Spring Cleaning Tips For Your Septic Tank
As spring comes around, it is time to start cleaning up your house and getting it ready for the coming year. If you got a lot of rain and snow this winter or experienced any type of flooding, you need to pay attention to your septic tank. Here are three things you need to do for your septic tank this spring.
#1 Make Sure Your Septic Tank Is Sealed Properly
If your backyard got a lot of snow and rain during the winter months, the dirt in your backyard may have shifted around. This could cause your septic tank to not be sealed properly.
Check your septic tank cover and make sure that it is still securely in place. If the ground around it has sunk inwards, you may want to add more dirt around your septic tank so that the lid is not sticking a couple of inches off the ground.
#2 Raise Up Your Septic Tank
If your septic tank is buried far underground, spring is a great time to raise up your septic tank. You can have a septic tank professional add risers to your tank to bring your tank up closer to ground level. This will make it easier for your to monitor tank levels and take care of regular maintenance issues throughout the year.
#3 Install A Controlled Aerator
When you get a lot of rainfall or have a lot of snow melting, all that additional water in the ground can be hard on your septic tank. Especially as your tank gets older, it can have a tougher time dealing with the excess water that spring brings as its bio-mat gets older and more clogged. When your bio-mat cannot handle all the water in the ground, the water will flow back into your septic tank and cause issues.
In order to circumvent these issues, without installing a whole new septic tank, you can have an aerator installed. An aerator will help deal with all the extra water near your septic tank.
#4 Redirect Your Gutters
Spring is also a great time to look at where the water from your gutters are going. If any of your gutters are pointed in the direction of your septic field, you may want to reroute your gutters in a different direction. This is often as easy as turning the bottom of the downspout in a different direction. You may also want to lay gravel underneath your downspout to help absorb and direct the runoff in the right direction.
#5 Cover Your Septic Field
Finally, you want to keep as much foot traffic as possible away from your septic field. A great way to do that is by planting grass on top of your septic tank, or planting a flower garden. Both of these plants have shallow root systems and are the perfect plant to put in your septic field. Avoid plants with deep root systems that can interfere with your septic field, such as trees and bushes.
Take care of your septic tank and septic field this spring by implementing the steps above. With proper care, you can avoid costly septic tank repairs.
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