Following these simple tips would be a good place to start:
Be careful what you flush down the loo or put down the sink
The waste water entering your septic tank should only include waste from your property’s toilets, showers, sinks and kitchen appliances. You should never allow the following to pass into a septic tank by flushing down toilets, as they are likely to quickly cause problems:
- Sanitary products
- Disposable nappies
- Face wipes
Similarly, you should be very careful with what you pour down the sink, in particular:
- Fats or cooking oil should be disposed of separately and never poured down the sink – this in particular can cause soakaway problems as it can prevent the soil surrounding your soakaway system from being able to absorb the waste water effectively
- Anti-bacterial products such as kitchen cleaners and handwashes should be avoided as they can kill off the `good’ bacteria in your septic tank which helps with the separation of the waste water within it. There are some septic tank friendly cleaning product ranges, such as Ecover, which can help to avoid this problem.
Get your septic tank emptied regularly
Ensuring that your septic tank is emptied regularly is important in ensuring that it can work properly. A tanker will attend your property and will remove the solids and waste water from your tank.
How often you will need this to happen depends on a number of different factors, but in general most septic tanks need to be emptied annually. If you’re not sure, just ask a local tanker company to give you advice.
Keep your eye out for any septic tank problems
The company that empties your septic tank should let you know if they spot any problems with the drainage system. Don’t just put this to the back of your mind, which of course is tempting to do if it’s not started to affect you yet. There may also be other signs of trouble with your drainage system, such as:
- dirty water pooling above the ground where your septic tank or soakaway system is
- your toilets flushing slowly or overflowing
- your septic tank filling up more quickly and needing to be emptied more frequently than usual
If you notice anything unusual with your septic tank, it is best to get it checked out as soon as possible – this is because problems underground can worsen over time if left unchecked.
The team at UKDP can offer you expert advice and guidance on any septic tank or soakaway problems, so call us today on 01628 788600 or contact us.