The Importance of Septic Tank Maintenance

Any septic tank is prone to a gradual build-up of deposits and a slowing down of the natural digesting action of microorganisms which normally break them down. This would often lead to malfunctioning which causes blockages, bad smells and overflowing. Hence, septic maintenance is crucial to keep their longevity and health.

Septic Tank Maintenance

Being a property owner entails being aware of the maintenance responsibilities that require attention occasionally. Maintenance includes refreshing the decor to clear out the drains. It’s the same thing with septic tanks.

Septic tank maintenance includes these essential responsibilities:

1. Emptying or dislodging septic tanks regularly to ensure they do not cause pollution.
2. Repairing any faults or problems immediately
3. Limiting the system’s discharge to a maximum of 2,000 liters of sewage per day into the ground, or 5,000 liters of treated sewage per day into flowing water. Discharging any more than this would require a permit.
4. Making sure you inspect the area where your tank releases sewage on a monthly basis for any signs of potential problems.
5. Emptying the septic tank at least once a year with a registered waste carrier.

Other simple suggestions that could help in maintaining your septic tank are making sure that your pipes are not leaking, filling up your dishwasher before using it, avoiding disposing of products such as wet wipes, sanitary towels, and varnish in your tank.

Septic Tank Maintenance Cost

Although septic tank cleaning and maintenance is not at all that glamorous, it’s an important task that should be accomplished by homeowners.

In the United States, 60 million people are being served by a septic system that needs to be maintained well to keep it working.

With a properly maintained septic tank, you are saving yourself and your property from a truly unpleasant disaster. So, how much will it cost you to keep your septic tank properly maintained?

The exact cost of septic tank maintenance depends on the size of your septic tank. A standard 1,000-1,500 gallon tank will cost you $250 to $375.

This is a minimal cost without the cost for repair or replacement which can cost thousands of dollars.

According to Home Advisor, extremely large tanks will cost $1,000 or more and the average septic tank pumping cost is $408. They added that you can expect to spend anywhere from $100 to $1,000 or more every few years on septic tank maintenance.

Maintenance tasks at this cost would include these tasks:

• Pumping
• Jetting
• Effluent filter clean or change
• Sewer line inspection costs
• Septic system inspection (no camera)
• Field aeration (Fracking)

A qualified technician in your area can give you details on what will be done and how much it will cost.

Septic Tank Maintenance Products

Keeping your septic tank in top shape can be very challenging. Luckily, there are several products in the septic tank maintenance industry that you can use to keep your septic tank working effectively to degrade the waste that enters it.

Here’s a list from Bob Vila that represents some of the best septic tank treatments in their respective categories:

1. Best overall: Cabin Obsession Septic Tank Treatment
2. Best bang for the buck: Green Gobbler Septic Saver Bacteria
3. Best for clogs: Instant Power 1868 Septic Shock
4. Best monthly: Walex BIO-3112 Bio-Active Septic Tank Treatment Drop-Ins
5. Best Bulk: GreenPig Solutions 53 Concentrated Septic Tank Treatment

What To Do After Septic Tank is Pumped

Septic tank maintenance will always be simpler, less expensive, and easier than replacing. Most homeowners do septic tank cleaning every 1-3 years, but maintenance should be scheduled on a regular basis to keep your household or business running smoothly.

An important part of maintaining a septic tank is pumping. The United States Environmental Protection Agency stated that the average household septic system should be inspected at least every three years by a septic service professional.

In addition, household septic tanks are typically pumped every three to five years.

The four major factors that influence the frequency of septic pumping are:

• Household size
• Total wastewater generated
• The volume of solids in wastewater
• Septic tank size

It is recommended that septic tanks should be pumped when they are at 30-50 percent capacity or every one to three years. Once the tank is thoroughly cleaned after pumping, you can take these simple steps to ensure that your septic system will keep working:

• Only flush wastewater and toilet paper
• Do not flush items like feminine hygiene products, diapers, or
• paper towels that can cause clogging
• Do not use your tank as a kitchen garbage disposal because it could damage the septic tank
• Ensure that there are no leaking faucets or toilets
• Watch water consumption and work towards reducing the workload for your septic system

Septic Tank Cleaning

Routine septic tank cleaning is the best way to prevent unsightly problems. During this procedure, liquids and floating solids are removed from the tank. This process helps restore the biome of your septic tank so that solids are processed quickly and other problems like backflow are avoided.

Septic tanks should be cleaned before too much sludge or scum is allowed to accumulate. Cleaning is usually accomplished by pumping the contents of the tank into a tank truck. You should not wash or disinfect after pumping.

A small residual or sludge should be left in the tank for seeding purposes. The material removed should be disposed of properly. Cleaning of larger septic tanks should be done after they have been thoroughly ventilated and gases have been removed to prevent explosion hazards or asphyxiation of workers.

Leave It To the Professionals

You should have septic tank maintenance done by professionals once a year. Experts in this field will check on your septic tank and see if there is any other troubleshooting needed. Service providers for septic tank maintenance will inspect for leaks and examine the scum and sludge layers in your septic tank.

They will provide you a system service report on the completed repairs and the condition of your tank which includes recommendations for other repairs if needed.

Tom’s Plumbing and Drain Service, LLC can help you with the clean-out and removal of unnecessary waste.

We check septic tanks, drainage, and other lines. You can have a full diagnosis of the home, discovering problems within before they go bad.

We’ve handled many plumbing concerns from the people of New Orleans. Contact us now for more information!

Tom’s Plumber has 20 years of experience in the plumbing industry and is one of the most trusted plumbing and drain companies in the Great New Orleans Area.

We do a variety of plumbing installations and repairs using state-of-the-art tools such as cameras to inspect clogged pipes and detect leaks.