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Having your septic tank pumped out is a must, keep reading to find out why. These are the top 5 reasons why it must be done.
Your septic tank is a watertight container, buried in your backyard and designed to hold and contain the wastewater coming from your home. These tanks can be made of a variety of materials from fiberglass to concrete and they are designed to help protect you, your neighbors, and the surrounding environment from the waste being pumped out of your house each time you flush the toilet or run your dishwasher for example.
Helps to Reduce Clogs and Backup Issues
The first reason you should have your tank cleaned out or pumped out as it helps reduce clogs and stop backup issues. Unless you are taking the time to throw toilet paper away and are not flushing any sort of solids, those solids are at the bottom of your tank taking time to break down. When the tank becomes too full it can back up into your home or business. In cases where clogs are very common or where you are experiencing clogs, emergency septic pumping may be necessary.
Helps Prevent Damage
When clogs are allowed to form or when the tank gets too full it can cause damage to the pipes and to the rest of your plumbing system. You want the path to your septic tank to be free and clear allowing waste to quickly and easily move from your home to the tank without any obstruction. It is important to keep your tank clean preventing backup with the potential to damage your plumbing system and cost you thousands of dollars in repair.
Protects Your Property
Another reason you should be having your septic tank pumped is to protect your property. When a septic tank overfills or becomes too full it can seep out into your yard and the property surrounding the tank. This water is untreated, unfiltered, and dangerous to you, your property, and the natural water table that is present on your property. An overfilled tank can overflow into your yard leading it mushy and full of untreated wastewater and can also contaminate any wells you may have on the property, it can cause foul odors, and it’s just plain unsanitary and unhealthy.
Help Improve Drainage in Your Yard
When a septic tank is too full it can cause groundwater to stand in your yard and it can also make the yard around the tank very wet. By having your tank cleaned, groundwater can go into the tank and which can help improve the drainage of your yard and make more of your yard usable and less marshy. In areas where the water table is already very low due to the distance above or below sea level, keeping a septic tank clean and pumped can make a huge difference in the overall saturation and moisture level in your yard or property.
Eliminate Odors
The last benefit to think about is foul odors that might be associated with a tank that is overfull. Ideally, the solids are going to sink to the bottom of the tank and the water is allowed to leech back into the soil around the tank. When a septic tank is overfull the solids can overpower the area and can cause a ton of rank smells that make it difficult to spend time outside near where the tank is buried. The build-up of methane gas inside the tank can cause odor, it can make spending time in your yard unpleasant and it can make it painfully obvious that you are having septic tank issues.
Septic tanks are essential and maintaining yours is going to help you keep your tank clean and functioning properly. It can be hard to keep up with a pumping schedule but most professionals suggest having your tank pumped once every three years to keep things moving smoothly.
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