You may have had your septic system for years, but you might not know what it takes to keep it healthy. Unfortunately, that can lead to costly mistakes—mistakes that could reduce the life expectancy of your system. To help protect your septic system, here are four things you need to know about it.
Not All Bacteria Is Bad
When it comes to your septic system, it's important to know that not all bacteria is bad. In fact, your septic system actually needs some bacteria to help it maintain proper health. If the bacteria in your tank falls out of balance, your system can fail. One way to help maintain a healthy balance is to flush a couple packets of yeast down your toilets once a month. The yeast will promote the growth of healthy bacteria, which will prevent problems with your septic tank.
Some Things Shouldn't Go Down the Drain
With sewer systems, you can send just about anything down the drain. However, if you have a septic system, there are some things that you simply can't send down the drains. Some things, such as oil and coffee grounds, will clog the tank and prevent proper drainage. Other things, such as cleaning chemicals, can actually kill healthy bacteria and cause the destruction of your system.
Your Seepage Field Needs Plants
If you've been told that you should keep things off your seepage field, you're partially right. There are some things that shouldn't be placed on top of your seepage field, such as above-ground swimming pools and deep-rooted plants. However, to prevent flooding, you can improve absorption by planting grass and other shallow-rooted plants in the soil above your seepage field. If you'd prefer, you can also use decorative bark or gravel to improve the absorption ability of the soil.
Sounds and Smells Can Be a Problem
When you have a septic system, it's important that you pay attention to sounds and smells that come from your toilet and drains. Those sounds and smells could be the sign of impending problems. Some of the sounds and smells you should be aware of are gurgling sounds from the toilet and sewage odors from the drains. If you're hearing gurgling from your toilets or smelling sewage odors from the drains, you're going to need septic servicing immediately.
What you don't know about your septic system can harm it. The information provided here will help you avoid problems. If you're interested in finding out more, visit a site such as http://www.southernsanitarysystems.com.
