Septic Tank Maintenance

Introduction

Healthy septic tank maintenance is important to keep your house working in a way that’s clean and safe. In the past, many people didn’t know how much they needed to take care of their tanks. Now we have better information about what it takes to maintain them. If you’re curious about how your septic system works and what you need to do, read on!

Septic tanks should be maintained every couple of years

• Check for leaks. You may think your tank is working well, but if it’s leaking, you could be dumping contaminants into the surrounding soil and groundwater.
• Check for cracks. If you do find a crack in the tank, call a professional to repair it right away—a break in the wall can cause contamination of local water sources.
• Check for sludge build-up at the bottom of your tank (or on top of your drainfield). Sludge should come out fairly easily with an auger, but if not, try adding some bleach or other cleaning agents to loosen it up before trying again.
• Check for water level in both tanks; both should be about one-quarter full when full and should never drop below half full unless pumping has been turned off temporarily by a competent plumber or other professional who knows what they’re doing! Any major fluctuations could indicate that something needs attention ASAP—for example, if there’s too much waste material being dumped into one side only instead of evenly distributed throughout both sides properly then there could be problems with either piping leading away from those particular outlets due to blockages caused by clogs (which would also affect how much pressure was available through them) or even worse yet–shattered glass pieces which would need immediate removal before any further damage could occur beyond just making things difficult during use because they might cut someone’s feet too badly while walking over them without shoes nearby during such activities as sweeping floors etcetera…

It is important to keep your septic tank healthy.

It is important to keep your septic tank healthy.

As the name suggests, a septic tank is designed to handle wastewater from your home. This includes all of the waste products that come out of your bathroom and kitchen sinks, bathtubs, toilets and washing machines. The septic tank also handles any other type of waste that you may have in your household (such as hair).

It’s important not to dispose of anything else down into this system because it can cause irreparable damage or even lead to a complete failure. For example:

• Don’t put automotive fluids such as antifreeze or motor oil down into the drain field where it connects with the leach field; this will kill plants around your home!
• Don’t put garbage down into the drain field either; food residue will attract animals who may decide on digging up those pipes instead!

There are smells from the drains that indicate problems with the septic tank.

There are smells from the drains that indicate problems with the septic tank.

• Smell from the drain
• Smell from the sink
• Smell from the toilet
• Smell from the shower
• Smell from the kitchen sink
• Smell from the washing machine

Wastewater contains many kinds of bacteria.

Bacteria are a natural part of any septic system and are essential for breaking down waste into harmless byproducts. While beneficial to the environment, these bacteria can lead to problems when they grow out of control. When this happens, you may notice an unpleasant odor coming from your drain field or septic tank. If this happens, you may need to perform some maintenance on your tank or drain field in order to restore it back to normal operation.

• Bacteria present in wastewater can be harmful if they enter the living space where people live or work (e.g., through the soil around a building). This is one reason why it’s important that all wastewater treatment facilities have adequate controls in place so that these organisms don’t get inside homes or buildings near them—even though most do not pose any risk due to their high level of concentration being diluted over large areas before reaching such locations!
• There are two types: Aerobic bacteria break down organic matter by releasing oxygen but producing carbon dioxide as one product; Anaerobic bacteria break down organic matter by releasing hydrogen sulfide instead of oxygen but still producing CO2 as another product.”

Natural processes break down waste in the tank.

When you flush your toilet, water and solids go into your tank. They’re broken down by bacteria that are naturally present in the septic tank. You can’t see these bacteria, but they’re good for the environment because they break down waste into water and air. As this happens, nitrogen is released from decaying plant matter. If a septic system isn’t working properly or gets clogged, there won’t be enough oxygen for the bacteria to live on which can lead to anaerobic digestion (when no oxygen is present). This process results in waste being stored in sludge at the bottom of your tank instead of being broken down by microbes and dispersed into wastewater as intended.

Putting unnatural chemicals into tanks can damage the system.

While many homeowners have heard about the importance of septic tank maintenance and periodically inspecting their system, it’s much less common to hear about why you shouldn’t put unnatural chemicals into your tank.

The problem is that when you introduce unnatural chemicals into the septic tank, they can cause damage to the system. For example, bleach can corrode the concrete lining in a septic tank or pump out treatment system and cause significant problems with the performance of your system. The same goes for products containing detergents and other harsh chemicals—they can do serious damage to both your home’s plumbing systems as well as your septic tank itself.

Some solids collect in the bottom and need to be removed.

When the septic tank is pumped, the solid material that has settled at the bottom of the tank will also be removed. The pumping process removes this sludge and deposits it into a holding tank where it is allowed to break down further before being disposed of.

Some solids collect in the bottom and need to be removed.

Pumping out the sludge helps keep your tank working properly.

In addition to keeping your tank clean, pumping out the sludge helps keep your tank working properly. A properly functioning septic system prevents backups and odors, which can be an uncomfortable experience for anyone who has experienced it. The process of pumping out the sludge also prevents clogs that cause sewage to back up into houses and businesses, which can lead to serious health problems.

This step should be performed at least once a year, but if you have an older septic tank or notice signs of problems with odors or blockages in your home’s drains or toilets, it may be necessary to pump out more frequently.

A healthy septic tank uses natural processes to break down waste and keep it from backing up into your home.

A healthy septic tank uses natural processes to break down waste and keep it from backing up into your home. Waste enters the tank, where it is broken down by bacteria that naturally live in the soil around the tank. The wastewater then flows into a drainfield, where it seeps through an underground collection area and into the soil. As this occurs, some solids may collect in the bottom of your septic tank. These need to be removed periodically so that they don’t clog up your system or prevent proper functioning of your drainfield.

Pumping out sludge helps keep your tank working properly by clearing out any blockages in its pipes and filters as well as preventing damage caused by too much sludge build-up near its opening (since sludge can cause corrosion). If you want additional information about how pumping works, read our post “How Does Pumping Sewage Work?”

Conclusion

I hope we’ve shed some light on the importance of keeping your septic tank healthy and what goes into its maintenance. You can keep your septic tank healthy by having it pumped every couple of years, watching for smells from the drains, and avoiding putting chemicals down them. This will prevent clogs from forming that could end up costing you a lot more money than it would to simply maintain your system regularly.

here at Rocketdistribution.com, we have some great natural products to help keep your tank healthy. Come and take a look at our range of products here.