Tips For A Healthy Septic System

Looking after your septic system saves you money, keeps your neighbors happy and takes care of our environment. Day-to-day use can cause wear and tear to the septic system, and unless it is properly maintained, will have an adverse effect on your wallet and cause major damage to your property. If we all do our bit, then we can help to preserve Mother Nature.

Stick to the Basics and You Will be Fine

A poorly maintained septic system will lead to backups, which will contaminate streams, lake water and rivers with chlorides, chemicals, nitrates and harmful bacteria. Anta Plumbing master plumbers recommend that you adopt the following strategies to help you can avoid malfunctions and damage, and prolong the lifespan of your home’s septic system.

• Avoid using chemical drain cleaners on your drains, as they contain harmful ingredients that will harm your septic system and the environment. Pine or ammonia-based cleaners as they will also disturb the pH balance of the water and cause harm to the environment. Rather look for biodegradable, natural cleaning materials that are less harmful to the environment and to your septic tank.



• Never discard medicines down your drains. Antibiotics are especially dangerous to your septic system and to our planet asthey contaminate water that could be used for drinking. Rather discard medications in their containers, or return them to a pharmacy to follow the appropriate methods for discarding of medicines correctly.



• Divert floor drains in your garage away from your septic system, especially if you use your garage for handiwork, which involvesworking with substances such as sawdust, oil, fuel and gas. All of these substances cause major blockages blockages in the septic system. Instead, sweep up sawdust and other dirt and dispose of it via regular garage disposal methods. Spilled oil needs to be removed from the floors and disposed of in the garbage too. You can use old newsprint to blot up oil spills, and discard the paper in the bin.



• Liquid laundry detergent is better for your septic system than powdered detergent, as it is less likely to clog up the septic system. Additionally, you should minimize the amount of water that is flushed into your septic system. Rather do a load of washing every two days instead of doing it all in one day. This will place less strain on your septic system and prolong its lifespan.



• Fats, oils and grease contribute to 40% of blocked drains in most households.. Rather drain any excess oil and fat and dispose of it another way. The fats tend to clog up the system and this will slow down the breaking down of bacteria in the system.



• Use high-efficiency fixtures (low-flow toilets and high-efficiency shower heads)to prevent additional strain on the system. You can save lots of water over the year and this will also save money on your utility bill, and protect your septic system as it places less strain on the septic system.

Keep acid compounds and bleach away from the toilet as these kill the microorganisms which are actually good for the water.
Some people like to add additives to the septic system. This is not a good idea as it actually harms rather than helps the system. While they do remove solids from the system, the solids end up blocking the disposal field, causing the system to stop functioning as it should. .

Anta Plumbing offers septic system installation, maintenance and repair services, as well as a wide range of drain and emergency plumbing services. Call us today to discuss your needs.