Whether you’re a new homeowner or you’re an experienced veteran when it comes to managing a septic tank, at some point you’ll have to deal with some sort of maintenance issue that will involve calling a company like ours.
We get all sorts of calls when things go wrong, but we decided to narrow things down to a specific few that we get frequently. Here are a few of the most common causes of septic tank malfunctions and what you can do to prevent them. Let’s jump right in.
Visitors and guests
Yes, sadly problems can arise from the company you keep. Seems a little bit harsh, but the truth is that guests don’t always know what they can and can’t flush. Not only that – but in the event you throw a social function with lots of extra visitors in your home – you’d be surprised at how quickly overuse can become an issue.
If this is an issue, be sure to put up signs in your bathroom just so people know what to do and what not to do. That way, you’ll improve your odds of not dealing with issues.
Rain and hurricanes
Living here in Florida, heavy rains and hurricanes are just a way of life – but they can impact your septic system negatively. Whether it’s physical damage from a hurricane itself or over saturation from rain – it’s wise to put in the same practices you would with visitors. Try to avoid using multiple appliances at once and even reconsider things like doing your laundry during rainy days. Anything that can minimize the amount of water adversely impacting a septic tank during these periods is what you should be focusing on.
System design and build
While we hate dogging others, a lot of problems that come from septic systems often times have their roots in the actual installation, itself. Perhaps the tank is poorly built or poorly installed. This is why it’s important to be engaged when a tank is being installed so you can help ensure things like this don’t happen. It’s also worth it to make sure you not only have someone else come in and inspect the system when it’s done; but that you also have consistent, ongoing maintenance being performed on your tank as it matures. This way, you’ll be able to cut off problems before they become a serious and very costly problem.
Maintenance and septic pumping
One of the best things about living in Florida is that we don’t have to sweat things like frozen pipes and bursting pipes. But we still DO need to make sure our systems are being pumped and maintained every so often. Failing to do so can cause costly (and messy) problems like back up and the like. Make sure that you’re scheduling a septic pumping every 3-5 years. Hopefully these tips will help you run a healthier and less costly septic system. If you’d like to learn more, feel free to give us a call and we’ll be happy to provide you with a free consultation. Good luck!