As a homeowner, not much is worse than having problems with your septic tank (the main part of the wastewater treatment system under your house that breaks down all of the solid and liquid waste coming from your home). They are designed to last up to 50 years, but there are several factors that can cause problems much sooner than that. If something does happen to go wrong for you and you need septic tank services in Charlotte, call AAA City Plumbing for your Charlotte septic tank cleaning, pumping and services.
We want to help you avoid having major issues with your septic system so we’ve put together this list of some easy steps you can take to help avoid having septic tank issues.
1 – Trees
You’ll want to be sure not to plant trees close to your drain field so there are no future issues with tree roots compromising your underground pipes. The roots of a tree are extremely strong and there is not much you can do about it once the tree roots are growing near your tank or pipes.
2 – Take more showers
Cut down on taking baths and try taking short (five minutes or less) showers. In septic system lingo, water coming from your bath and showers is known as grey water. This water will most likely have a very small amount of bacterial and solid content. If you have a lot of grey water coming in quickly, it can displace wastewater that is still in bacterial processing and settling in your tank before it should be. This might cause your drain field to fill with too much high solid content water and that could lead to soil pores clogging which will stop water from getting back to the ground table. A quick shower should use less water than a bath and help lessen your chances of surging grey water. As a bonus, you will probably also see a decrease in your water and energy bills.
3 – No chemicals
If you have been using chemicals in your septic tank, you can stop. They do not work and they could also be eliminating the necessary bacteria in your tank. This is another way you can save a little cash. For more information about septic tank cleaning in Charlotte, call AAA City Plumbing.
4 – Dispose of your disposal
Quit using your garbage disposal. It will introduce organic matter to your tank without any bacteria to consume it. The bacteria you do have in the tank (from human waste) can be overwhelmed with additional matter filling up the tank and may reach the drain field, causing it to clog.
5 – Go aerobic
You might want to consider a conversion in your tank to an aerobic bacterial environment. This can help reclaim a drain field that is having issues or has already failed … if you do it in a careful, controlled way. If this is not done correctly the drain field will become clogged and you will have system failure resulting in some expensive repairs.
6 – Keep it regular
Get your septic tank pumping in Charlotte on a regular basis. That means you should do it at least every couple of years. If you pump too often, it will disrupt the bacteria environment. If you don’t do it often enough, the solids layer at the bottom of the tank will cut the tank’s efficiency in processing waste. When there is too think of a solid layer, it reduces the amount of time the bacteria has to process organic waste and settle solids. This means there is diminished capacity for wastewater in your tank because the solid layer at the bottom is consuming too much.
7 – Wait out the storm
You do not want your system to be overworked. Try not to use a lot of water (like showers or laundry) while it is raining heavily.
8 – Change your soap
If you have been using antibacterial soap and cleaners, you might want to try something else. An additive that is used in many of these cleaners kills the bacteria that is in your septic tank, but your tank needs bacteria in order to break down the organic waste. No bacteria means your take makes a great home for organic solids and will fill faster than it should … sending even more organic materials to the drain field.
9 – Be careful with your drain
There are some things that should not be put down the drain or in the toilet. Those items include: grease and cooking oil, bread, egg shells, orange peels, coffee grounds, onion layers, paper towels, seeds, baby wipes, bones and anything that isn’t food (napkins, feminine products, etc).
We are a full-service plumbing company with offices in Charlotte and Rock Hill. AAA City Plumbing offers emergency repairs, system installation, preventative maintenance, drain cleaning, septic cleaning, pumping and more. We’re open six days a week, with emergency plumbing services available during business hours.
