What you should know about your septic tank
If you have a septic tank installed at your home, there are many things you must know and remember. A septic tank is a main part of the septic system, the sewage treatment system connected to your home but not to any other. You will generally find septic tanks in rural areas or suburbs. Due to the need for a good area of land for the drainfield that is required for a septic system, they are generally not found in larger cities. A Plumber Salt Lake City will be able to help you with your septic system and answer any questions about it. Your septic tank is an anaerobic bacterial environment which grows in the tank and mineralizes or decomposes the waste put into the tank. The tanks can be added with safety features which your local ordinances will cover. These safety features include alarms, sand filters, pumps and clarified liquid effluent disposal through the use of peat moss beds, natural stone fiber filter plants, ponds or septic drain fields. The tanks can also be fit with filters for wastewater treatment at the site. Some of the waste within your septic tank will not decompose and will eventually fill your tank, making it work less properly and possibly cause problems. The waste must be removed by Salt Lake City Utah plumbing. If you fail to do preventative maintenance on your septic system, you may be breaking the law. It is your responsibility and duty to make sure your septic tank is up to standards and in good working order. Failure to maintain regular checks on your septic tank system can lead to problems that are very costly to repair or leakage of waste onto your property. If you do maintain your system and keep in good working order, it can last for many decades and maybe even your entire homes lifetime if you get a good unit.
A septic tank is made up of many working parts. The tank is generally between one thousand and two thousand gallons big. It is connected to an inlet wastewater pipe on one side and a septic drain field on the other side. The tanks are generally made with two chambers that are of about equal size. The waste water comes into the first chamber and the solids settle to the bottom while the scum floats about. The solids are decomposed by the bacteria in the chamber. The liquids flow through into the second chamber and settle there, where surplus liquids are drained into the leach field. If you don’t understand the process, you can talk to Plumber Salt Lake City to go through the inner workings of the septic tank and school you on any questions you may have. A plumber in Salt Lake City has the knowledge you need to make the right decision when choosing what septic tank and system will be best for your home or property. Depending on your usage and how fast the tanks fill up will determine when you should have your tanks emptied. If you have a smaller tank, it will obviously fill up faster than a smaller tank, thus requiring more calls to a plumber in Salt Lake City. Depending on your locality, the local health authorities might have predetermined time frames for the disposal of your septic tank waste as compared to emptying it when it gets to a certain level.
Many potential problems exist with septic tank systems. Plumber Salt Lake City can help you avoid these problems with regular maintenance and checks. You must not allow the dumping of grease and cooking oils into your system. It will block the inlet drains and cause many problems. The grease and cooking oils can be difficult to degrade and may smell terrible. It may also make it more difficult to clean your septic tank system. Another problem that might arise is what you flush into your septic system. You will have to call a plumber in Salt Lake City if you flush the wrong things down. These non-flushable items include tampons or sanitary napkins, anything non-biodegradable, swabs or cotton balls and anything else that will not decompose. They will fill your system and not break down in the manner they should, thus filling your tank and possibly clogging it up. Because your system is made up of anaerobic bacteria, you must be cautious of chemicals you put in to your septic tank system. Any herbicides, pesticides, liquids with a lot of bleach or lye and any other liquids that don’t decompose, like paint, should not be flushed into your septic system. Silver nitrate is also very bad for you system and will kill all the bacteria quite easily.
The placement of you tanks is also of great importance. Putting your tanks in the wrong place can lead to damage, according to Plumber Salt Lake City. If you have plants or trees with large root structures, the roots can penetrate the tanks or clog up the drainfield and piping. Make sure to plant trees far enough away from your tanks so this will not be an issue in the future. If you have to have trees or plants removed from your property, plan the removal along with the addition of the tanks so you have all the material on hand at the same time and your task will be much easier. You may need to talk to a plumber in Salt Lake City to find out about your area.