How To Care For Your Septic System

Your septic system is one of the most important infrastructural components of your home. It is important that you stay up to date with the necessary preventative maintenance.

Here is a quick overview of what you need to do to take care of your system and maximize its lifespan.

Inspections

As a general rule, you should have your tank and system inspected once a year, whether you do it yourself or have a technician do it for you. This will help you make sure there aren’t any small issues within your system that could become larger, more expensive problems to fix down the road. These simple inspections are painless and are one of the best preventative steps you can take to keep your system operating as smoothly as possible.

Watch what goes down the drain

Be careful about what you let go down your drains in your household. Never send down chemical drain cleaners, floor cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, waxes, coating or stripping products or anything else that’s chemical-based or caustic and could damage the bacteria in the system. Install low flow toilets and use water appliances with full loads to maximize efficiency and septic impact. Never flush items down the toilet that don’t belong—the only items that should go down the toilet are human waste and toilet paper. 

Pumping

Septic tanks need to be pumped on a fairly regular basis, the frequency of which depends on the number of people in your household, the size of your tank and the amount of water you use. A good rule is that if the scum layer falls within three inches of the bottom of the outlet device, you should have the tank pumped. In addition, if the top of the sludge is within 12 inches of the bottom of the outlet, you should have the tank pumped. 

A lot of factors influence this pumping frequency, including household size, total wastewater generated, solid ratio of wastewater and tank size. 

Drain field

It’s important to practice good drain field care. Never park or drive heavy vehicles, machinery or equipment on top of the drain field, as this could cause soil compaction that will make it difficult for it to accomplish its duties. Never plant deep-rooting trees or shrubs over the top of your drainfield, as it could interfere with the system. 

Interested in learning more about the steps you can take to keep your septic system in great operational condition for years to come? info@pipemasters.ca or (289) 404-9063.

PipeMasters is part of Oakridge Plumbing Ontario Ltd. and serves the East GTA, Durham Region, North to Lindsay & Peterborough, out to Cobourg and all points in between. All Rights Reserved.