Septic System Maintenance: 101

Not exactly feeling flush with knowledge regarding your septic tank? The inner workings of your septic system often feel like a topic unfit for polite company. But waste is a fact of life, and knowing yesterday’s dinner will end up in the right spot today can give homeowners some much-needed peace of mind.

This May Also Interest You: Septic System Maintenance Tips

It all starts with learning the ins and outs of proper septic system maintenance.

Regular Septic System Maintenance Tasks

Your septic tank may be out of sight and out of mind, but that’s not necessarily a good thing. There’s an entire slate of septic system maintenance tasks that must be completed on a regular basis. Some can be done on your own, either with a few easy-to-use tools or as part of your everyday routine. Others require professional assistance.

Commit to Regular Septic Tank Service

Routine care of septic systems, both commercial and residential, is paramount, with experts recommending inspections by septic service professionals at least every three years. You’ll need more frequent inspections if you have a modernized septic system that contains mechanical components or if you've run through a higher-than-average amount of wastewater.

One thing that may not be worth adding onto your maintenance to-do list is a septic system treatment. There isn’t a lot of scientific research supporting the use of bacterial or enzymatic infusions that claim to improve septic tank performance. Your tank’s natural bacterial content plus regular maintenance should be enough to keep the system running in tip-top shape.

Schedule Septic Tank Pumping

A key septic tank service you should never skip is a regular septic tank pump-out. This is when a cleaning company uses high-pressure water nozzles and suction to remove built-up solids in your septic tank. That pressurized water forces waste toward the street, where a truck is waiting to vacuum out debris.

Dispose of Waste Properly

Everything you put into your sink, tub and shower drains and toilet will end up in your home septic tank — so don't treat it like a trash can. Some solids, all toxic household waste and all garbage should be disposed of elsewhere.

Some items that should never be put in a drain or toilet include:

• Dental floss

• Feminine hygiene products

• Film developing solutions

• Cigarette butts

• Cooking grease and other oils

• Coffee grounds

• Non-flushable wipes

• Prescription and OTC medications

• Paper towels

• Gasoline, pesticides, antifreeze, paint thinner, etc.

• Drain cleaners

• Antibacterial soaps and cleansers

• Cat litter and animal waste

• Diapers and baby wipes

Choosing to flush these types of household waste instead of disposing of them properly can lead to more frequent septic cleanings or cause costly backups that must be addressed by a professional.

Take Care of Your Drain Field

Your septic system works by funneling liquid waste into a series of perforated drain pipes buried in an organized network underneath your yard. This is known as the drain field or leach field. Here, chambers in those pipes will hold effluent, or wastewater with solid debris removed, as it’s slowly leached back into the soil. Some drain fields are a bit more complex — think strategic layers of rock and sand or multi-chamber systems that improve water refinement.

In all cases, your leach field should be viewed as a somewhat fragile area that needs to be treated with care. Avoid driving across it or parking heavy equipment or vehicles on top of the field. Anything that compacts the soil could also damage the hidden pipes or negatively affect evaporation and oxygenation and your septic tank’s ability to break down waste.

Plant trees and shrubs well away from your leach field — the last thing you want is a healthy plant taking root and disrupting your pipes. Even shallow plants, such as from a simple vegetable garden, are a no-no. Plus, veggies grown on soil riddled with sewage wastewater might not be safe to consume.

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Monitoring Water Usage

The more water your household uses, the more frequently you’ll require professional septic system maintenance. The average family in the United States uses about 300 gallons of water daily. Septic tank maintenance recommendations are based on that average.

You can lessen the load on your septic system by conserving water:

• Check your toilets for leaks. A leaky toilet wastes a whopping

  200 gallons of water

  per day. You could also upgrade to a high-efficiency toilet that uses less water per flush.

• Turn off bathroom faucets while you cleanse your face and brush your teeth. This saves as much as 2 gallons of water per minute.

• Switch to a high-efficiency washing machine.

• Fill your kitchen sink to wash dishes rather than scrubbing under an open tap.

• Swap faucets for models with aerators and showerheads for low-flow fixtures.

How Often Does a Septic Tank Need to Be Pumped?

If a tank is pumped regularly — at least every three to five years — you can lower the risk of accumulated household waste clogging up the works. When a septic tank clogs, the subsequent backup can cause the entire system to malfunction.

If your household uses a larger volume of water, you may need to increase the pumping frequency.

Benefits of Maintaining Your Septic System

Septic system maintenance isn’t the most exciting topic, but it's a necessary one. Commit to regular maintenance and your home septic tank will need fewer repairs over time. It may even extend the life of your unit.