Septic tank is one of the main components of an all-rounded septic system which is one of the most valuable assets around your household, especially in Georgia, where septic systems are more common than municipal-provided sewage systems.
Although the cost and installation of the tank are a bit expensive, it usually is a one-time investment because a solid material tank can live up to as long as 50 years. The goal is to make sure that your septic tank and the system is treated and cared of the way it is supposed to be.
People usually think that since they have paid a hefty amount for a tank that looks pretty sturdy, they can have their way with it and it won’t affect how it works. That is wrong. No matter how much costly and robust-looking your tank is, it still needs to be properly maintained and cared for if you need it to live up to its complete potential life.
But how can you make sure of that? What is the way to be sure that your septic tank is properly maintained and kept well?
Well, that is why we have created this article for you. Here are 4 ways to expand the life of your septic tank in Georgia.
Let’s begin.
1. Time-to-Time Inspection
Inspection of your septic system is more important than you think. Time to time inspection of septic means getting your complete septic system checked by a professional septic inspector at least once a year.
A lot of people believe that septic tank inspection isn’t important because nothing really gets done, an inspector just checks things and lets you know if they are alright or not. Although it might seem like a pretty basic job that you might think you can do yourself, it really is not. You cannot detect errors and problems in your septic tank like a professional, experienced eye can detect.
Moreover, it takes a considerable amount of experience, knowledge of the septic system, professional and necessary equipment, and certain safety and health cautions to check the layers of the tank from inside it and make sure that a lot of pipes in the drain field aren’t clogged. And you a homeowner don’t have all these things, so they can’t do a job like a professional.
Because of inspection, you get to know what the pumping or cleaning is due, what errors are there to rectify, and what kind of measures should you take to preserve the life of your tank. The issues get taken care of at the right time, and that way, the life of your tank gets expanded.
2. Regular Septic Tank Pumping
Septic tank pumping is one of the most important aspects of making sure that your septic tank stays healthy. In relation to the septic tank, terms ‘pumping’ and ‘cleaning’ are usually used alternatively. However, according to professional technicians of the septic system, there is a bit of difference between them.
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To be clear, septic tank pumping refers to the process of removing the sludge from the bottom layer of the septic tank, and this needs to be done before the sludge reaches the level where it starts blocking the pipe through which the liquid in the tank goes to the drain field.
Septic tank cleaning, refers to the process of removing all contents of the tank, including liquid sewage, water, and compacted sludge at the bottom layer of the tank. In the cleaning process, the tank gets completely empty.
Both the procedures are done in a similar way and at similar intervals. Vacuum pipes, storage truck, and pumping equipment is used for pumping or cleaning the tank. When you call a septic technician for septic tank services once a year, they will let you know after inspection when your septic tank’s pumping or cleaning is due. Usually, for an average-sized tank, it is done once every 2 to 3 years.
It is very essential for your tank to get pumped and cleaned whenever it needs to; otherwise, it can block the drain pipes and cause a nasty situation for you, which would lead to costly repairs and decrement in your tank’s life.
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3. Not Abusing Your Tank like a Trash Can
Since a septic tank functions strongly with the waste to turn it into sludge and separate the liquid content, people assume that it can function on anything, which is absolutely not the case.
Things other than waste and water are not to be flushed down the toilet because they can negatively affect the performance of your septic tank. Aside from the wastewater, only toilet paper can be flushed if needed; otherwise, that too should be disposed of in garbage instead of the toilet. Your toilet is not your garbage disposal, especially if you don’t have a municipal-provided sewage system.
People dispose of cigarette butts, sanitary pads, paper towels, disposable diapers, and whatnot in their toilets. Little do they know, if these things are disposed of in the toilet, the sludge in the tank will be thicker, reaching the drain point faster. Therefore, you will need to pump the tank out more frequently, which will take a toll on your tank and decrease its life.
Apart from that, it is also important to remember not to put food down your sink. That is because coffee grounds, chopped veggies, fat, grease, and other food particles can only clog the pipes, but will also make it harder for the tank to treat them, which will eventually decrease the performance standard of the tank.
Moreover, don’t put disinfectants, toxic and chemicals down your sink or toilet in large amounts. They will damage the septic system. Also, disinfectants and drain-clearing chemicals in large amounts can kill the bacteria in the tank that is important to convert and reduce the sludge. If these bacteria are dead, it will lower down the performance of the tank.
4. Conserve as Much Water as Possible
The amount of water you use is proportional to how quickly your tank will get filled and how fast it will perform its job. If you use water efficiently, your tank will have enough time to treat water as it comes in. However, if you are doing all week’s laundry on one day or if everyone in the house is taking a bath at the same time, then the water will get in the tank in a speedy way, making it harder for the tank to treat it all at once.
Therefore, it is important to divide water-using tasks throughout the week and fix leaky faucets and pipes that might waste the water. Apart from that, integrate less water usage in the family while in the kitchen or the toilet. Another way is to install water-efficient sinks, toilets, and showers that only release a certain amount of water for one use.
These four ways are tried, tested, and recommended by professional septic tank technicians. So, they are definitely going to help you expand your tank’s life.