You bought a cute little three-bedroom home with a septic system when you first were ready to start a family. Fifteen years later, you have four kids and an elderly parent living in your cozy, but now crowded home. While your home’s septic may have been able to handle 4-5 people living in the home, seven may be pushing it to the limit. Every septic system is only designed to handle a certain load from the home. If your home is crowded, there is a good chance your septic system is feeling the strain.
Determining The Size Of Septic You Need
Most septic systems are built based on the size of the home. This includes the number of bedrooms and bathrooms in the home, with a maximum amount of people it’s designed to handle waste from on a daily basis. For example, a three-bedroom home may be required to have a 1,000 gallon septic tank, which is great if there are only three to four people living in the home. With four people in the home, it may only need to be pumped every 2 ½ years. However, increase that number to seven people, and now septic tank pumping may be needed every year.
There are several factors beyond the number of people in your home and the capacity of your septic tank which can also effect what size septic system you need. Water efficient fixtures and appliances can help offset having more people in your home. Also, families who are conscious of how much water and waste they put down the drain may be able to get by with a smaller system. The best way to know for sure whether your septic system is large enough for your bigger family is to call your local septic service company. They can evaluate your system and usage to determine whether it is time to upgrade to a larger septic system.
Posted on behalf of Seagraves Plumbing Septic and Sewer
