Moved From The City To A Rural Area? How To Adjust To Using A Septic System
If you have always lived in the big city but have recently decided that a rural lifestyle may be more your speed and moved out to the country, you may find yourself experiencing a major shock to your system. After all, not only is the entire way of life different in general, but many of the systems in your home may operate differently as well. One of those major differences you may find yourself dealing with is having a septic system for your wastewater removal. There are many factors that make using septic systems different from having a plumbing system connected to a municipal sewer system. Get to know some of the changes you will need to make to adjust to using a septic system so you can avoid any unnecessary mistakes.
Have Your Septic System Inspected and the Tank Pumped When You Move In
When you first move into a new house with a septic tank system, you have no real way of knowing how well the previous owners maintained the system. You also cannot know how recently the system has been inspected or pumped.
The way a septic system works is that the liquid waste is cleaned and processed through the tank using a specific mixture of chemicals and natural processes. The solid waste, on the other hand, remains in the tank. Eventually, solid waste will need to be removed from the tank so that it does not cause the tank to overflow.
As such, when you first move in, you want to be sure that you have septic system experts come out and do a full inspection of your system. This will include testing the composition of the tank and look for cracks or breaks in the tank and the rest of the system. They can also remove the solid waste from your tank so you have a fresh start with your septic system in your new home.
Regularly Check For Leaking Plumbing Fixtures and Excessively Running Toilets
It is important to avoid excessive water use when you have a septic system. Extra water going into the septic tank can lead to overfilling and eventually the overflow of unprocessed sewage out of the tank. One of the hidden ways that this can happen is through leaking plumbing fixtures or toilets that run for long periods of time or will randomly run when not in use). This adds water to your tank daily that you are not actually using.
To prevent a huge mess from your septic system, you can check your plumbing fixtures regularly and quickly deal with any leaks, drips, or extra toilet running. At the bare minimum, you should inspect your plumbing fixtures monthly. However, if you clean your kitchen and bathrooms more frequently, checking the plumbing fixtures as you clean is an easy way to remember to do it.
These tips will help you better adjust to using a septic system and get you started on the right track in your new home.