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In areas not served by a city or county sewer system, household wastes travel from the house drains to the sewer pipe, and enter a large tank where the septic system takes over. Properly installed and maintained septic systems provide homeowners with years of trouble-free service. If neglected or misused, however, the system is likely to fail and could cause health and environmental hazards, as well as require expensive repairs.
Septic waste comes from toilets, sinks, showers, garbage disposals, washing machines and dishwashers. In a house with its own septic system, waste travels from the house to an underground septic tank, where the solids, called sludge, settle to the bottom. The volume of solid waste is reduced somewhat by the action of bacteria in the septic tank. The liquid waste, or effluent, fills the tank and then flows out into a leaching system, also underground, where it is filtered into the soil. Grease and other light materials, called scum, float on top of the effluent in the tank. Since grease coats the soil in a leaching field and limits absorption, it is prevented from entering the leaching system by vertical baffles in the top of the tank.
The type of leaching system you have depends on local building codes. A leaching field consists of one or more distribution boxes, each with two or more gravel-lined drainage pipes that spread the effluent over a broad soil area. A leaching pit usually consists of a large concrete cylinder buried in gravel. The pit has many openings that allow the effluent to filter through the gravel before being absorbed into the ground.
Although the sewer line is large and waste flows through it easily, sometimes it clogs and needs to be cleaned. This task, while somewhat messy, can be taken care of quickly by most homeowners. When the septic tank fills with solids, however, it is best to hire a septic tank cleaning company to pump it. It is a good idea to have them check your tank once every two years; in fact, some regional laws require biannual inspection and maintenance. Check with your local health board to be sure.
Following basic rules will reduce the likelihood of something going wrong with your septic system: Do not dump grease down the kitchen sink or garbage disposal. Grease is not readily broken up by bacterial action and can build up clogging the drainage lines.
Never dump chemicals, such as paint thinner, or drain cleaners with lye, down the drains. Beware of chemicals that claim to “activate” a septic system or unclog greasy soil by enzymatically attacking grease. Chemicals kill the bacteria needed to break up solid wastes and are harmful to the environment. In fact, dumping acid into your septic system is against the law. Also, many of these so-called cleaners contain highly concentrated organic solvents that are rated toxic and suspected to be cancer-causing by the EPA and National Cancer Institute. While yeast is nontoxic and probably will not hurt your system, there is no real evidence that it helps, either.
Never flush heavy paper products such as disposable diapers down the toilet. Paper can clog the sewer and drainage lines and render the whole system useless.
Septic tank. Sludge and scum gradually build up and need to be pumped out periodically. A full tank causes sewage to back up into the house, creating a mess and a possible health hazard.
Leaching pit. Leaching pits are generally required where the soil is deep and permeable, or sandy, and where the house lot is too small for a leaching field of adequate size.
Leaching(Drain) field. Fields are used in shallow soils because the system of distribution boxes and drainage pipes can disperse the waste liquid over a wide area. The less permeable the soil, the larger the leaching area required.
Unclogging a sewer drain
Remove the cleanout plug and insert a hand-operated or a two-person power auger (power augers can be rented from plumbing supply stores). The turning blades at the end of the auger chop up obstructions such as sludge and roots. After replacing the cleanout plug, flush the toilet to see if the drain is clear.
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Title: Septic System Cleaning Repair Maintenance