Clean Septic Tank Regularly
The main way to avoid Septic System failure is periodic tank servicing. As time progresses, retention times within the tank are reduced substantially; sludge layers at the bottom of the tank built up over this period are within reach of the tank outlet.
Although, your septic system may appear to be working for a long time without maintenance, it will eventually "crash" leaving the Soak Line/Hole full with sludge.
Replacing your soak line/hole is more expensive and intrusive than servicing your tank regularly.
As a rule of thumb, every two to three years your tank needs to be serviced.
Points to Be Aware of
- Retention time: the time waste is retained within the Septic Tank enabling settling of solids prior to exiting the tank into the Soak Line/Soak Hole.
- Two to three year tank servicing ensures optimum retention periods are maintained and minimal sludge exits the tank into the Soak Line/Hole.
- All solid matter that exits your septic tank WILL contribute toward the demise of your Soak Line/Hole - which is often very expensive to repair.
- As the level of solids and sludge increases within the tank the incoming effluent remains in the tank for less time (retention period) thereby increasing the quantity of suspended matter exiting the tank to the Soak Line/Hole.
- Your tank will "appear" to be working well for a long time before any problem becomes visible.
- Leaving your tank to overflow before servicing is already causing problems to your Soak Line/Hole.
- Heavy influxes of water (such as continuous laundry loads, emptying the bath) will disrupt and re-suspend the settled solids and sludge causing it to exit to the Soak Line/Hole.
- Septic Tank additives (bacteria and/or enzyme) to reduce the solids may reintroduce solid matter into suspension that then can exit to the Soak Line/Hole (Extreme caution is recommended when utilising any septic system additive).
- To replace a Soakage Line/Soak Hole within many districts requires consent. In some areas this may mean the upgrading and replacement of both the septic tank and the Soakage Line/Soak Hole.
- A tank that is drained through the mushroom IS NOT clean. This process merely removes the effluent liquid leaving the solids and most the sludge behind, which will accumulate with future solids and sludge causing large quantities of suspended matter to travel down the Soak Line / Hole and eventually block it. Improving the performance of your system and avoiding major problems can be achieved by applying some simple common-sense principles: