Changing Your Habits Can Change How Often Your Septic Tank Needs To Be Pumped
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average amount of time in between septic tank pumping is three to five years. If you are pumping your tank more often than this, you may find that the cause of your frequent pumping needs is not a faulty septic system but rather the result of your own personal habits. Read on to learn more about some of the personal habits that you can change to help you prevent your septic tank from filling up quite so often.
Heavy Use Of Antibacterial Products
The use of antibacterial products is nothing new. Many people have used antibacterial hand soaps and cleaning wipes for many years to help them maintain a sanitary house and avoid illness. However, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, the heavy use of these products has become far more widespread. The problem with this is that while these products can help you to avoid the spread of germs and bacteria in your house, they can also kill the bacteria inside your septic tank.
Bacteria may be a bad thing when it is found on your countertops or in your bathroom sink, but relatively high levels of bacteria are actually needed inside your septic tank in order to allow for the breakdown of organic waste. If you are killing off this bacteria through your heavy use of antibacterial products, you will find yourself needing to pump your septic tank more often. The good news is that there are bacterial additives that can be introduced to your septic system to help replace any bacteria that you have killed. Adding the use of these products to your routine can help to reduce the frequency with which your septic tank requires pumping.
Flushing Non-Organic Items
If you are like most people, you probably don't spend much time thinking about what happens to the items you choose to flush down the toilet. The problem is that while these items may be out of your sight, they do not simply disappear. If your home uses a septic tank system, these items will sit inside your septic tank until they are either broken down or pumped out. If the items are organic in nature, such as human waste, they can be broken down in a relatively efficient manner and will not impact the frequency with which your septic tank needs pumping. However, if you are flushing non-organic items such as baby wipes or feminine products, these items will remain in the tank until they are pumped away due to the very slow rate at which they break down. The more items you choose to flush, the faster you can expect your tank to fill up. Therefore, it is always best to avoid flushing any non-organic items whenever possible.
Reach out to a professional for more information about septic tank pumping and when yours should be pumped.
