A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article about what the best toilet paper for septic systems is and today I’ll be talking about how to keep your system running like it should be. Today I’ll be talking a little bit more about septic systems.
Many people don’t give much thought to their septic system until it demands their attention. When this happens, it’s usually because it has broken down or backed up. This is the wrong time to think about septic system care because by then, it will be too late and you could end up with some pretty costly repair bills.
What Is A Septic System Anyway?
Let’s kick this “fun” topic off by talking about what a septic system actual is and how it is supposed to work. When you flush your toilet, the water flows to a large underground tank that is usually buried within a few feet from your house. This is affectionately known as the “septic tank” and it’s where the bulk of the decomposition process takes place.
It’s important that you understand that in order for the “smelly stuff” and the toilet paper that gets flushed down the toilet to decompose properly, a certain amount of bacteria needs to be present in the tank. Keep in mind that once you flush something down your toilet, if you’re on a septic system, it doesn’t just magically go away. It simply makes a short journey to your septic tank. This tank’s main job is to serve as a holding tank during the decomposition process.
What Can You Flush Into A Septic Tank?
If you flush things like diapers, feminine hygiene napkins, or other items down your toilet, they won’t decompose and they will slowly accumulate in the tank until they eventually cause a backup. In a healthy septic system, most of the things that are flushed down the toilet decompose and the remaining water is naturally filtered through a long series of underground pipes known as leech lines.
The list of things that should not be flushed is much longer than the list of things that can be flushed so I’ll just list the types of things that are safe for septic systems. As a general rule, the only things that should be flushed down a toilet that is connected to a septic system are toilet paper, human waste, septic system safe cleaning products, and water.
I should point out that you don’t want to go draining your hot tub into your septic tank. This can cause a backup in your system and unbalance the entire system which will affect its ability to decompose properly.
A lot of chemicals, including many cleaning products can be harmful to these systems. Not only are they bad for the system, they also aren’t filtered by a waste water treatment plant. This means that they go straight into the ground water which is harmful to the environment.
What About Septic System Treatment Products?
At our home we use a product called RID-X®. We flush it down the toilet once a month right before we go to bed. This allows the bacteria that is in this septic tank treatment product to settle to the bottom of our tank and restore the natural balance of bacteria.
It’s important that you understand that even well maintained septic tanks need to be pumped from time to time. Exactly how often they should be pumped depends on the overall health of your system as well as the size of the holding tank.
The next time you go shopping for cleaning products, do your septic system a favor and read the labels to make sure that the products you will be flushing down your toilet and drains aren’t going to harm the delicate balance of bacteria or the environment.
For those of you who have always wondered what kind of toilet paper you should be using in your septic system, take a minute and read my article called: Best Toilet Paper For Septic Systems.
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