The Basics Of Septic System Care

For homeowners who have always been on city water infrastructure, moving into a home with a septic system can be a real learning experience. In fact, septic systems require far different care and attention than city sewer systems, so it's important to familiarize yourself with those needs as soon as possible. That way, you don't risk causing inadvertent damage to your home's septic system due to improper care and handling. Here's a look at some of the things that you need to know about caring for your home's septic tank and septic system.

Don't Overload The Drain Field

One of the things that you need to understand is that your drain field can only process just so much waste at any one time. That means that you'll have to take steps to ensure that your drain field doesn't get overwhelmed with water at any time. While you can't control rainfall, you can control runoff. Talk with your septic system contractor about the drainage system that you need for runoff to protect your drain field from excess water.

Moderate Your Household Water Use

Another key thing to consider when you're maintaining a septic system is the amount of water you're sending into the septic tank at any given time. Remember that your septic tank needs to filter the water through to the drain field, so overwhelming the tank with large volumes of water at one time can overload the system and cause a septic backup. 

The best thing that you can do is to moderate your family's water usage. Avoid showering within a couple of hours of doing laundry, and spread your laundry out over several days instead of doing all of your laundry in one day. These things will help to slow the water flow into your septic tank, easing the strain on your septic system.

Work With A Septic System Contractor

When you buy a home with a septic system, you need to reach out to a septic system contractor for a maintenance and inspection contract. Working with a septic system contractor will ensure that your tank gets pumped, cleaned, and inspected when needed. This will help to keep your septic system functioning at its best.

These are some of the things that you should know about owning a home with a septic system. Taking proper care of that septic system is an essential part of keeping your home's plumbing system working at its best. Talk with a local septic system contractor today for more help and information.