It is never an easy thing to talk about the septic system. The septic tank has long brought about different horror stories that scared both young and old for generations. It is said that monsters lurk in the septic system and that at any given time; they will resurface and take over your life. Well, this may be true if you think about it. The septic tank really is a living creature. It is where anaerobic bacteria reside and thrive to decompose the solid waste products that your wastewater contains. How to clean a septic tank is the next question. If the septic tank is not given proper care and maintenance, the system will malfunction and the results would be monstrous.
But how do you provide such good care and maintenance to your septic tank? The septic tank is the vessel of the wastewater that flows from your household. It collects the wastewater and then keeps it until three layers appear. The topmost layer is the scum (light-weight solid waste). The middle layer is the effluent (the clear pre-treated fluid). The bottom layer is the sludge (the solid waste materials worked on by the anaerobic bacteria). These three layers have to be consistent and should not meld with one another before the effluent is ready to be dispersed in to the drain field to be purified.
The septic tank in a very important component because this is the pre-treatment area of the wastewater. The sludge part should be kept in check because if the sludge accumulates too much, then the effluent will tend to carry it off into the drain field and this will lead to the field’s clogging. If the sludge is too much already, then the septic tank would also overflow and even back up into your home or onto your yard.
One of the ways wherein you could care for your septic tank is to clean it. These are the main steps that you should put in mind when you clean your septic tank: How to clean a septic tank is answered below.
- Know the right location of your septic tank and manhole. This could be dug up if it was concealed.
- Use metal bar and a crow bar to remove the lid of the manhole.
- Before you start cleaning, make sure that you are properly protected. Wear gloves, goggles, and even an extra layer of clothing.
- Expose the filter. Unscrew the filter unit.
- Attach a hose to the nearby faucet and turn the faucet on. Hose down the filter until thoroughly clean. Hose it away from you.
- Return the filter and replace the lid.
- The septic professional will then help you with the pumping out of the septic tank. The specialized containment truck will contain the pumped out sludge from your septic tank.
- The septic tank will then be hosed down to eliminate clinging sludge and then pumped out once again.
- An additive that is friendly to the bacteria will then be added into the septic tank to help the resident bacteria maintain their population and improve their performance.
- The septic tanks lid or the manhole’s lid is then returned.
- A report will then be made to notify the authorities of the successful cleaning.
- The disposal of the sludge collected from your septic tank will then be done by a septic professional who has a disposal certification.
To add more to the septic tank cleaning, you have to make sure that your septic tank will run smoothly for as long as it exists. You can do this by adhering to the pump out schedule and monthly treatments; not dumping oils, grease, antibacterial cleansers, non-biodegradable materials, and very strong chemicals into toilets and drains; making sure that there are no vehicles or any form of construction above your septic system; lessening the water load in your septic tank by installing dry wells; not growing trees on your septic system; and diverting the rainwater runoff away from your system. So, now you know how to clean a septic tank.
