3 Important Things To Know About Your Septic Tank

Do you own a home with a septic tank? Are you still getting used to the differences between a septic tank and being hooked up to a city sewer system? Owning a septic tank system doesn't have to be complicated. For the most part, a septic tank and a sewer system can seem almost identical. However, there are still a few crucial differences that you will need to keep in mind about the system. Some things that you may or may not already know include:

Have your tank cleaned regularly: When you hear that something should be done regularly, it's easy to think that you have to do it once a month or once every few months. With a septic tank, however, it could take a year or two for it to be filled with solids. The exact time frame will depend upon your household and on the size of the tank in question. But once you know how long that period is, you can mark the date on the calendar and even have it pumped out early. Avoiding overfilling your septic tank can help prolong the life of your entire septic system. Another thing that you'll want to do at the same time is to schedule a residential septic tank inspection just to make sure that there are no problems with the tank.

Don't pour oil or grease down the drain: A little bit of oil is fine from time to time. For instance, there likely won't be any issue with the amount of grease that gets left behind in a frying pan after pouring as much as possible into another container. But too much oil and grease can clog up your septic tank. Both substances will float on top of the water, blocking air from reaching the surface and killing off beneficial bacteria. In addition, oil and grease can take a long time to break down and can solidify enough to prevent liquids from being able to drain out of the tank. If too much oil has been added to a septic tank, the only solution is to have it cleaned out and then have a residential septic tank inspection performed in order to confirm that all of the oil and grease has been removed.

Use septic tank additives: A properly functioning septic tank is teeming with many different species of beneficial bacteria. These bacteria digest and break down the waste so that you don't need to have the tank pumped out every few months. However, these bacteria can die off almost at random. Too much cold, too much heat, too much water, and other things can all cause the bacteria levels to drop. Once they do, it can take a long time for them to regrow. A septic tank additive is formulated to contain as many different species of these bacteria as possible.  If you use it as directed, you won't have to worry about having the correct bacteria levels in your septic tank.

To learn more, contact a company like Rob's Septic Tanks Inc.