If you are curious about how your septic system works, we are here to explain the whole thing. If you understand the septic system completely, you are more likely to avoid damaging it. One way to ensure that your septic system is always working properly is to have it inspected annually. We are here to do this for you, and we are experts in everything septic. Let’s talk about your septic system.
The Main Line
Everything drains into the main septic line. This includes the sinks, bathtubs, showers, toilets, washing machine, and dishwasher. This line extends from your home to the septic tank. All of your home’s plumbing routes to this line through a series of pipes.
This is the same if you are on a municipal sewage system. A main line takes all of the water and solid waste to the sewage system. If the main line gets clogged, your solid waste and wastewater will back up into your home. It’s important to use drain screens to protect the main line. It’s also important to avoid flushing anything other than septic-safe toilet paper down the toilet.
The Septic Tank
Once the wastewater and solid waste reach the septic tank, a couple of things happen. The solid waste sinks to the bottom of the tank where it is stored until we pump it out. This solid waste should be primarily fecal matter and toilet paper. Anything else can clog the septic tank and cause problems that include environmental problems.
Scum, which consists of oily materials floats on the top of the septic tank’s contents. Avoid scum by keeping oils, greases, and fatty foods out of the drains. The wastewater flows out of the septic tank and into the drain field for its own treatment. The water flows through a filter at the end of the septic tank to remove any residual solid waste.
The Drain Field
The drain field consists of pipes and layered materials that are designed to treat the wastewater so that it is safe for introduction into the groundwater supply. The drain field accepts the water through the pipes and then filters it through the layers of materials.
The drain field cannot treat the water properly if it is inundated with wastewater, i.e., you do a ton of laundry in one day. Protect your drain field by limiting the amount of wastewater that is introduced into the septic system, i.e., do one load of laundry per day.
We are here for all of your septic system needs, so give us a call to schedule an appointment. This is particularly important if it has been more than one year since your system has been inspected.
