It may not be something we tend to think about, but the invention of indoor plumbing may be one of the best modern inventions. To bathe, wash clothes, and use the bathroom indoors is a comfort that has not been around all that long as far as history goes. However, take that luxury away, and you will quickly come to realize that it is definitely one of your favorite modern improvements. While you may not think of your indoor plumbing often, knowing how it works to rid your home of waste can be important if something were to go wrong in the future.
About one-third of the homes in America have a septic system treating the waste in their homes. By design, these systems are fairly simple. All of the drains in a home are designed to converge to a single pipe that leads to the septic tank buried outside. The water from the toilets, sinks, laundry, baths, and showers all combine in the single pipe. However, once the waste makes it to the septic tank it begins to separate. The septic tank is designed to have two separate holding areas – the liquid side and the solid side. There is a center wall inside the septic tank that separates the two sides. The wall has a hole in the middle that allows the liquid waste to flow across the tank into the “liquid side” where it will drain into a leaching area. The waste that accumulates in the “waste side” will separate. Some waste will float and form a scum mat, while other waste will sink to the bottom and create a sludge layer. Some water remains in the “waste side” to separate the floating and sinking wastes.
About every three years (for an average family with an adequately sized septic tank) the tank needs to be pumped. The idea is to pump out the solid wastes before there is enough water in the “waste side” to trickle into the “liquid side” of the tank. Because the liquid waste will exit the septic tank and flow to a leaching area in the yard, it is especially important that only liquid waste is flowing out. By properly caring for your septic tankwith regular septic tank pumping, you can ensure that it will function correctly and not cause serious problems for your home, yard, and health.
Posted on behalf of Septic Service Pro
