Caring for Your Septic System in Muskoka
As your friends, the professionals at B & B Sanitation Services have put together a list of maintenance do's and don'ts for your septic tank. In the event you do have an emergency though, give us a call. Based in Gravenhurst, we offer effective septic tank pumping services throughout the Muskoka area.
Maintenance Do's
Protect your investment and avoid expensive surprises when buying real estate. Be sure to include in the offer a requirement for the seller to provide final pumping and inspection.
Pump your tank every 3-5 years, depending on the size of your family, overall usage, and the capacity of your system.
Use smaller amounts of water over longer periods of time, giving your septic tank time to absorb it, and preventing saturation of the field.
Building sumps and runoff from roofs, patios, and driveways should be directed to splash pads away from the tank and leaching bed.
Keep showers short, run dishwashers and clothes washers only when full, and use the cycles with the lowest number of rinses.
Spread laundry over several days, giving solids in the tank time to settle to the bottom so they will not get flushed out into the leaching bed.
Fix leaks. A tap leaking just one drop per second wastes about 10,000 litres of water per year. A silently leaking toilet can waste up to 20 times that amount. Both keep your well pump running day and night.
Use only the smallest amount of liquid soap necessary for your laundry. (Powder will cake when mixed with water and clog your pipes.)
Install effluent filters on the outlet pipe. These have been mandatory on all new septic tanks since January 2007, and prevent particles from flowing out to the septic field.
Have effluent filters cleaned approximately once a year to prevent clogging and a back-up into your house.
Arrange for a reminder or a maintenance agreement to have your effluent filters cleaned for you.
Get on a recall system so you won't forget to pump your
tank.
Risers, which also became mandatory in January 2007, expose your tank lids to the surface of the ground for easy access, so you don't have to dig up your lawn every time you have it pumped.
Maintenance Don'ts
Do not flush grease, sanitary products, wipes, or cigarette butts, which do not break down like toilet paper. They will plug up your system. (Just because it says flushable on the box does not mean it can go down your system.)