Your septic system is at war!
Like a scene from Braveheart, your septic system has enemies trying to steal its life and take its freedom.
Ok, maybe that’s a little exaggerated.
But the truth is, your septic system has enemies. Things that are trying to prevent it from working the way it should, and cause problems for you and your household.
Today, I want to deal with the 3 most common enemies of your septic system. While there are many enemies of your septic system — rain, roots, driving over it, additives, etc — the 3 enemies we are covering today cause more issues for septic systems than any other.
Enemy #1: Wipes
One of the most celebrated inventions of the last few decades is the wipe. No longer just aimed at households with babies, the wipes industry is now a $4.86 billion industry*. While these so-called dissolvable little wash-rag-ish products can seem fun and easy to use, they are an enemy to your septic system!
Often, no matter what is said on the package, they do not dissolve! That means that when they go in the tank, they stay in the tank. This is the most common thing I see when cleaning out a tank — undissolved wipes. That, and candy bar wrappers 🙂 That undissolved wipe can create clogs at every stage of the process. Because they not only don’t dissolve, but they also get stuck on just about anything.
Recently, I removed the lid of a tank and immediately saw that the inlet (the pipe from the house) was clogged with wipes. There were wipes hanging out of the inlet, causing the backup. Even a small issue with the pipes or baffles can cause the clingy wipe to get caught and easily create a clog.
Wipes should be Enemy #1 for you as a septic system owner!
Enemy #2: Grease
Ah, grease. That glorious agent for cooking that makes things just… better. Hamburger grease. Bacon grease. You name it, grease is just good… unless it’s in your septic system!
It is very important that you don’t put ANY grease down your drains. Many septic system owners will have a small trash can in their kitchen that they use exclusively for grease, and they will also use paper towels to wipe off grease from cooking before washing their pans.
While these measures might seem a bit much at first, once you see what they do to your septic system, they will be worth it!
Recently, I was cleaning out a tank and found large, white rock-like structures clogging the 4-inch pipes. These were hard, rock-like obstructions that almost molded to the pipe and caused major clogging. What was it? Grease! Grease doesn’t dissolve. Even worse, as clogs take place, you can start to get particles of grease going into your drain field, and that starts the beginning of the end of that drain field.
Grease should be Enemy #2 for you as a septic system owner!
Enemy #3: Neglect
While most never really think about it, the septic system is quite a marvel of science and technology. The way a septic system can take waste and process it so our homes remain livable is pretty amazing.
But, like anything you want to run well, they require maintenance to run properly. The Department of Environmental Health recommends that your septic tank be pumped out every 3-5 years, depending on the usage. At this cadence, the septic system is kept in perfect working order, from the tank to the drain field. A properly maintained septic system can work for decades.
However, over and over I hear people say, “I’ve never had my septic tank pumped, and it’s working fine!” Or “I haven’t had my tank pumped in 20 years!”
That’s why our last great enemy is neglect!
Recently, I opened the tank lids of a septic system whose owner was bragging that they hadn’t had their septic tank pumped in nearly a decade. However, when I got the lid removed, instead of the 2 inches of scum layer (fats, oils, and grease) at the top, they had 18 inches! And worse, the scum layer was starting to grow over the top of the inlet T. They were right around the corner from a septic nightmare.
While it is easy to forget about our septic system because we’ve not yet had a problem, the buildup of solids and scum (fats, oils, and grease) is happening in your septic tank and can wreak havoc on your system, creating stress and decimating your drain field.
Regularly maintaining your tank helps keep these problems at bay!
Neglect should be your Enemy #3 for you as a septic owner!
While I don’t expect you to have a painted face or a sword in your hand, when it comes to the big 3 enemies of your system, I hope you take a line from Braveheart, and when you see wipes or grease ready to go into your septic system, you will say, “HOLD!” And fight the enemies of your tank!
At Guardian Septic, our passion is for you to have a safe, sanitary, and perfectly functioning septic system. If we can help you in any way, please call us at 706-247-6500 or visit our website: www.GuardianSepticServices.com