A third of American homes still have a septic tank. For the most part homeowners who have one tend not to give them much of a thought at all. They can't be seen and for the most part they are supposed to be self maintaining. Unfortunately, they really are not, as many a poor homeowner has belatedly found out when sewage is overflowing from their septic tank at an ever increasing rate and the accompanying stench is more than anyone in the neighborhood can bear.

Most septic tank nightmares can be prevented if home owners understand the basic rules of good septic use and maintenance. Here are a few tips to help you avoid such problems.

Control Waste Water

One of the most important things you can do to keep your septic tank in good working order is to control the amount of water that flows into it every day.

In addition to cutting down the number of loads of laundry you do in a week and cutting back that fifteen minute shower to five, if you have not done so already you should look into replacing your existing bathroom fixtures with new low flow versions.

Preventing Stinking Disasters

This does not just apply to the toilet either. Low flow shower heads can literally save hundreds of gallons of water from being wasted every week in the average family home without the actual "quality" of the shower experience being affected. The best thing is that by making these simple changes you will not only be helping your septic system continue to do its job properly, but doing your bit for the environment as well.

Watch What Goes Down the Sink

Cooking fat, laundry detergent, household chemicals and even coffee grounds can all cause problems for your septic tank, which is where, if poured down any sink in your home, all of these things are going to end up.

One of the biggest dangers to the health of the average septic tank is excessive garbage disposable use. The bacteria that live inside your septic tank that normally do all the dirty work (literally) to decompose waste properly have a hard time with coffee grounds, tea leaves and big scraps of food. In fact, the American National Ground Water Association, who know an awful lot about septic tanks, recommends that homes that rely on septic tanks should not use a garbage disposal at all.

Have Your Septic Cleaned Regularly

A septic tank cannot keep on working indefinitely, however good your septic tank maintenance habits become. Most septic tanks need to be pumped and cleaned every three to five years although, if you have a particularly small tank trying to accommodate too heavy usage, it will need to be dome more frequently than that.



The best way to determine how often your septic tank should be cleaned is to ask a professional. They will be able to factor in the various quirks of your septic tank (size, location, usage) to help you come up with a septic tank maintenance schedule that works.