Most Important Things to Know about Owning a Septic Tank (Part 1)

What you need to know when buying a house with a septic tank.

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Bought a home with a septic tank? Where do we go from here?

Thankfully, owning a septic tank doesn’t need to be scary or intimidating. Below are two main things you should know to take care of your septic tank!

Pumping every 3-5 years.

The first thing we tell anyone who is new to owning a septic tank, is to get their tank pumped every three to five years. This means it probably won’t be necessary to do it any sooner than three years but shouldn’t go any longer than five. Every family’s tank is a little different since many factors go into the health of your septic tank.

Pumping your tank as maintenance is necessary in order to remove the solid waste that builds up over time. The biological activity in your septic tank continually breaks down smaller waste but isn’t strong enough to break down the larger waste that will begin to build in your tank. 

Other things that can affect the time between necessary maintenance pumps can be inorganic material such as paper towels, too much toilet paper, sanitary napkins or wipes, and even chemicals. An excessive use of any product that 

doesn’t come from nature can cause a premature back-up of your system. An important one of these to watch out for is chemicals, which can be very harmful to the waste eating bacteria that you want in your tank.

Watch out for chemicals

Chemicals can destroy bacteria that eats away at the bio-waste in your tank. This means bad news. When there aren’t enough bacteria to break up waste in your tank, it can cause backups or even component failure. 

So, you’re thinking, “What about the products that say they are specifically for prolonging the septic tank?” 

Truthfully, these products are not necessary and sometimes are a complete waste of money. The only thing you need in your septic tank is what naturally goes down there when you go to the bathroom, take a shower, or any use of water going down your drain.

This also means go easy on the bleach and cleaners. A good way to avoid an excess of cleaners into your tank is to wipe them up with a paper towel or something that can be thrown in the trash, instead of a reusable towel that goes into the washing machine.

All of that being said; everything is okay in moderation! Don’t stress, you can still use all your favorite cleaners and such, just be wary of the amounts you use them in.