The Importance of Septic Tank Maintenance

Living the rural lifestyle has its advantages for those who wish to avoid the hustle and bustle of a more urban environment. It also means that certain services aren't readily available including access to a municipal sewage system. In these cases a self contained waste management system or septic system is needed and the septic tank is the most important part of this system. It only makes sense then that regular maintenance is an important part of keeping the tank and the rest of the system in good working order.Do you want to learn more? Visit Septic tank repair .

If you currently own or are thinking of buying a home with a septic system you may be wondering why is septic tank maintenance so important? As the system is used sludge, grease and other solids build up in the tank and failure to pump it out can lead to a clogged up system.This can lead to backups and overflows which can cause damage to not only your home but also the environment. It can also cause damage to the system which can lead to expensive repairs or in some cases an even more expensive scenario, replacement. In the case of environmentaldamage the home/property owner is responsible for any damage and can face criminal charges and fines.

If you look at what a septic tank is you can see why maintaining it is important. It is what its name says it is, a tank that collects everything that is put down a home’s drains and toilets. It has an opening at both ends, one connected to the house to accept thewaste water and one at the opposite end that allows liquids to flow into the drain field. All the solid waste settles to the bottom and like any tank it will fill up sooner or later.There are really two parts to proper septic tank maintenance ; pumping/cleaning and what gets put into it.Determining how often the system need to be cleaned depends on the system itself and how it is used.First you have to factor in how big the tank actually is. Most tanks are of the 1000 to 1500 gallon variety. The second factor is the amount of use the system gets; how many people are consistently using it, is there a washing machine and how often is it run, what about a dish washer and is it run daily.A general rule of thumb is that for 1 to 2 people the tank needs maintenance every 4 to 5 years while 3 to 4 people will up the cleaning schedule to every 2 to 3 years. For even larger families or a system that gets excessiveusage it may require pumping out and cleaning every 1 to 2 years.