Thursday 23 July 2015

Top Five Mistakes Homeowners Make With Their Septic Systems

If you have sewage leaking up through your lawn or notice foul odors coming from your drains, the problem might be your septic tank. For a fully functioning septic system and to reduce the likelihood that your home or yard experience flooding or stinkiness, make sure you know how to maintain your system and avoid common mistakes. Here are five of the most common septic tank mistakes that are important for you to avoid to prevent damage and avoid costly septic repair in Santa Cruz.

A septic tank needs to be pumped every one or two years depending on how much you use your septic tank system. If you have a garbage disposal or have a lot of bathrooms in your house, then you will need to pump more often than someone who lives in a home with only one bathroom and fewer people, or a family that throws their trash in the compost pile rather than the garbage disposal.

You might also make the mistake of thinking the problem is not that bad or you can wait to get it taken care of until later. However, it is essential that you call a septic system contractor for septic repair in Santa Cruz as soon as you suspect a problem. There might not be a serious issue but you will be glad that you figured that out before the problem got much worse.

It might sound trivial but doing too much laundry all at once can actually cause problems with your septic tank. Nix a weekly “laundry day” in favor of doing a load or two a day. This will alleviate some of the pressure you are putting on your plumbing and septic system and help you avoid potentially costly septic repair in Santa Cruz later. 

One of the most common mistakes regarding septic tanks is flushing down the wrong things. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because something says it is “flushable” that it is. The only truly flushable things that are okay for septic systems are toilet paper and human waste.

Finally, be sure to throw everything you can into the garbage can rather than using the garbage disposal. Many food items are harmful to the essential bacteria that breaks debris and waste down in your septic tank, and some things such as grease and dairy products stick on the sides of your septic system and plumbing and make clogs more likely.

Take care of your septic system regularly to ensure it runs as long as possible. Read more on this site about how to save money and time and avoid potentially costly septic maintenance in Watsonville.