5 Tips for Septic System Owners

Five Tips for Septic System Owners

If you’ve spent most of your life living in the city—and if you find urban living to be increasingly chaotic, fast-paced, and distracting—then the thought of moving out into the country might carry enormous appeal. With that said, there are some aspects of rural life that may take some getting used to—such as the fact that, when you move too far out of the city, you’re likely to end up in a home with a septic system.

You may have heard nightmarish tales from other homeowners, about septic systems backing up into the home—but the truth is, with proper maintenance of your septic system, you should be able to prevent this from ever happening. So what does every septic system owner need to know? We’ve got five quick tips, all listed below.

1. First, ensure that you have your septic system inspected annually. An inspector will be able to determine the health of your system and let you know if any repairs or maintenance work needs to be done.
2. Pump your septic tank whenever it is needed. The question, of course, is when it is needed. The short answer is that you need the tank to be pumped whenever enough solids accumulate that the tank clogs the pores into the soil, which could do major damage to your drain field. This, in turn, can sometimes cause the septic waste to back up into your home—which you don’t want! The frequency with which you have your system pumped can vary, and it might be as often as every year or as irregularly as every five years; it just depends on the age of your system, the size of your family, whether you use a garburator, and so on. Your inspector will be able to make a recommendation.
3. An important caution: Use your garburator carefully and sparingly. Solid waste that you dispose of goes into your septic tank and can cause clogging. The more you use your garburator to get rid of solid waste, the more you’ll need to pump the tank—and the greater the chances are that you’ll have septic problems down the road.
4. Find out exactly where the septic drain field is—your inspector will know—and ensure that you divert any storm water runoff from that area. Oversaturation can ruin the effect of your drain field.
5. Avoid septic system add-ins and chemicals. In short? Don’t waste your money!

For further information on the proper maintenance of a septic system, we invite you to call a septic pro in your area. And should you experience any plumbing problems as a result of septic disrepair, please call the Vancouver plumbing pros who work on our team!