equal Big Changes In Water Consumption
When it comes to how much waste water your home produces, even the smallest changes can make a huge difference. For instance, simply choosing to turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth can save more than 13,000 gallons of water per year, per person in your household. This is a huge difference in the amount of water that your septic tank must process.
Other ways you can reduce your overall water consumption are to install low flow toilets or faucets, recycle grey water for secondary purposes such as irrigation or outdoor maintenance, and waiting until your washer or dishwasher are full to run them. By making these small changes, you will be allowing your septic tank more time to process waste water before it needs to release some of this water into your drainage field. This will ultimately help to ensure that all solid waste is removed from the water before it is released. This can help to prevent clogs that can lead to a system failure or overflow.
2. Bacteria Is Beneficial Inside A Septic Tank
While you may not want your home overrun with bacteria, high bacteria levels are actually beneficial inside of a septic tank. This is because bacteria plays a major role in breaking down solid waste so that your septic tank can continue to process additional waste. The problem is, in an effort to rid your home of bacteria, you may also be ridding your septic tank of the bacteria that it needs.
When you choose to use antibacterial products in your home, these products are often introduced to your septic tank as they are washed away with your waste water. For instance, the use of bleach when washing your clothes will not only help to keep your whites brighter, it will also reduce the bacteria level in your septic tank as bleach is highly effective in killing bacteria.
There is no need to completely eliminate antibacterial products from your life in order to maintain the proper level of bacteria inside your septic tank. Instead, consider making small changes to the way you use these products. For instance, rather than using an antibacterial soap to wash your hands, consider using a milder soap and then following up with a sanitizing solution that does not need to be washed off. You can also choose to use disposable paper towels when using antibacterial products to clean your home rather than using a reusable cleaning cloth that must be rinsed out in your sink.
To learn more about septic tank plumbing, contact a company like Rob's Septic Tanks Inc.
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