Septic tanks are a crucial, but often overlooked, part of the operations of a household. They may be “out of sight out of mind”, but they do require a bit of upkeep to maintain. In order to make sure that your septic tank is operating at peak performance, and to avoid issues down the line, it is highly recommended that homeowners stick to some basic maintenance tips.
One of the most important parts of wastewater storage tanks maintenance, is to keep the buildup of scum within the tank at a reasonable level. This is key because, when scum buildup gets to unreasonable levels, this can make your sewage storage tank less effective at making sure that your wastewater is being properly treated. Avoiding this before it gets to a difficult to manage level is best. How to know when a septic tank is in need of a cleaning? The general rule is either every 1-2 years or, barring that, when what’s known as the “scum layer” gets too close to the outlet pipe within the septic tank. If the scum layer is anything less than 6-8 inches away from the pipe, that’s when you will want to get the tank cleaned.
However, checking the level of the scum layer may not be the easiest thing for many homeowners to do, which is where a professional can come in. If you’re worried that your septic tank may be in need of a cleaning, but want to be sure, reach out to a quality septic tank inspector to check the scum levels in your septic tank first. Though, again, for those not wanting to have to routinely check the septic tank, or have somebody else check for you, it’s generally a safe bet to commit to having your wastewater holding tanks cleaned every one to two years.
Additionally, it is not just cleaning that your septic tanks need to be regularly checked for! A good quality septic tank inspector should really be checking in on your wastewater storage tanks every 3 years at the minimum, because there are a range of situations that they will be checking for. For example, while checking for whether or not a tank needs to be cleaned, tank inspectors will also be making sure that there are no leaks in the tank, and that tanks with specialized components such as electrical switches or pumps are still operating at full efficiency. Generally speaking, the more water your household uses, and the more specialized components your tank has, will up the frequency of inspections for your septic tanks.
However, there are also things individual household members can do to help prolong the life and efficiency of your septic tanks between professional tank inspections! Making sure that your household maintains proper waste disposal etiquette can really be of help. This involves making sure that improper items, such as dental floss or baby wipes, are not flushed down the drain. As these can cause problems down the road! And of course, for any homes in need of a new wastewater storage tank all together, look no further than Belding Tank. Our motto is “quality is our standard, customer service is our specialty”, and we will work with you to ensure that you get exactly the best tank to fit the needs of your household.
