Your septic tank is an important fixture in any home and business. However, this essential part of home cleanliness can end up becoming a ticking time bomb that can ruin your day and your business. Overflowing, and awful smells are the least of your worries if you leave your septic tank alone. The best way to keep this from happening is to make sure that you know what causes these disgusting septic tank problems.
The Roots of Septic Tank Problems
You might notice one day that your septic tank is overflowing and that the gunk that’s supposed to be in there is starting to pour into your home or business. It’s too late now and you need to call in the professionals to fix the problem. To avoid this happening to you, we’ve put together a list of the things that you can do to avoid unnecessary bills.
Flushing Detergent
Flushing detergent might not seem like something to be concerned about. However, this can easily cause your septic tank’s ecosystem to be sent off balance. Detergent is filled with various phosphates that promote the growth of algae. These phosphates let algae grow faster and more aggressively in your septic tank. This blocks off piping leading to or leading out of your septic tank. This causes large blockages that make it harder for your septic tank to do its job properly.
Flushing Harsh Chemicals
You might think that flushing down harsh chemicals like bleach and weed killers can fix the algae problem. Sure, Those chemicals can take care of the algae, however, you’re creating a new problem. You’re not only killing off the algae but you’re also killing off the important bacteria that digest the stuff you flush. Without those bacteria working to flushing down harsh chemicals, it will take much longer for your septic tank to pass the effluent into the sewage system.
Excessive Amounts of Water
Ok, so you’ve made the mistake of flushing good bacteria-killing chemicals down the toilet. You decide to flush excessive amounts of water down the drain to help pass those chemicals out. That does manage to get rid of the chemicals but now you’ve created yet another septic tank problem for you to fix. Too much water is a problem for a septic tank, especially if it isn’t built to handle it. It makes it harder for things to decompose in the tank and waste that hasn’t been properly processed will be passed out. It’s bad for the environment and can also cause your drain field to become waterlogged. A waterlogged drain field will not be able to do its job properly and you’re eventually going to need to have it replaced.
Failing Parts in Your Septic Tank
Now you’ve got failing parts in your septic tank. The most common things to fail in any septic tank are the drain field, inlets, and outlets. These are the tightest spaces in any septic tank and you can expect leaks to start from here. The worst-case scenario is if the waste being processed starts backing up and starts spilling into your home.
Lack of Inspections and Maintenance
All of the aforementioned septic tank problems can be easily prevented by regular inspections and maintenance. Knowledge of how to conduct these are important for any home and business owner to prevent explosive diarrhea from getting everywhere when you least expect it. If you aren’t sure of how to do this or don’t have the stomach to open your septic tank, then have a professional take a look at it and have them give you advice on what to do.