Keeping Your System Healthy

Guidelines for a Healthy Septic System  -  Do's and Dont's

By following a few simple rules, you won't have to think about your system on a day-to-day basis.

Indeed, with proper use, conventional onsite systems can operate for years without much management.

Maintenance begins with sound water use and waste disposal habits. Since your family will determine which materials enter the system, we encourage you to set rules and stick to them.

Here is a partial list of the items to keep OUT of your system. Do not introduce any of the following:

• Grease or cooking oils
• Disposable diapers
• BABY WIPES
• Feminine hygiene products
• Any latex products
• Paper towels
• Plastics
• Cat litter
• Latex paint, pesticides, or any hazardous chemicals
• Clay based laundry detergents such as (Tide or Kirkland brands)
  

Ask us for a complete list of prohibited items for your custom system.

Many homes have garbage disposals to help manage vegetable and other food waste. Excessive use of your garbage disposal may introduce a high level of unwanted solids into your system. Use disposals moderately and consider composting as an option to handle vegetable waste.

Do not put too much water into the septic system. Excess water puts too much strain on the decomposition process and can cause problem. Maximum water use should be about 50 gallons per day for each person in the family. Estimate by using the following numbers per person so you can keep track:

• Shower: 2.5 gallons per minute - 10 minute shower = 25 gallons
• Toilet: 2 gallons per flush (for toilets bought in the last 20 years)
• Washing machine: 40 gallons per load
• Dishwasher cycle: 10 gallons

With large families, keeping track of water use can be hard. But laying down guidelines can help everyone do their part. Also consider getting energy and water-wise appliances when you need to replace your current models. Visit www.energystar.gov/ for suggestions.

Be aware that your system is sized to handle the number of people anticipated to be using it when it is installed. If that number increases, you may need a larger system or you will need to take extra precautions.

Do not use harsh drain openers for a clogged drain. The best alternative to conventional, caustic drain openers is to use boiling water or a drain snake to clear clogs. Though this approach may be a little messier, the chemicals in drain cleaners can cause havoc with your septic system.

Use mild or natural cleaners for your bathroom and kitchen. They should either be okayed for use in septic systems or marked biodegradable.

Be aware that bleaches and antibacterial soaps can inhibit the enzymatic action necessary to help bacteria break down the solids in the tank.

Again, harsh chemicals can cause expensive and unpleasant problems in your system.

If you use or intend to use a water softener in the home, let your installer or maintenance contractor know. Under certain soil conditions, the salt recharge solution must be handled carefully and the size of your absorption field may need to be increased.

Have the solids pumped out of the septic tank on a regular basis.  Our recommendation is to pump the septic tank every 3 years to ensure that the drainfield is protected from solids flowing out of the baffle and into the drainlines.Your installer, a recommended and licensed septic pumping contractor or your local health department can give you guidelines.

Remember, more sophisticated systems may require additional maintenance. So always give our office a call or talk with Darren McCullough (Certified Master Installer & Master Septic System Professional) for details about pumping frequency for your tank size.  A-1 Envifronmental Septic Tank Service can make the proper recommendation at your next Septic Tank Pumping service appointment.

 

~ Homeowner Association Septic System Education Seminars ~

Provided by:

Darren & Lisa McCullough (Owner/Operators)

Darren & Lisa can speak at your next homeowners association meeting on the use and maintenance of your Septic Systems & basic Septic System homeowner education.  Most homeowners are not educated on the use and care of their largest underground investment.  The septic System is one of the most important and vital systems operating in a home.  The importance of proper use and maintenance cannot be stressed enough.  Book Darren & Lisa to speak to your homeowners association meeting today.

For more information about the Homeowners Association Education Seminars and to book your meeting date contact our office at: 425-861-6978

 

Find further information on Septic Systems at  Septic System & Drainfield Experts Blog

 

Drainfield Do’s and Don’ts

Do These Things

• Know where your drainfield and replacement area are located. When you know where it is located, it is easier to protect. For more information call A-1 Environmental Septic Tank Service at :          425-861-6978 & Septic System & Drainfield Experts Blog
• Keep heavy equipment off your drainfield. Cars and heavy equipment should not park or drive over the drainfield; doing so can crack pipes. Create a barrier if accessible to cars, livestock, or heavy equipment.
• Keep water usage to a minimum. Drainfields do not have an unlimited capacity. When there is more water than it can absorb, the system is unable to drain and filter effluent before it reaches groundwater.
• Divert water away from the drainfield. Water runoff from roofs and drainage ditches can saturate the soil. Drainfields are most efficient when the soil beneath the drainfield is not saturated.
• Keep trees and shrubs at least 30 feet away from the drainfield. (NOTE: Some soil conditions may require that plantings be kept an even greater distance from the drainfield.) Trees and shrubs generally have extensive root systems that seek out and grow into wet areas, such as drainfields. This can lead to clogged and damaged drain lines. For more information, see Landscape Your Drainfield.
• Plant only grass or shallow-rooted plants over the drainfield. This will prevent soil erosion.
• Protect your replacement area. It may be the only area with acceptable soil conditions in case you need to replace, repair, or add on to the drainfield. All of the above suggestions apply to the replacement area as well.

Don’t Do These Things

• Don’t build over your drainfield. This includes patios, carports, and other structures. You may damage the drainfield.
• Don’t pave over the drainfield. Drainfields need air to function properly. Oxygen is needed by bacteria to break down and treat sewage.
• Don’t dig in your drainfield. Damage to the pipes can occur.
• Keep large animals and livestock off the drainfield. Soil compaction prevents oxygen from getting into the soil and prevents water from flowing away from the drainfield.
• Don’t use landscaping plastic over the drainfield. Air is necessary for the drainfield to function efficiently.
• Don’t plant a vegetable garden over a drainfield. You risk the possibility of food contamination.
• Don’t install an irrigation system in the drainfield. Neither should the irrigation system drain toward the drainfield.

 

Septic Tank System Do’s & Don’ts

 

Septic System Do’s

1. Inspect your septic tank annually - Septic Tanks should be pumped every three. An inspection by A-1 Environmental Septic Service expert Technician may show that you need to pump more or less often. Regular pumping ensures that solids will not flow from the septic tank into the drainfield. Solids  destroy the drainfield, and once a drainfield has failed, pumping will not bring it back to life.

2. Use less water - Reducing the amount of wastewater entering your Septic System may increase its life span, as excessive water is a major cause of system failure. Too much water from laundry, dishwasher, toilets, baths, and showers may not allow enough time for sludge and scum to separate, causing solids to pass out of the tank and into the drainfield, ultimately clogging the pipes. To reduce household water use:

• Limit the use of large water guzzling appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines.
• Use water-saving bathroom and kitchen fixtures (such as faucets, showerheads, and toilets).
• Spread laundry over the entire week and avoid all loads on one day.
• Fix all faucet and toilet leaks promptly.

3. Direct water from downspouts and roofs away from the drainfield - Additional water from these sources may prevent your drainfield from working properly.

4. Keep cars and trucks off the septic tank and drainfield areas -  This prevents pipes from breaking and soil from becoming compacted. Compacted soils can’t absorb water from the drainfield.

5. Use phosphate-free detergent - Phosphorus is harmful to the environment, as it can deplete oxygen which is vital to fish and other aquatic organisms. The use of phosphate-free detergents, also helps prevent algae problems in nearby lakes and streams. 

6. Use non clay based Liquid Laundry/Dishwasher Detergent - Liquid Detergents do not crystalize like powders do and create blockages in the baffles.  Clay based detergents tend to create excess sludge in a Septic Tank.  We suggest not using Tide or Kirkland brand laundry detergent as it is clay based and causes fast build up in the septic tank

7. Install risers for easier access. Risers from the tank lids to the soil surface to make maintenance easier and avoid digging charges when you pump your Septic Tank.

For more information about your Septic System and to schedule service contact us at: 425-861-6978 or Info@A1Environmental.net

Septic System Don’ts

1. Limit garbage disposal use - A garbage disposal adds solids and grease to your system, which could lead to drainfield failure.

2. Don’t use septic tank additives or “miracle” system cleaners - Some of these chemicals can actually harm your on-site sewage system by allowing solids to flow into and clog the drainfield. Some of these additives claim you never have to pump your Tank if you use them.  The reality is that you may not have to pump your Tank regularly but you’ll have to replace you Drainfield instead.  The chemicals can also contaminate ground and surface water. 

3. Don’t dispose of water from hot tubs into the on-site sewage system - Large volumes of water are harmful to the system, and the chlorine can destroy important bacteria in the system. Drain hot tubs onto the ground, away from the drainfield and not into a storm drain.

4. Don’t flush solid wastes into the septic system - These include diapers, cigarette butts, coffee grounds, tampons, condoms and grease.

5. Don’t put strong chemicals, such as cleaning products, down the drain - Household chemicals, such as drain cleaners, paint thinners and floor cleaners, can destroy important bacteria in your septic tank and contaminate ground and surface water.  DO NOT use clay based detergents such as Tide or Kirkland brand laundry soap.

6. Don’t construct patios, carports or use landscaping plastic over the drainfield - Grass is the best cover for your septic tank and drainfield. Soil compaction and paving prevents oxygen from getting into the soil. This oxygen is needed by bacteria to break down and treat sewage.