Keep Your Septic System Healthy to Avoid Costly Septic Tank Problems
It would seem that it is inevitable that the homeowner thinks of their septic system as an inanimate object. A thing that is part of the plumbing system designed to accomplish the necessary task of disposing of waste and water from the home in a safe manner.
Instead, property owners should consider the home septic system a living organism that requires the proper conditions, and a little care from the owner, to avoid septic tank problems. The bacteria within the septic tank are living organisms and necessary for the septic system to operate as designed with a minimum septic tank problems.
The bacteria in the septic tank breaks down solid waste into liquids. While the normal flushing of toilets provides the bacteria the food it needs, it also requires oxygen to thrive. Most septic systems do not include an adequate airflow for optimum bacterial action.
This can lead to solid waste that has not broken down into a liquid, flowing into the drain fields of the home septic system causing expensive septic tank problems. These solids then clog the drain field. The drain field lines are perforated pipes placed in trenches filled with crushed stone or pea-sized rock. This type of configuration is designed to allow liquids to soak away. Once clogged by solids, the septic system can fail leading to a number of problems.
While the symptoms of septic tank problems are numerous, none of them are pleasant. Many home owners first learn they have septic problems with their septic system when raw sewage backs up into the home. This can occur when the drain field clogs and wastewater cannot flow out of the septic tank. The water then flows back into the home through the lowest drain in the house.
Other signs of a septic system problems can include pooling of waste water above the drain field. This can render a portion of the back yard into a soggy mess stinking of sewage. This type of failure obviously poses a health hazard to the homeowner and any near neighbors.
Avoiding septic tank problems is always preferable compared to cleanup and repair after a failure occurs. While the symptoms of the problem usually occurs at the drain field or in the home, the two opposite ends of the system, the problem usually lies at the septic tank which is the heart of the system.
Aerating the septic tank keeps the bacteria that make the entire system work healthy and performing at peak efficiencies. Without those bacteria, the living thing that is a septic system will fail leaving the homeowner dealing with the mess.
