Your plumbing system is composed of two other sub-systems: the clean water supply lines and the drainage lines. The clean water supply lines’ purpose is obviously to transport and provide potable water to your faucets, showers and plumbing appliances to be used for cooking, drinking and other activities that you do daily. The drainage lines, meanwhile, are the ones responsible for transporting the wastewater away from your home. Instead of these pipes just dumping the soiled water outside, they deliver it your public sewer system or your very own septic tank where it will be treated for reuse.
What is a septic tank?
A septic tank is an impermeable and durable storage container that’s most commonly made from plastic, concrete or fiberglass material. The tank is buried under the ground and its primary function is to keep the sewage produced in your home. The waste materials that are stored in the tank stay there long enough to decompose.
During the treatment process, the grease and oil will float to the topmost layer of the tank. The sludge or the solid waste materials will stay at the bottom. The middle layer is what’s left of the waste water and that will be transported to the drainfield where it will be further treated.
The Importance Of Septic Tank Maintenance
It is essential that the septic tank is properly maintained and regularly pumped. As you may have known, the tank can only hold so much wastewater. If the tank gets filled up with so much sewage, it will overflow and cause a lot of other plumbing issues such as backups, the presence of sewer gas in your home and even potable water contamination.
What is septic tank pumping?
Septic tank pumping is a plumbing service that should be only done by licensed professionals. It involves the siphoning of the waste materials out of the tank. They will then be brought to a facility for treatment.
How often should you have your septic tank pumped out?
It actually depends on a lot of factors such as your water usage or consumption; the number of persons in your house who use your plumbing and also the size of the tank. To get sound advice, talk to your friendly neighborhood plumber.
Tips For The Homeowner
To ensure that your septic tank stays in great condition, follow these tips:
1. Never have any construction near the septic tank.
2. Never park over the area where the tank has been installed.
3. Never flush stuff down the toilet that should never be flushed in the first place. Examples of these things include diapers, body wipes, sanitary napkins, condoms, cigarette butts and other foreign objects. These things will not only cause clogs in the system but also disrupt the processes that take place inside the tank.
4. Don’t use chemical drain cleaners when unclogging or cleaning your drain pipes. Over time, the chemical content will accumulate in the system, destroy the pipes or disrupt the treatment in the tank.
5. If you notice any soggy area or a spot that is always wet near the septic tank, call your licensed plumber immediately. These signs often indicate the overflow of the drainfield or the tank.
We hope that we answered your question about what is a septic tank. If you need one installed in your home, just call the most reliable Allston plumbing company. Plumbers 911 Boston provides reputable plumbing services in Allston MA including septic tank installation, toilet repair, hydrojetting, backflow prevention, camera sewer inspection and many more! Call us at (877) 754-1048 to schedule a service!
Learn how to maintain your septic system. Watch this video now!
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