Septic System Maintenance: An Introduction

Whether you are installing your home's first septic tank system or replacing an existing system, you will need to be thoughtful as you are planning for this particular work. Otherwise, you could be at a disadvantage when you are faced with decisions about the septic system that you choose or the location where it is installed.

Assess The Soil Stability Of The Area Where The Tank Is Being Installed 

Septic tanks are often constructed out of steel and concrete. This can make them immensely heavy even without having any water in them. Due to the extreme weight of a septic system, the soil will be placed under a lot of stress to support this system. Unfortunately, if a soil assessment is not completed, the area where the septic system is placed could start to encounter problems due to the soil shifting under this weight.

Plant Grass Over The Septic Tank Soon After It Has Been Installed

To install a septic tank, a large area of the yard may need to be excavated. While these areas will be filed once the septic tank and drain field have been installed, you should consider covering them with grass as soon as possible. When this area is not covered with grass, it will be far more likely to suffer erosion, and this could impact the performance of the new septic system. Fortunately, grass seed can grow very quickly once it has been planted, and this can greatly reduce the risk of excessive erosion occurring at the site where your new septic system was installed.

Place The Septic Tank Reasonably Close To Where The Drain Field Will Be Located

The septic tank is one of the more well-known portions of this system, but it is not the only component that will be needed. A drain field is another critical component of a septic system as this will be the area where the water from the septic tank is released once it has been processed by the system. When choosing where to place the septic tank, it is beneficial to place it relatively close to the area where the drain field is going to be placed. This can reduce the installation costs by limiting the distance to the connection that is needed for these two components. Ideally, the drain field should be placed on a flat area that has good drainage since this can ensure the water that is released will not linger or accumulate near the surface of the soil.

Contact a local septic service for more information on septic tank installation.