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Things To Do When You Own A Septic Tank System

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For homes that depend on the functioning of a septic system, its proper functioning is important. Many people don’t give a septic system much thought until it stops functioning properly and a septic tank cleaning company needs to be called. Thankfully, there are some steps homeowners can take to assure their septic tank system is functioning properly.

STEPS TO HAVING A FUNCTIONING SYSTEM

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

It is important for homeowners to know where the septic tank and drain field are located. It is helpful to have a sketch of the location on hand for times when the septic cleaning company needs to be called.

INSPECTION TIME

The septic system should be inspected annually. The inspection can easily be done by a local reputable septic tank cleaning company.

ACCESSIBILITY

Make sure the septic tank cover is accessible for inspections and pumping by a septic cleaning company.

KEEP RECORDS

It is important to keep accurate and records of all repairs, pumping, inspections, permits issued and any other maintenance activities.

CONSERVATION

Water conservation is important to the proper functioning of a septic system. Not conserving water can overload the septic system. One key to conserving water is the reparation of leaky faucets and toilets.

WATER DIVERSION

Be sure to divert water sources such as roof drains and sump pumps. Excess water from these sources prevents the soil in the drain field from naturally cleaning the wastewater.

GRASS COVERAGE

Make sure there is ample grass coverage in the absorption field area. One caveat is that although grass is necessary, avoid planting trees or shrubs there as the roots can cause damage to the septic system. A septic cleaning company can inform you of a safe distance for planting these items.

IN THE KITCHEN

The kitchen is a place in the home that has a great impact on the septic system. Be sure to limit the use of the garbage disposal, properly dispose of coffee grounds and food, and make sure grease is hardened and disposed of in a trash can.

LAUNDRY

Make sure there is a high-quality lint filter on the washing machine to assure the least amount of lint makes it into the septic system.

CALL A PROFESSIONAL

Be sure to call a reputable professional septic tank cleaning company for any work that needs to be done on the septic system. This includes pumping the system every three to five years and any other care or maintenance that needs to be done.

Following these simple guidelines will go a long way in avoiding problems with a septic system.

Comments

  • I didn’t think that the lint from the washing machine had any effect on the septic system. That could be one thing that’s causing problems for my septic system. However, I imagine that my system just needs to be cleaned.
    - Becca Holton
  • Thanks for explaining what you need to do when you have a septic tank system. I actually didn’t know that you need a lot of grass in the absorption field because it’s necessary. I’m kind of interested to learn more about what exactly this achieves, like if it helps protect the system.
    - Taylor Bishop
  • I’m glad that you suggested calling a professional every few years, to pump your tank. I am going to have a new septic system installed soon and I wasn’t sure how to care for it. I can see how it would be nice to have it pumped because I want the system to last as long as possible.
    - scott
  • I have a septic tank, so I want to make sure that I take good care of it. It makes sense that I would want to have it inspected once a year! I’ll look for a good professional to have them do that for me.
    - Braden Bills
  • I liked that you had mentioned that if you have any problems with the septic tank at all that it can be important to call a professional to make sure any work that needs to be done is done properly. My wife noticed that our septic tank has smelled especially bad recently and we’ve been wanting to get it taken care of but we aren’t sure about what to do. We’ll have to start looking for a professional that can handle septic repair to make sure it is done properly.
    - Roger Middleton
  • I appreciate your advice about hardening grease and putting it in the trash can instead of the garbage disposal because it might affect the septic tank. I’ve always poured grease down the drain, but now I’m worried that it’s going to back up the pipes. Maybe I should have a septic tank pumping service come and have it done just to be sure.
    - Hannah Schroeder
  • My wife and I just moved into a new home with a septic tank but we have no idea how to take care of it. I like that you suggest getting it inspected annually by a local septic cleaning company. I’m not sure when it was last cleaned so we might have to check with our Realtor. Thanks for sharing!
    - Derek Dewitt
  • It’s a great suggestion to have a sketch of the location of your septic tank in your yard. I’m sure it isn’t something you need to check on very often, so it might be easy to forget the exact location. Plus, like you mentioned, it will make it easy to find when you get your tank cleaned.
    - Kairi Gainsborough
  • I appreciate the tip you gave on keeping records of all of the maintenance and repairs that are done on your septic tank. My husband and I aren’t the best at remembering dates and when things were last serviced. This is something we will definitely be doing when we get moved in to our new home that has a tank.
    - Koutney
  • You make a good point about paying attention to what goes down the disposal. You can quickly have things smelling rotten if you don’t dispose correctly. It is important to make sure your kids understand what can go down the drain and what can’t as well.
    - Kenneth Gladman
  • I like your tip to limit the use of the garbage disposal and to throw grease in the trash. You can solidify it, like you mentioned, by putting it in the fridge. If the grease doesn’t solidify, put it in a sealed jar in a sealed bag before throwing it away. That way you will protect your septic system from the grease.
    - Leviticus Bennett
  • It’s good to know a septic tank should be inspected annually. I recently moved into a home that has a septic tank, but I don’t have any experience owning or upkeeping one. I’ll be sure to have a professional come perform annual inspections and maintenance on it so it lasts me a long time.
    - John
  • Thanks for the tips on maintaining a septic tank. My wife and I are new to having a septic system, and we want to make sure we properly care for it. I like that you mentioned to limit the use of the garbage disposal and make sure you dispose of foods the proper way. We will be sure to do that.
    - Ernest London
  • My husband and I recently moved into a home that has a septic tank. We want to make sure that we do everything possible to properly maintain it. As you mentioned, it’s important to have the system pumped every three to five years by a professional service. We’ll be sure to do this.
    - Annika Larson
  • We need to take better care of our septic tank. I had no idea that it needed to be inspected once a year, so it’s been a while since our last one. I’ll hire someone to take a look as soon as possible!
    - Ridley Fitzgerald
  • My sister is looking to buy a home with a septic system and does not know if it is a good idea. It is good to know that a septic system should be inspected annually. I am also happy to learn that inspections are easily done by local and reputable septic tank cleaning companies. I will inform my sister.
    - Jade Brunet
  • I did not realize that the kitchen is a place in the home that has a great impact on the septic system. Understanding that one should limit the use of the garbage disposal is important. I have also heard that it is a good idea to get a septic tank pumped before moving into a new home.
    - Jade Brunet
  • Thanks for the tips about septic tanks! My wife and I just moved into a house with a septic tank for the first time, and we want to make sure we take care of it. Thanks for mentioning to divert all drains and pumps away from the tank. That way, the drain field will be safe!
    - Burt Silver
  • Tom, this was really informative. I didn’t know that lint could be a problem for your septic tank. It was surprising because I thought I had a decent idea of how septic tanks work.
    - Zequek Estrada
  • It is good to know that a septic tank should be inspected once a year. You make a great point about how you should also make sure you hire a good cleaning company to do it for you. My husband and I are thinking about installing a septic tank since we live far away from the sewage lines. Hopefully, we can remember to take good care of it and hire a good company to help us do so.
    - Marie Watson
  • I like how you pointed out that inspection should be done on a septic system annually. My husband and I are going to be building a home, and we want to install a septic tank and system since it’s a more rural location. We want to make sure we take good care of that, so we’ll definitely make sure to have it inspected at least yearly so we can catch any problems early.
    - Lillian Schaeffer
  • Since I’m a first time home owner, I’m trying to do as much research as I can so I keep everything working, like the septic tank. I like how you give the advice to locate where the septic tank and drain field are located. I would imagine that if you have an emergency with your septic tank and you don’t know where it is, it can prolong making the necessary repairs and prevent damage.
    - Elsa Anderson
  • My husband and I have a septic tank on our property so this information has been very helpful. The first thing someone told us when we moved here is where it was located, so we were really grateful to have that information. I don’t think we have a sketch of the location on hand however, so we will need to work on getting one of those. I can see why that would be very helpful to the septic cleaning company.
    - Erika
  • I have a septic thank system, but I never keep records like you suggest above. However, I always have a hard time knowing when my pumping needs to be done, and so I can see how keeping records of that could possibly help me to know when that should be done. Maybe I will make an Excel spreadsheet dedicated just to my septic system so that I can record whenever work is done on it and when it needs to be done as well.
    - Faylinn
  • This is some great information, and I appreciate your suggestion to know the location of your septic tank. My husband and I are going to be moving into our first home, and we want to make sure we care for everything to keep things running well. We’ll definitely make sure to ask the previous owners where the septic tank is located, and we’ll see if they have a sketch of it. Thanks for the great post!
    - Lillian Schaeffer
  • Tom, thanks for the advice. I like that you included to remember inspections. I’ve heard that there are people who think that they can avoid those since their septic tanks are in good condition. It also doesn’t sound like it takes much effort at all to do.
    - Zequek Estrada
  • I’ve been trying to figure out what I should do with my septic system. I didn’t know that it was supposed to be inspected annually!I ‘ll make sure that I have that done more often. I wouldn’t want it to get backed up or anything! Thanks for sharing.
    - Braden Bills
  • I didn’t know that septic tanks should be inspected annually. Mine hasn’t been inspected for a couple years! I will need to make an appointment for an inspection as soon as possible. Thanks for the advice!
    - Kendall Ryder
  • Septic systems are really great. But, if they break you are going to have a happy time. I did not know that you should know the exact location where your septic system is, I will have to find mine soon.
    - Wade Joel
  • Getting your inspection done is super important. My brother didn’t get his checked out and a pipe burst. His house and yard smelled terrible for weeks till he dug it out. Thank you for sharing!
    - Jacques Didier
  • It’s a good idea to remember to limit the use of the garbage disposal. We just installed a new septic tank at my house last week. It’s still taking some getting used to, but it’s easy to throw grease away. Thanks!
    - Annie Frances
  • I have never thought about the location of my septic tank. I think it is important to make it accessible for cleaning when the time comes. I am glad that you mentioned location because that is really important and it would be bad to put it in a place that would make it hard to clean.
    - Charles Kemp
  • Thanks for this helpful information for septic tanks. I just moved into a home that has a septic tank, and I have never had one before. I know where my tank is, but I don’t know when the last time it was inspected. I will have to get it inspected and start planning on doing that once a year. Thanks for the help!
    - Jeff Curtis
  • Thank you for the help. I just bought my first house, so I am new to maintaining a septic system. I had not realized that it should be inspected annually. Is there a specific time of year that is best to have it inspected?
    - Justin Knox
  • I would agree with knowing and setting a good location for the septic tank. I think it should be in a spot that isn’t going to cause problems if you ever had to call a professional to come take a look at it. I also like that you say to get it inspected annually. That would make sure that the repairs that you will need aren’t very major.
    - Charles Kemp
  • My dad and uncle are about to buy a septic tank for our new cabin. This will be the first time that we have ever owned one and we aren’t sure how this is all going to go down. This article has some great points on the matter that I think can help them get an idea of how its supposed to hook up to all of these parts of the house.
    - Jason Strong
  • I agree that location is really important when you are working with septic tanks. I also agree that your plumbing is all connected, so if you are putting things down the disposal that clogs it, you are clogging your septic tank. Ours has been backed up for a bit, so I think I will call a professional.
    - Hazel Adams
  • I’m one for throwing stuff away, when I shouldn’t. I’ve accidentally thrown away stuff I really needed. So I can agree that keeping your records is a good idea. I didn’t think that sending too much stuff down the garbage disposal would cause problems. Good stuff to know, thanks!
    - Nash Rich
  • Tom, thanks for the tips on how to maintain my septic tank functioning. I like your advice about keeping the lint trap clean to prevent the tank from clogging to fast. If anything happens, I’m calling a pumping service to clean out the system.
    - wesley
  • I recently moved into this home, and I don’t think the previous owner ever told me where the septic tank is. I didn’t realize it was important to know where it is! I’m going to see what I can do to figure that out. Thank you very much for the information!
    - Braden Bills
  • My husband and I just bought a property that has its own septic tank so we really appreciate this information on how to maintain it. It is interesting to me that you mention that putting an excess amount of food down the garbage disposal can be a big problem for septic tanks; we’ll be sure to be more careful about that. Like you pointed out, I imagine it is really important to have it inspected and cleaned out regularly by a professional. Thanks for sharing this!
    - Jen Peck

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