Septic Tank Cleaning And Maintenance: What You Need To Know

Dealing with the consequences of an improperly maintained septic tank is almost guaranteed to be a nightmare in terms of clean up and dealing with the foul odour when the tank leaks or overflows. Not only can a damaged or overflowing septic tank ruin your garden and possibly even flood your home, but it could also present significant harm to the environment and any animals or people affected by it. Responsible septic tank cleaning and maintenance is a crucial part of homeownership and can save you a great deal of trouble and expenses down the line.

How Often To Have Your Septic Tank Inspected

Servicing your septic tank on a frequent and scheduled basis will ensure that unexpected overflow doesn’t happen. A specialist will be able to assist with determining the size and capacity of your septic tank and advise on how often it will need to be pumped. If you’ve recently bought your house and aren’t familiar with the details of your septic tank, consult the documentation provided along with your house plans. Alternatively, the tank will need to be unearthed and inspected. The frequency of a professional inspection varies according to your tank’s specifications, but it is generally advisable to schedule an inspection and maintenance appointment at least every three years. Factors that affect how often you’ll need to have your septic tank pumped include the size of your household, the volume of solid materials in your wastewater and the amount of sewage generated during a typical year.

Keeping Your Septic Tank In Good Condition

There are several general rules to stick to if you want to ensure your septic tank lasts for many years and won’t cause damage or leaks. To keep your tank in good condition, follow these three rules:

1) Efficient Water Usage

Where possible, make use of appliances, kitchen and bathroom fittings that assist in conserving and optimally using water. Replace older toilets with new models, which hold much less water in their tanks and require less to flush correctly. When washing laundry, select an eco-friendly option on your machine, choose the right load size or only wash when you can fill your machine with a full load. High-efficiency showerheads also assist in using water more sparingly.

2) Flush Only Acceptable Materials – please add in here that anything other than toilet paper will not break down in the system. Things such as sanitary items, condoms, wet wipes etc 

Toilets aren’t designed to process any random materials and flushing anything aside from toilet paper puts a lot of strain on your sewage system and can ultimately result in a blocked and overflowing septic tank.

3) Keep Your Drainfield Clear – please change drain field to field drainage 

The area around your septic tank needs to be unobstructed to effectively clear contaminants and should not have any additional pressure placed on it. Never park vehicles or heavy objects on your drain field and plant any vegetation a safe distance from it.

Inspection and maintenance of a septic tank should only be conducted by Drain Ninjas specialist as it can be hazardous to your health and potentially unsafe to attempt by yourself. Contact us for your septic tank cleaning and maintenance needs, and we’ll ensure your home’s septic system stays in perfect working order.