If you live in a property that has a septic tank (a large holding tank which is where biological waste is sent when it is flushed down the toilet), you’ll know that it needs to be emptied from time to time. A septic tank keeps the waste secure so that, over time, the solid elements within the tank sink to the bottom, the natural gases escape through vents, and the liquid drains away to a drainage field. That’s an important thing to note if you are moving into a property with such a tank.
Sometimes septic tanks can have issues, and that’s something else that is important to think about. There are, in fact, a number of problems that are common to most septic tanks and it pays to be aware of them so that you can act before they do too much damage or cause too many issues to the environment. The good news is that since these are common issues, there are reliable ways to solve them too.
Too Much Water
One of the most common problems when it comes to septic tanks is that there can be excess water in the tank itself. If the tank is being asked to hold more water than it was made to do, the solid waste can’t break down before the water levels get too high. When this happens, the solids will be taken through the pipes that are meant for water, and the pipes will become blocked. If solids enter the drainage field it will become ineffective.
In order to prevent this from happening, you will need to work out a system to ensure that smaller amounts of water are emptied into your tank at a time, thus allowing the level to drop before more is added. This can be done by not doing multiple loads of laundry on one day, but spreading it across the week. You can also take shorter showers (and limit how many baths you have) and even install low flow showerheads to waste even less water. This will help keep your septic tank working correctly, and will also save you money if you are on a water meter.
Non-Biodegradable Items
It’s so easy to throw all sorts of items down the toilet, pull the flush, and think nothing else of it. The problem comes when these items end up in the septic tank and don’t break down. As before, the tubes meant for water will block, causing the tank to potentially overflow which is never a pleasant thing, plus it can cost a lot extra to call someone out in an emergency to pump the tank and unblock the pipes.
Even items that might say flushable on the packaging could be causing damage to your septic tank.
The way to solve this issue is a simple one – only ever flush human waste and toilet paper. Anything and everything else should be put into a separate bin and disposed of safely. This includes baby wipes, nappies, tampons (and their packaging) and cigarettes as well as many other things!
Remember also that it isn’t just the toilet that empties into your septic tank; your kitchen sink may do too. If it does, you shouldn’t be disposing of food waste including oil and grease down the sink as this too can clog up your septic tank.
Too Much Washing Powder
If you use more washing powder or liquids or any other kind of detergent than you should do when doing your laundry or using your dishwasher, the excess will be flushed to your septic tank. Whilst this doesn’t sound like it would be a problem, the phosphates found within these detergents can actually encourage algae growth within the pipes of the tank. Too much algae will block the pipes and cause the problems we’ve already mentioned above.
To stop this from happening, switch to liquitabs and dishwasher tablets so that you use the exact amount of detergent you need. Alternatively, check the labels and only buy products without phosphates in them.
Other Harsh Chemicals
The use of other harsh chemicals around the home can certainly lead to problems with your septic tank. This could be any form of solvent, brake fluid, oils such as motor oil, paint thinner, pesticides, and petrol. If these products are allowed into the septic tank they can pollute the surrounding area as well as being responsible for killing the bacteria within the septic tank which is required to break the solid waste down.
The most important rule for living in a property with a septic tank is to only ever allow human waste and toilet tissue (and not too much of that) into the tank. Anything else must be disposed of in another way if you want the tank to do its job properly.
