The Importance Of Septic Tank Maintenance

Why Septic Tank Maintenance Matters

Septic system maintenance is just like any other type of maintenance in your household. But, why does septic tank maintenance matters?  The answer to that is pretty simple -- maintaining it is always easier and less expensive than replacing it. It’s an important part of your home ownership schedule. Just like how essential it is to maintain the interior and exterior aesthetics of your home, clean your dryer vents and gutters, and check your roof’s integrity, you must maintain your septic system, too.

Below, take a closer look at the reasons why septic tank maintenance is important.

1. Catches Problems Early On

When you or a septic professional pumps your home’s septic system, small problems can also be caught by the eye. These include growing pipe blockages leading from your house to the septic tank, and cracks in the tank. Before they lead to costly and more dangerous problems, regular inspections ensure that these issues are caught early on.

2. Saves You Money

It can be quite expensive to repair a leaky or a ruptured septic tank. Note that you’ll also need to repair house and landscaping damage other than repairing and replacing the tank itself. Routine cleaning goes a long way in reducing the risk of expensive emergencies.

3. Avoids Plumbing Emergencies That Create Serious Problems On Your Property

Catastrophic system failure due to an overloaded septic tank can create serious problems in your home. For example, unsanitary conditions that can put the health of your family at risk may result from wastewater backing up through the sewer lines of your home, while effluent collects on your yard’s surface.

Evaluate the condition of your home’s septic system regularly or call a professional to do the job for you to avoid the headache of having to deal with unexpected plumbing emergencies. It enables you or a technician to identify when the tank needs to be emptied, preventing tank failures.

4. Allows Your Drains To Freely Flow

Your drains may begin to slow down if your septic tank gets full before having it pumped. It isn’t enjoyable to wait for slow sink drain, and standing in six inches of water while taking a bath because the drain won’t flow isn’t pleasant either. Ensure that there’s plenty of space for the water you’ll be sending down the drain by keeping your drain clean and by having your septic system regularly checked and pumped.

5. Prevents Sludge Buildup

Sludge buildup can also be prevented through regular septic tank maintenance. Sludge buildup can be problematic for two reasons. First, a backup in the sewer lines may result from blockage of the sewage drainage from your home when sludge builds up. Drains and sinks will be clogged, sending terrible odors throughout your property. Second, sludge will damage your ground and hurt the environment by entering the septic field. Again, expect horrible smells to spread throughout the building after this. You can call on a professional sewer service provider to prevent these things from happening.

6. Prevents Soil Contamination

It’s important to keep sewage out of the earth. Septic tank maintenance ensures that this waste doesn’t end up in the soil. You know that there are bacteria in the sewage of humans, and these can contaminate the soil. Your tank needs to be checked and must be pumped before it ruptures or overflows to prevent contamination from happening. That’s another critical reason why septic system maintenance is important. Removing sewage from the tank yourself or through septic tank services prevent soil damage.

7. Improves The Performance Of Your Septic System

Septic tank maintenance also extends the lifespan of septic systems and improves their performance, in addition to serving as a preventative measure. It’s especially true if you hire professional sewer service providers since they do more than just assess the condition of your septic system. They also identify what specific type of maintenance your septic tank needs to function. It can either be structural repairs, chemical balancing, or cleaning drain lines. Inspections and maintenance together will help the septic system of your home operate at peak performance and function more efficiently.

8. Increases The Value Of Your Property

Getting your septic system maintained will add value to your home if you’re planning to sell it soon. It demonstrates to interested buyers that your property has been cared for and properly maintained. In turn, your home becomes more appealing to buyers. It may even help you command a higher price for it.

9. Protects The Welfare Of Your Family

Waste materials will be allowed to get into surrounding soil and water if your septic system gives unpleasant, unusual odor. Of course, exposure to the waste poses some serious health risk to your family, pets, and even your neighbors. Prevent the buildup of cracks and waste by keeping up with your septic tank’s cleaning schedule.

10. Allows Homeowners To Discover The Do’s and Don’ts Of Septic System Caring

Caring for any home’s septic tank isn’t always as straightforward as homeowners would like to think. For example, there are certain things you shouldn’t flush, like wet wipes and feminine hygiene products. Also, rinsing chemicals, like pesticides and paints, down the drain is really a bad idea, and using the garbage disposal too much causes your tank to fill up quickly, too.

When scheduling regular septic tank maintenance, you’ll learn some lifestyle habits that need to be changed to take better care of the septic system of your home. Chances are not all members of your family know the rules regarding what to and not to flush. If you know the do’s and don’ts, you can take steps to ensure that everyone is doing it right.

How To Care For Your Home’s Septic Tank

Be mindful about what your family put into your home’s septic system when thinking about septic tank maintenance. Note that upsetting the tank’s biological balance doesn’t take much. That means following some maintenance recommendations and making sure that everything that you introduce to the system goes a long way in extending its lifespan. Here are some tips to ponder upon:

• Avoid Using Household Chemicals In Excessive Amounts

It’s okay to use household chemicals, like drain cleaners, bleaches, and household detergents, but make sure they don’t stop the bacterial action inside your septic tank. To do this, only use normal amounts of these chemicals. For example, never dump an excessive amount of cleaning water that’s intended for latex cans and paintbrushes into the house sewer.

• Monitor Usage And Conserve Water

Water backing up isn’t a desirable occurrence. Prevent it by not discharging more water into the septic system than it can usually handle.

• Don’t Dump Grease Down Your Drain

For waste grease, there should be a separate container so that it can be thrown out with the garbage. Avoid dumping it down the drain since it may build up in your septic tank, plugging sewer pipes and the inlet.

• Avoid Draining Your Hot Tub Or Pool Water Into The Septic System

Just like household chemicals, chlorine from your hot tub or pool can break down your system’s important solid-busting bacteria. Also, you know that your drain field may flood as a result of adding a large water influx into the septic system.

• Don’t Deposit Non-Decomposable Materials Into Your House Sewer

Avoid depositing cigarette butts, disposable diapers, wet-strength towels, cooking fats, coffee grounds, and other materials that don’t dissolve easily into the sewer. These materials will only fill the septic tank, plugging the system.

• Make Sure To Buy The Right Kind Of Garbage Disposal

If you want your septic system to do a better job at grinding your food waste, invest in a top-of-the-line garbage disposal. Remember that your septic tank better absorbs foods that are more ground.

• Take Care Of The Drain Field

Water should be diverted away from the soakage area. The soakage area should also only be landscaped with grass. Only pick plants with shallow root systems if you really want to add some. Additionally, since vehicles can also put a strain on the soakage area, leading to ruptured pipes, never park your vehicle on top of it.

Hiring A Septic Tank Maintenance Company: How To Do It Right

It’s up to you to ensure that your septic system remains in good condition if your home is connected to one. You’ll need to schedule septic tank pumping and inspection to maintain the system. You can do it yourself or get the services of a qualified septic tank company. You can be guaranteed that the septic system of your home will remain in proper working condition by taking the time to select a qualified service provider that specializes in maintaining septic tanks. If you opt to hire professionals for your home’s septic tank maintenance, here are some factors to consider:

1. Experience

Although you can do septic tank maintenance yourself, your septic system should ideallly be handled by an experienced professional since it’s much more intricate and complex than it appears. When choosing a septic tank contractor, be sure to ask how long they’ve been in the business and how many tanks they’ve already serviced in your area. Asking for references that you can contact is also a good idea.

2. Verifications And Certifications

Asking your prospective septic system maintenance company to provide verifications and certifications is a great idea. A septic contractor must be verified by local authorities and the health department before it can legally provide services to commercial clients or homeowners. You can book a maintenance schedule for your septic system with confidence by selecting a verified and certified company.

3. Punctuality And Reliability

A professional septic tank service provider shouldn’t only perform the work efficiently, but should also arrive when they say they’ll arrive. The individual or company should be reliable, especially during septic tank emergencies. As much as possible, they should also be able to pick up calls from you anytime. It’s difficult to identify whether or not a septic contractor is reliable, but a good way to tell is whether they answer emails and/or phone calls promptly or not.

4. Comprehensive Knowledge

The best septic system maintenance service providers aren’t also garage door repair individuals, landscapers, or any other non-septic-related professions. They specialize in septic systems alone. Don’t forget that someone who multitasks on many jobs probably isn’t as knowledgeable in the septic tank industry. However, note that the contractor you’ll choose should have knowledge in all parts of your septic system – not only the drainage and tank, but the attached plumbing system, grinder pump, and sump pump. The last thing you’d want to happen is needing to call another service provider to fix another part of your septic system.

5. Reviews And Reputation

You may also want to check the service provider’s reviews and professional reputation with past clients. The best septic contractors will have glowing reviews from people they’ve worked with before. Checking testimonials on their website or social media platforms is one way to learn more about their reputation.

Conclusion

It’s important to have your septic tank maintained regularly. Of course, how often you need it pumped and cleaned also depends on its size, wastewater volume, and the number of solids that go into it. Your septic tank needs work if you’re already observing slow drains, constant foul odor, and drains that back up your home. You can do the maintenance yourself, but, when in doubt, don’t hesitate to call in a septic professional to do the job for you. The last thing you’d want to happen is for the issue or problem in your septic system to recur after just a few days because of poor quality repair or cleanup.