What Is A Septic Tank ?

By Scott Rodgers

All the households that are deprived of a proper sewage setup authorized by the government rely on the traditional septic systems.

A septic tank collects all the sewage waste discharged from the toilets and decomposes them biologically. Septic tanks are often installed partially in the ground. The efficiency of the septic tank is complemented by a drain field that removes the impurities from the water in the septic tank.

In order to ensure longevity of your septic system, the septic tank must be subjected to regular maintenance and inspection work. In addition, the local surroundings would not get polluted due to the malfunctioning of the tank.

Start the examination of the septic tank by opening the lid of the tank. A high water level in the tank would indicate the possibility of a fault whereas a moderate or low water level would ensure smooth functioning of the tank. In case the water level is high, put a plumber's snake into the pipe to the drain field. If the snake comes back with a mud on its front then fault is detected in the drain field. The drain field might be broken or cracked and deserves a quick replacement to restore the efficiency of the tank.

If however no aberration is encountered in the normal functioning of the drain field then problem could be with the scum or the sludge that is deposited at the bottom of the tank. For that the pumping operation of the septic tank has to be carried out by a septic pumping team. The pumping can be done once in every four years to maintain a healthy state of the tank. The cost involved in the whole operation would be much lesser than the bills paid in the authorized sewage setup.

Keep in mind that the sandy soils can go longer than the clay soils and hence regular look-in should be dedicated to that aspect as well. In case of clay soil enveloping your tank, increase the frequency of drain field inspections.

Nowadays commercial chemicals (or enzymes) are also employed to unclog the septic tank and the associated drain field. However such chemicals call for extra precautions during their application as they are very harmful.

If however you are still not able to diagnose the problem with your septic tank then the services of an expert have to be availed to bail you out of trouble. - 29857

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here