hard water in your home? fix it!

Even the highest quality and well-designed septic system was only created to handle human biological waste. In fact, the tank on your septic system is sizably enough to handle human biological waste until the natural bacteria action that takes place inside of the septic system has a chance to break it down. Unfortunately, a lot of septic systems are forced to attempt to handle more than just human waste. Things like toilet paper, soap, hair, food, and even items that are supposed to be flushable can make it harder for the septic system to perform its job.

Even if you are the most diligent person in the world, someone is going to flush something down your toilet that shouldn't be there. As a homeowner, it is in your best interest to be aware of some of the more common septic system problems.

Problem One: Excess Water

When there is too much water in your septic tank, the solid wastes do not break down the way they are supposed to. When this happens, it can cause the solid matter to spill out of the tank into the tank's distribution tubes which are not designed to handle waste. They are only designed to handle liquids. Unfortunately, this is going to cause the tubes to become clogged.

Problem Two: Non-Biodegradable Items in the Tank

When your septic tank is filled with non-biodegradable items, they are never going to go anywhere. They are going to continue to sit in the water of your tank and force other solids to float up and into the distribution tubes. This is the biggest reason why you shouldn't flush anything other than your own waste down the drain.  

Problem Three: Phosphates in Your Tank

Did you know the phosphates in detergent will act as a fertilizer inside of your tank providing algae with the food it needs to grow? As the algae grows, it will limit the space in your tank and clog up everything.  The solution to this problem is not to flush detergents down your drain. If you already have, you are going to need to have your septic system flushed.

These are just three of the problems homeowners commonly have to deal with when it comes to their septic system. The biggest thing to keep in mind is not to flush anything that isn't human waste down the toilet. Basically, this means that if it isn't poop or pee, it should be going in the trash instead of down the drain. To learn more about septic systems, contact a company like Zeb Watts Septic & Underground, Inc.