A recreational vehicle can be the perfect utility knife when you need a little extra space to stay at your place.
Lots of family in town? Some houseguests who prefer a little extra privacy? Someone you know moving back home for an extended period of time? An RV could be a great solution.
One consideration in these situations is what to do with, well, waste. The good news is that, if you have a septic tank on site, it can work in tandem with the RV.
As usual when septic systems are involved, of course, there are certain steps in play to make sure things work as they should. We’ll address those now.
Connecting to a septic tank
A “clean out” is the easiest way to do this. That’s a length of PVC pipe that comes vertically out of the ground with a screw cap.
Attaching the sewer hose to the clean out after removing the cap is often the way to go. It’s important, of course, to make sure the sewer hose fits securely.
This connection can be left intact for the duration of the stay in the RV, or you can wait until the tank is full to empty it, but it’s worth noting that adding too much water and waste to a septic tank all at the same time can interfere with the biological rhythm on which a system depends.
If your septic tank doesn’t have a clean out, this process is still possible, but requires a bit more of a process. Be careful in opening the lid to the tank directly, as gas that lives in septic tanks can be harmful or fatal, and too much air getting into the tank can mess with the natural bacteria doing the Lord’s work in there.
Keep in mind as you go through this that your septic system may need to be serviced more frequently if this is a long-term solution.