Maintaining Your Rural Home’s Septic System

For many people, there's a lot of attraction to a simple, rural lifestyle that might provide a large degree of serenity. That lifestyle, however, does come with some challenges. Removing yourself from busy society likely also means removing yourself from reliable infrastructure like a municipal sewer system, leaving you entirely dependent on your septic system.

If you've recently made that transition, you might be unfamiliar with the steps you need to take in order to keep your septic system in its best possible shape. Continuing your old habits can leave you struggling to seek out repairs to a system that you may weaken by mistake and can create a great deal of frustration that leaves you wanting to go back to how things were before.

Below, you'll find a guide to some steps for maintaining your home's septic system. Following these suggestions can guarantee the performance you need and provide you with the necessary comfort to enjoy your tranquil existence for years to come.

Monitored Water Usage

Many people take their running water entirely for granted, and they may not put much effort into conservation. Running the sink while you brush your teeth may be a regular habit. You might frequently run half-full dishwasher or washing machine cycles. You may even take several baths or showers in one day if you're comfortable paying your water bill and not stressing over the possible impact.

Unfortunately, all of these habits can pose a serious threat to a home's septic system. Your system has a limited capacity, and the amount of water you dispose of may cause the system to fill up far faster than intended. This can cause you to fall behind on your maintenance schedule and could even risk a rupture of your tank if you're not careful to increase your service frequency.

Careful Disposal

Many people have a habit of disposing of things in their plumbing that may not be optimal but that municipal sewer lines are able to handle without much trouble. Paper products, solid food waste, and even grease are all commonly poured down drains, but if those drains lead to a septic tank, you might find yourself dealing with accumulating waste and potentially serious backups that can cause a wide variety of problems.

If you're reliant on a septic system, you should use your sewer less and your trash and composting more. Even waste that flows through your garbage disposal may cause an issue, so paper products should be entirely out of the question. If you don't follow good disposal practices, you might be faced with unnecessary system pumping that can add to your living costs and magnify the frustrations that come with the disruption.

Regular Inspections

Ultimately, septic problems may not reveal themselves until they become serious. Keeping ahead of the maintenance curve means committing to proper oversight, and that can only be done through an inspection schedule that checks up on your tank on a regular basis. It's easy to let something out of sight stay out of mind, but complacency can cause a serious problem.

Scheduling regular septic inspections can help prevent small blockages from becoming big ones. Relying on professionals to diagnose issues is an important preventative step, and it's certainly true in the case of your septic system that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

The professional team at Southern Sanitary Systems Inc offers a full range of septic services that can guarantee the performance and security you desire. Turn to our experts to keep your home dry and secure and allow you to continue to enjoy the freedom you need.