Septic System Preventative Maintenance

Inspect and Pump Frequently

Per the Environmental Protection Agency , it is recommended that the average household septic system should be inspected at least every three years by a septic system service professional. Alternative systems with electrical float switches, pumps, or mechanical components should be inspected more often, generally once a year. A service contract is important since alternative systems have mechanized parts.

Four major factors influence the frequency of septic tank pumping:

Household size
Total wastewater generated
Volume of solids in wastewater
Septic tank size

For all your Septic System Preventative Maintenance needs contact Full Service Septic, 704-224-4199. We will be glad to come out and evaluate your system. We will complete a thorough evaluation and then recommend a service regimen that will keep your system working properly. We serve Salisbury, Rowan, Cabarrus, Davie, Davidson, Iredell, North Mecklenburg and Stanly counties.

Use Water Efficiently

The average indoor water use in a typical single-family home is nearly 60 gallons per individual, per day. Just a single leaky or running toilet can waste as much as 200 gallons or more of water per day. All of the water a household sends down its pipes winds up in its septic system. The more water a household conserves, the less water enters the septic system. Efficient water use improves the operation of a septic system and reduces the risk of failure.

Here is a list of some simple ways to save water usage to help maintain your Septic System.

High-efficiency toilets. Toilet use accounts for 25 to 30 percent of household water use. Many older homes have toilets with 3.5- to 5-gallon reservoirs, while newer, high-efficiency toilets use 1.6 gallons of water or less per flush. Replacing existing toilets with high-efficiency models is an easy way to reduce the amount of household water entering your septic system.
Faucet aerators and high-efficiency showerheads. Faucet aerators, high-efficiency showerheads, and shower flow restrictors help reduce water use and the volume of water entering your septic system.
Washing machines. Washing small loads of laundry on your washing machine’s large-load cycle wastes water and energy. By selecting the proper load size, you will reduce water waste. If you are unable to select a load size, run only full loads of laundry. Try to spread washing machine use throughout the week. Doing all household laundry in one day might seem like a time-saver; but it can harm your septic system, not allow your septic tank enough time to treat waste, and could flood your drain field Clothes washers that bear the ENERGY STAR label use 35 percent less energy and 50 percent less water than standard models. Other Energy Star appliances provide significant energy and water savings.

Properly Dispose of Waste

Whether you flush it down the toilet, grind it in the garbage disposal, or pour it down the sink, shower, or bath, everything that goes down your drains ends up in your septic system. What goes down the drain affects how well your septic system works.

Toilets aren’t trash cans! Your septic system is not a trash can.

An easy rule of thumb: Do not flush anything besides human waste and toilet paper.

Never flush:

Cooking grease or oil
Non-flushable wipes, such as baby wipes or other wet wipes
Photographic solutions
Feminine hygiene products
Condoms
Dental floss
Diapers
Cigarette butts
Coffee grounds
Cat litter
Paper towels
Pharmaceuticals
Household chemicals like gasoline, oil, pesticides, antifreeze, and paint or paint thinners

Think at the Sink

Your septic system contains a collection of living organisms that digest and treat household waste. Pouring toxins down your drain can kill these organisms and harm your septic system. Whether you are at the kitchen sink, bathtub, or utility sink:

Avoid chemical drain openers for a clogged drain. Instead, use boiling water or a drain snake.
Never pour cooking oil or grease down the drain.
Never pour oil-based paints, solvents, or large volumes of toxic cleaners down the drain. Even latex paint waste should be minimized.
Eliminate or limit the use of a garbage disposal. This will significantly reduce the amount of fats, grease, and solids that enter your septic tank and ultimately clog its drainfield.

Maintain your Drainfield

Your drainfield—a component of your septic system that removes contaminants from the liquid that emerges from your septic tank—is an important part of your septic system.

Here are a few things you should do to maintain it: