When it comes to maintaining a septic tank, homeowners are well aware of the need to regularly have the tank pumped. However, there are other things that can be done to maintain the tank. The things you do in your home greatly affect the septic tank, which is why it will help to manage how you use water and be careful of what you put down the drains.

Water Management

As your household uses more water for daily tasks, the septic tank will fill up with it. The water enters the tank and will stir up all the solid waste along the bottom of the tank. It can even cause excess water to flow out of the tank and go to the drain field, which will cause it to flood. This is not good for your septic tank for several reasons.

A septic tank requires a proper balance between solid and liquid waste, and quickly putting a bunch of water in the tank will disrupt the balance. Solid waste will no longer remain settled on the bottom, which causes solid waste to get into the drain field prematurely. This leads to a potential clog where nothing can enter the drain field. Too much water also causes issues with how the soil filters the liquid waste as it enters the drain field.

Thankfully, there are easy things you can do to prevent this from happening. Have family members space out their showers so they are not all in a row. Do the same thing for laundry, so you do not have waste water from multiple loads entering the tank at once. You can also install faucets that will limit water use to prevent too much from entering the drains.

Mindful Flushing

A septic tank needs more care when it comes to what you flush down the toilet. Even items that are designed to be flushable, like certain types of baby wipes, should never be flushed.

Stick to using toilet paper that is designed for use with septic systems, which will break down quickly when it comes in contact with water. Keep a small trash can near the toilet for tampons, wipes, and other items so that people are not tempted to flush them. Make sure to let everyone in your household know what should and shouldn't go into the toilet, that way everyone contributes to keeping the septic tank running smoothly.

If you find yourself in trouble where the tank is backing up into your home or the drain field, schedule a septic tank pumping as soon as possible. Contact a service, like Affordable  Plumbing & Drain Cleaning, for more help.