3 Tips To Reduce Septic Pumping Frequency

17 April 2017
 Categories: , Blog

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If your home relies on a septic system to remove wastewater and raw sewage, then you know the importance of regularly pumping your septic tank to prevent costly (and stinky) sewer backups. While homeowners know that regular pumping is important when it comes to maintaining the function of a septic system, few know that some simple maintenance tasks can actually help reduce the frequency with which a tank needs to be pumped.

Here are three tips that you can use to limit your septic pumping without compromising functionality in the future.

1. Reduce your water usage.

Sending excessive amounts of water down your home's drain pipes can cause your septic tank to fill up a lot faster than it should. By taking the time to reduce your family's water consumption, you can reduce the number of times that your septic tank will need to be pumped out in the future.

Limiting laundry to full loads, installing a low-flow toilet, or adding an aerator to your sinks can be simple ways to reduce water consumption without compromising the convenience of your home's indoor plumbing.

2. Be mindful of the bacteria living in your septic tank.

Every septic tank is home to bacteria that play a critical role in helping to break down solid wastes for long-term storage. When the bacteria levels in your septic tank are disturbed, you may find that your tank fills up faster that you think it should. By changing a few simple behaviors, you can easily encourage a healthy bacteria population inside your septic tank.

Check your cleaning products to ensure they don't have antibacterial properties, as these cleaning products could kill off healthy bacteria inside your septic tank when they are washed down drains after routine cleaning. You can also rely on septic tank additives to introduce more healthy bacteria into your tank to ensure solid waste doesn't build up inside the tank too quickly.

3. Don't use your septic system as a garbage disposal. 

If you want to avoid having your septic tank fill up too quickly, then you need to avoid putting materials down your drains that will not deteriorate over time. Avoid letting items like coffee grounds, paper towels, or the grease from cooking pans go down your drains.

These items can clog up your septic tank, requiring you to pump out the tank more frequently to maintain proper septic function in the future.

When you know how to properly maintain your septic tank through reduced water usage, the maintenance of healthy bacteria inside the tank, and restricting the types of items that go down your drains, you can reduce the frequency with which your septic tank needs to be pumped out over time. To learn more about how to care for your septic system, check out websites like http://www.bergtanksinc.com/home.