A Brief Introduction On How Do Septic Tanks Work

The septic tank is an ingenious invention, don’t you think? It holds all the wastewater that’s produced when your plumbing fixtures are used. It’s a watertight container that’s highly efficient in treating soiled water. They are generally less expensive to install and easier to maintain than any other wastewater treatment system that has been used before. And did you know that the first septic tank in the US was installed and used in 1876? Yes, that’s almost 150 years ago. So anyway, we want to talk about how septic tanks work today. Read on and learn valuable plumbing information from your trusted plumbers in Boston!

Conventional septic systems are made up of four main components. These are the drainage pipe, the septic tank, the drainfield and the soil. They all work together in order to efficiently and naturally treat wastewater from your home. Let us take a look at the roles that each component plays.

1. The Drainage Pipe

 

Obviously, you have several drain pipes in your house. You have one that’s connected to your kitchen sink; your toilet; your bathroom lavatory; your floor drains and shower drain among many others. These lines all lead to one pipe which is the main drainage pipe that’s connected to the septic tank. The said drainage pipe is responsible for transporting all the wastewater from the branch lines to the septic tank.

2. The Septic Tank

 

The septic tank is a waterproof container that’s commonly made from concrete, plastic or fiberglass material. It is buried underground and stores all the wastewater from your property. It keeps the sewage contained until the solid wastes settle at the bottom and the grease or oily substances float to the top. This is like a sorting process when the tank separates the sludge from the scum from the liquid. This way, only the liquid component will flow into the drainfield and not the sludge or scum.

3. The Drainfield

 

Now when the wastewater has been filtered in the tank, the liquid component will flow right to the drainfield where it will be extensively treated. Now you must know that the drainfield should never overload. Otherwise, it will also overflow and later on cause backups or backflows in your system.

4. The Soil

 

After treatment in the drainfield, the liquid will then seep into the soil. It’s where the nutrients, harmful bacteria and viruses will be removed through a natural process. To verify if the soil is suitable for the septic tank, PERC tests are performed.

We hope that you learned valuable information on how do septic tanks work. If you need one set up for your property, just call the best Bridgewater plumber for septic tank installation. Plumbers 911 Boston provides reliable plumbing services in Bridgewater MA including septic tank maintenance, backflow prevention, camera sewer inspection, drain pipe cleaning, hydro-jetting and many more! Call us at (877) 754-1048 to schedule a service!

Learn how to locate your septic tank! Watch this video now.