If you have Florida septic tanks and you regularly service, pump-out and you don’t flush the wrong items, chances are your septic tank will last a long time. In fact many homeowner even forget they have them when they are properly running. So here are 7 things you must know about Florida septic tanks to keep they running longer, saving you money and the environment!
Florida Rains!
It seems like in the summer it rains every day. Well, thats probably because it does. Your septic system has a drain field or leach field. This is where the water from the top of your tank is drained into an area designed to filter this water naturally and return it to the environment. When your septic system was originally designed and installed rainwater was taken into consideration. If you added rain gutters to your house, and they downspouts now direct water to your drain field, it could cause problems. If your drain field becomes saturated, it will cause the septic system to not function as it was designed.
Trees and Shrubs In Your Yard
We all love the shade from a tree in the middle of the hot summers here in Florida. Trees unfortunately can cause all kinds of headaches when the are planted too close to Florida septic tanks. Trees roots will search out water and they will find your septic tank if it is located to close. Even worse is if your tank would have a small leak. The tree will actually send roots through that leak and into your tank causing you expensive problems.
Remember Your Toilet is Not a Trash Can
Keeping this in mind and your guests, you can avoid many common problems. We wrote this nice article a couple months back on what not to flush down your toilet. This reminder is simple but is a must. Even if your home is connect to a public sewer system, please also abide by these suggestions. Eventually non-human waste has to be filtered out and removed as these do not breakdown in the environment. They can cause expensive breakdowns and costs for your local municipality.
Pump Out On Schedule
All Florida septic tanks are installed with a specific capacity. They are all designed by an engineer. They will take into consideration the property, the soil, the size of the house and the expected usage. The company installing the system should give you some guidelines on recommended maintenance including pumping out the tank. In some cases this could be annually, while in others it could be many years before it needs pumped out. We all know that if you don’t maintain your septic tanks here in Florida, they always fail at the worst possible time. Like a Friday night when you have company for the weekend!
Laundry Detergent
We talked about using the best toilet paper for septic tanks last month and why that matters. The same could be said about laundry detergent. Some detergents will be specifically labeled for use in septic systems. This is important as some powder detergents can actually cause clumping and and gum up the septic tank pumps. Look for ones that are safe, and avoid using too much. If you do use bleach, do not use too much at a time, or do many loads using bleach the same day. These chemicals can kill the helpful bacteria and lead to premature failure.
Garbage Disposal
We have to say a hard no on this one. They might seem like a wonderful invention (like when Kramer installed one in his shower) but it’s not a laughing matter. Garbage disposals will add to the solids collecting in your tank, sometimes 2 or 3 times faster. This means you need to get your tank pumped 2 to 3 times more often! Then there is the problem of these extra debris causing pumps clog and switches to stick. Put your garbage in the garbage, or a compost!
Save Water, Save Money, Save the Environment
Keeping a watch on how much water your home uses could lead to significant savings. Simple things like cutting your shower time down a little, or turning off the water while you brush your teeth can add up. The less water we use and add to our Florida septic tanks the longer they will last. They do not need to work as hard, and therefore not pumped out as often as well. Do your part and reduce your water usage. If you have older appliances, why not looks for ones that use less water and are energy star rated.
We hope you find these tips helpful. If you have a question on your septic system or would like to schedule a pump out and maintenance review, please click on the links on this page. Martin Septic Systems is your Florida septic tanks top installer and servicer. We look forward to help you to forget about your septic and enjoying the Southwest Florida weather!
