For your septic tank to be at its best year-round, specific steps should be taken at certain points on the calendar.
Fall is one of those times. Many outdoor tasks are easier to complete before winter arrives, and maintenance of your septic system is no different.
Here are some tips for keeping your system ready for the long, cold season ahead:
Inspect your septic system
Again, if there is anything that needs to be tweaked, maintained, replaced or otherwise fixed, now is the time to do it before the ground freezes, snow blankets everything and the wind makes it miserable to be outside.
If the naked-eye inspection makes it apparent you need professional help, or if you otherwise have any questions about anything you see, hear or smell, Little’s Septic Service will be happy to get you headed in the right direction.
Have your septic tank pumped
This is something that septic system owners should be doing regularly and periodically anyway, as we have discussed previously.
This task, which you will need professional assistance to complete, is much simpler in the fall. Frozen ground and/or snow, ice and mud make this job more complicated.
Lighten the load on your leach field
You can do this by switching leach lines in your distribution box – specifically, changing the elbow to shift the part of the leach field that does the heavy lifting. This is something that can and should be routinely done.
Your leach field is critical to ensuring the effectiveness of the septic system. It keeps the watsewater flowing and draining at the proper speed, both preventing unwelcome backup and limiting flooding at too great a pace.
Protect your septic system
Giving a little extra insulation, a force field if you will, around your system is a good idea in the times of the year you are not likely to be doing a wide array of yard work or landscaping. Let the grass grow a little longer or spread mulch or leaves to help decrease the likelihood of problems created by the cold.