First-Time Septic Tank Owners: What You Need to Know

Moving into a new home brings so many new adventures.  You may be moving out for the first time, moving into a bigger home because your family has grown, or even downsizing after retirement.  Whatever the reason, moves bring on a new exciting chapter in your life, and you’ll also quickly realize that your new home may have different appliances or systems than your old home.  One of the things that you could be surprised to find is a septic tank.  For those of you that have never had a septic tank before, here’s what you need to know.

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What Are Septic Tanks?

Septic tanks are underground chambers that can be made out of concrete, plastic, or fiberglass.  All of your household waste will flow through pipes to reach this underground tank.  The advantage that these tanks have is that they have a natural process, meaning that they’re environmentally-friendly.  

How Do They Work?

When the waste enters the tank, it separates into 3 layers: scum, effluent, and sludge.  The effluent will leave the tank and be brought to a large drainfield where it will be treated and cleaned through the soil so that it can re-enter the underground water source.  As for the solid waste that is left in the septic tank, there is naturally-occuring bacteria that will break it down.

Maintenance

This is the part that many people are most concerned with.  When many people get a septic tank for the first time, they think “What do I have to do with it?”  The great thing about septic tanks is that they’re super low maintenance.  In fact, you should only have to get septic services every 3 to 5 years.

The services that you need are mainly septic tank cleaning and pumping, which will prevent the tank from overflowing.  When you get your tank cleaned, the professionals will also inspect the tank to make sure that it’s in great condition.  Septic tanks can last up to 40 years, so it’s important to get these inspections to make sure that your system is working as it should.

When you move into your new home, you should ask the owners when the last time they received septic services.  Even if they received it recently, it wouldn’t hurt to get your tank inspected anyway.  When you get in touch with a professional, they will answer any of the questions that you have.