10 Tips For Preparing Your Septic System For Winter

Since the weather is bordering on the chilly season, you want to get done with your septic system maintenance so it doesn’t cause problems during the freezing days. You can do some tasks your yourself but it’s best to hire a septic tank service for inspections and maintenance.

Pump The Tank

One of the best things you can do to ensure that your septic system runs smoothly and without any problem is to have it pumped sometime before winter. Pumping the tank is extremely important because it empties the tank and allows inspection to be done. Once the tank is cleaned and agitated to remove all of the suspended waste, you will see the performance of the tank for yourself. It will be way better than before.

Think about it – the septic tank sits idly for a long time, so it is necessary to pump it once every couple of years, especially before winter so that you can ensure that it works effortlessly and doesn’t cause any problems in the couple of months of winter, because having heavy maintenance work done in the winter is a buzzkill.

Get An Inspection Done

A professional inspection before winter fully takes over is going to be a lifesaver. A professional inspection is great because you just need to call in the big guys and they will take everything from there. It is a great way to ensure that your tank is in good hands and the inspection will be able to pinpoint all of the problems with the tank.

So, if you feel like your tank is in much need of maintenance, then simply look for your local septic system inspection team and have them pay a visit to your house and get the system sorted before you’re done for the winter.

Look For Any Blockages

One of the main things that you need to look out for in a septic system is blockage. It is one of those things that will cause a mountain of problems in the tank and you need to be able to get rid of any clogs in the tank so that everything can be dealt with easily.

If there are clogs in the tank or the drain field, then you possibly can’t expect the tank to work properly and you need to remove the obstruction before something else goes wrong in the tank.

Monitor Water Use

This is also another great tip to follow and it will lessen the load of maintenance on you. The septic tank will malfunction the more you misuse it. So, you need to understand that water wastage and poor disposal of waste are going to lead to problems in the tank and you won’t have any other choice but to maintain or even replace the tank, which is certainly not what you need just before winter starts.

So, instead, make sure to keep an eye on the water usage, because if you waste, then the tank will fill up and you’ll need to pump it out often.

Regularly Maintain The Tank

This is a lifesaver and it can change the way you think about the maintenance of a septic tank being dreadful. It’s only dreadful if you make it and neglect the tank. If you leave the tank by itself and do not clean it for years, then there are going to be a lot of problems.

So, you want to ensure that you’re maintaining and scheduling septic tank cleaning Hagerstown once every couple of years. You will see for yourself that the tank will work properly and who knows? You might not even need maintenance before winter rolls around, which is awesome.

Proper Disposal

Proper waste disposal might be something that a lot of people know about, but they sure do fail to act on these things when it comes to maintaining a septic tank. A septic system is only meant to hold water and liquid sewage.

If you’re flushing down napkins, solid plastics, and other things that are not meant to be disposed of like this, then you’re ruining your septic system with your own hands. So, it’s better to always throw solid trash in the bins and leave the toilet only for liquid waste.

Pipe Insulation Is A Must

During winters, pipes can burst and the same goes for all of the pipes leading to the septic tank and the rest of the system. You need to ensure that you’re insulating the pipes because you don’t want another problem on your hands.

There are many ways by which you can externally or internally insulate your pipes and drains leading to the septic tank, but if you’re in a time crunch, then external ways are the ones you want to go for. Check in with your septic tank professional and they will let you know the best ways to insulate any exposed pipes.

Clean Around The Septic Tank

This is also another major thing that will prevent problems with the septic tank in the future. Your septic tank is usually underground, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to protect the surroundings of the tank.

Make sure that there isn’t any overgrowth of trees, any roots cracking the concrete, or any gaping holes near the vicinity of the tank. The last thing you need is something obstructing the tank, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled, because it will only help you out in the future.

Get An Alarm

This is a nifty contraption that will help you to get alerts of any kind. A septic tank alarm is amazing because it will tell you about the rising water levels, any clogs or blockages in the tank or pipes, and everything that can go wrong.

It will cause you to act quickly and it will be a lifesaver for you, especially if you don’t have a habit of checking the tank or the septic system regularly. You will get alerted immediately and then you will know what to do about it, whether it be calling a professional or doing some surface level work.

Cover The Drain Field

Lastly, and this is another insulation tip, but for the drain field. Well, this is the only time when overgrown grass won’t hurt. The grass will act as a blanket and it will keep the drain field insulated.

It won’t cause the water to get frozen and you won’t have to rely on other methods of insulation when nature will do the work for you. So, keep in mind not to cut the grass too short around the winter time and you will save your drain field from problems.

Conclusion

Winter is not a time to maintain things. When you’re supposed to be huddled up in a blanket by the fire, going out in the dead cold of winter and maintaining your septic tank doesn’t sound like the best of ideas. So, these tips will save you from this very hassle. However, if you need an expert who can repair or maintain your septic system in any season, consult septic companies Williamsport.

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