If you are considering buying a home with a septic system, be sure to request a septic tank inspection. Also, consider having your septic tank pumped every 3 to 5 years. Only flush septic-safe items, and avoid non-septic-safe products like wipes and cat litter.
Failing septic systems can release bacteria and viruses into nearby drinking water wells and surface waters. In addition, excess nutrients can cause cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) to grow in waterbodies, causing fish kills and harmful algal blooms. Contact Septic Tank Armadale now!
A septic tank is a large, underground container that holds and treats wastewater from your toilets, showers, sinks, washing machines, and dishwasher. It is usually made of concrete, fiberglass, or polyethylene and is custom-sized for the home that it serves.
A house with a septic system uses natural and mechanical processes to remove bacteria, viruses, and organic matter from the water that enters and leaves your home. This prevents these pollutants from entering nearby drinking water wells and local waterways. This also reduces the amount of nutrient pollution that can harm fish and other aquatic organisms.
Wastewater from your toilets (known as blackwater) and your bathtub, shower, sinks, and washing machine drains (known as greywater) flow through a main sewer line that slopes toward your septic tank. Once inside your septic tank, the water undergoes a process called settling. Solid materials—such as dirt and sand—sink to the bottom of the tank and form sludge, while fats, oils, and grease float to the top of the water and form scum. The microorganisms in the septic tank digest these materials, converting them into less-dense liquids known as wastewater or effluent. These liquids then leave the septic tank through a septic system vent and into a drainage field or soil absorption system.
The septic tank and drainfield must be protected from heavy vehicles and other activities that could compact the soil, blocking the flow of wastewater into and out of the system. You should also avoid planting anything in the drainfield area or building structures in the vicinity, as this could damage your septic system and cause wastewater to back up into your house.
When a septic system is not working properly, you may notice strong odors in your home or yard. If sewage backs up into your toilets or drains, you should contact professionals to fix the problem as soon as possible. If your septic tank needs to be pumped, make sure the weather is dry before you have the service done. Mud and other debris will get into your tank if you have it pumped when the ground is too wet, which can lead to severe problems with your drain field.
How Does a Septic Tank Work?
Septic tanks are a type of simple onsite sewage facility (OSSF) that collect and treat wastewater for homes that do not connect to public sewer systems. They are buried underground several feet away from the house in a watertight container made of concrete or heavyweight plastic. Wastewater enters the septic tank through plumbing connections. From there, the waste goes through a septic drain field that filters and treats it before dispersing into groundwater.
A septic system needs bacteria to break down and process the sewage it receives from household plumbing connections. This helps keep solids, such as toilet paper and feces, from reaching the drain field, where they can clog lines, soil, and distribution boxes. However, septic tanks can only hold so much. If you overfill your septic tank, the solids and sludge will overflow into the drain field area, where they can clog pipes, harming the bacteria that works to clean up sewage.
The septic tank is a buried, watertight container that holds the waste until it undergoes a settling process. The heavier, indigestible waste sinks to the bottom and forms sludge while grease, oils, and other lighter material rises to the top and creates scum. A partition and a T-shaped outlet prevent sludge and scum from exiting the septic tank, where it would flow into the drain field area and cause clogs. In between these layers is the liquid wastewater that oozes out of the tank, known as effluent.
Once the septic tank releases the wastewater into the septic drain field, the natural anaerobic bacteria in the soil break down and absorb contaminants from the sewage that trickles through it. Eventually, the clean, treated wastewater percolates through the gravel and into the groundwater supply below.
Keeping septic tanks pumped regularly prevents them from filling with solids that can overflow into the drain field and clog pipes to the home, causing a sewage backup. It is also important to know what you can and cannot flush into septic tanks, such as cleaning products, feminine hygiene products, baby wipes, make-up removal wipes, kitty litter, paper towels, cigarette butts, pharmaceuticals, paint thinner, and other chemicals.
Why Do I Need a Septic Tank?
A septic tank is needed to provide an effective treatment of wastewater and to protect your home. Sewage that is not treated and discharged promptly can damage your soil and cause sewage backups in your home. A septic tank helps to prevent this by treating the waste and removing solids.
A properly designed septic tank will provide years of service without failing, assuming it is not abused or subjected to heavy use. However, the system will require periodic maintenance to ensure it operates at maximum efficiency.
If you buy a home with a septic tank, be sure to follow the local laws regarding septic system inspection and maintenance. The tank should be inspected annually by a qualified professional, and the drain field should be inspected whenever it is necessary to do so. The inspector will look at the tank and the drain field to make sure there are no signs of leaking, clogging or other problems.
Most septic tanks are located underground and out of sight, but you can usually tell if there is one by the distinct inspection ports that cover each baffle. Most septic tanks also have a larger manhole access port to allow for pumping. A vent pipe is also incorporated to allow the release of gases produced by bacterial activity.
The weighty masses of organic materials that sink in a septic tank form a layer called sludge. Aerobic bacteria digest these sludge particles, which eventually become part of the liquid effluent. The lighter masses of grease, oils and fats float to the top of the septic tank, where they form a scum layer.
Keeping non-biodegradable products out of the septic system can help you avoid costly septic tank repairs and replacements. Cigarette butts, cotton balls and swabs, menstrual hygiene products, diapers and condoms should not be flushed down toilets; they can clog the septic system and create costly sewage backups in your home. The same goes for paint, chemicals, hairspray and other household products that can clog pipes or kill the helpful microbes in your septic tank.
How Do I Maintain a Septic Tank?
Septic tanks need regular care. For one thing, you need to keep vehicles away from the septic tank and the drain field. Vehicle traffic can damage the septic system’s drainage structures and can also disrupt the soil’s ability to take on wastewater. This can lead to costly repairs and a less functional septic system.
You should also limit the amount of water and solid waste that flows into your septic system. You can do this by taking shorter showers and washing clothes on fewer days of the week, rather than all at once. You should also limit the number of people who live in your home, as more people puts a strain on the septic system and can result in the need to get it pumped more frequently.
Keeping track of the level of sludge and gunk in your septic tank is another important step in maintaining it. This can be done by having a professional inspect the tank on a scheduled basis and by keeping records of the tank’s status. When the levels of sludge and gunk come within six inches of the outlet drain, it’s time to have your septic tank pumped.
If you do have a septic tank, it’s also a good idea to avoid using any cleaning products that contain harsh chemicals. These can kill the vital, waste-eating bacteria that live in your septic system and can cause your septic system to work less efficiently.
You should also never flush paints or flammable cleaning formulas down the drain, as they can leak into your septic tank and damage it. Instead, if you use paint in your house, dispense with the leftovers at a county-designated chemical disposal location.
You should also never drive over your septic tank, as this can crush the float arm or other parts of the septic system. In addition, children and pets should be kept away from the septic tank and drainage area as well, as they can accidentally get into the septic tank and be exposed to harmful chemicals or bacteria. Finally, if you ever smell sewer odors in your home, it’s time to call a septic service professional as this can indicate that the septic tank is full and needs to be pumped.