Living on Septic
Contents at a Glance
Moving In
No Powders!
If your house utilizes a septic tank, remember to only use LIQUID laundry detergent and dishwasher detergents. NO POWDERS - they are too harsh and don't decompose well.
A Brief History of Plumbing
Plumbing (from the Latin plumbum for lead as pipes were once made from lead) is the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures for drinking water systems and the drainage of waste. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping systems, plumbing fixtures and equipment such as water heaters. The plumbing industry is a basic and substantial part of every developed economy due to the need for clean water, and proper collection and transport of wastes.Plumbing: the Arteries of Civilization, Modern Marvels video series, The History Channel, AAE-42223, A&E Television, 1996
Plumbing also refers to a system of pipes and fixtures installed in a building for the distribution of potable water and the removal of waterborne wastes. Plumbing is usually distinguished from water and sewage systems, in that a plumbing system serves one building, while water and sewage systems serve a group of buildings or a city.
Using Your System
The rules of what can "go down" to the septic tank are no different than those for public sewers - human waste, food disposal, used bath/shower/laundry/dishwasher water is all fine.-Avoid flushing or putting down the drain anything which is not biodegradable.
-Don't use harsh chemicals like chlorine bleach or hard water removers - these chemicals will kill the "good" bacteria which break down the waste in the tank.
-Don't use excessive amounts of salt in your baths (a nice soak with bath salts once a week is fine, but any more than that and you risk setting up a sodium block in your leach field).
-Be mindful of how much water is going in to the tank. Your tank only holds so much water. If you put more in than your tank can handle, you risk backing it up or over-flowing it. Be especially careful if you have houseguests or any circumstance where you're using a lot more water than usual by taking extra showers or baths, doing more laundry, etc.
Rid X
Keep your "good" bacteria counts up
RID-X Septic System Treatment: Concentrated 20.7 OZ.
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Installing A New Septic System
new septic tank
leech lines and septic tank . If you listen you can hear my neighbor's basset hound . she is a cool dog !
Runtime: 1:34
12393 views
8 Comments:
Your Leach Field
Cut Down on the Amount of Water Going In
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The Advantages of HE Front Loading Washers
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Just keep saving! High Efficiency, or HE, washing machines save so much money in the long run - they use much less water, less electricity, and save you $ on detergents. Lots of money.
Pumping
You should have your tank professionally pumped out and cleaned AT LEAST once every 3 years.
Maintanence
Septic Pumping and Cleaning
Mike Rowe gives it a shot.
Dirty Jobs : Foul & Fabulous : Septic Tank Technician
Discovery Channel Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe Foul & Fabulous Septic Tank Technician Mike Rowe, host of Discovery Channel's series Dirty Jobs, learns how to clean a Septic Tank. http://dsc.discovery.com
Runtime: 3:00
19188 views
10 Comments:
How do they work?
A septic tank, the key component of a septic system, is a small scale sewage treatment system common in areas with no connection to main sewage pipes provided by private corporations or local governments. (Other components, typically mandated and/or restricted by local governments, optionally include pumps, alarms, sand filters, and clarified liquid effluent disposal means such as a septic drain field, ponds, or peat moss beds.) Septic systems are a type of On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF). In North America approximately 25% of the population relies on septic tanks; this can include suburbs and small towns as well as rural areas. (Indianapolis is an example of a large city where much of the city's neighborhoods are still on separate septic systems) In Europe they are generally limited to rural areas only.
The term "septic" refers to the anaerobic bacterial environment that develops in the tank and which decomposes or mineralizes the waste discharged into the tank. Septic tanks can be coupled with other on-site wastewater treatment units such as biofilters or aerobic systems involving artificial forced aeration.
Periodic preventive maintenance is required to remove the irreducible solids which settle and gradually fill the tank, reducing its efficiency. In most jurisdictions this maintenance is required by law, yet often not enforced. Those who ignore the requirement will eventually be faced with extremely costly repairs when solids escape the tank and destroy the clarified liquid effluent disposal means. A properly cared-for system, on the other hand, can last for decades and possibly a lifetime.
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Do You Have Any Handy Tips To Share?
TeeMeister wrote...
Excellent lens. I am giving you a 5. Having been in the small flows wastewater business for over 13 years, I believe that your lens is right on point. The only disagreement is with the additives. I have never found any "independent University" research that suggests that additives are helpful. It has even been suggested that they do more harm than good. Visit my Septic Systems Design 101 lens if you wish to sound-off in my additives duel. Once again, great lens!
Posted February 10, 2009
