As much as septic tanks do all of the dirty work of dealing with waste for you, there can be times when they can fail and you need to consider septic tank installation. But what is the reason for failure? Why do septic tanks fail? Here is everything you need to know about it.

Reasons Why Your Septic System Is Failing

Not Maintaining The Tank

First things first, a septic tank isn’t something that you can set and forget. It needs to be cleaned, it needs to be pumped and it needs to be maintained from time to time. These things make life easier, but you have to maintain them and take care of them to ensure that it stays the same and doesn’t fail on you when you least expect it. The same goes for a septic tank.

If you’re not maintaining it, year after year, you’re allowing the system to fail with your own hands. So, you always want to make sure that you’re maintaining the septic tank by pumping it from time to time and also having it cleaned. This is where a septic tank professional will help you a lot.

They know everything to make a septic tank last long and prevent failure like choking or some other obstructions, which can be super hard to remove and deal with.

Using The Toilet As A Waste Bin

We are all guilty of flushing down toilet paper and while it’s not such a big deal, it is not ideal for the toilet as well as the septic tank. You want to stop using your toilet as a trash bin. It is not a place where you can throw things like paper napkins, solid things like expired medicine, and things like that. This will create a lot of problems in the septic tank and it might even fail at one point.

So, you want to remember about things not to flush down the toilet to extend the life of your septic tank and system system.

Neglecting The Drain Field

The drain field is the second to last point where the wastewater travels from your sinks to your septic tank. The drain field allows the water to flow into the distribution box and from there, it is absorbed into the ground.

Now, the drain field can also get clogged or choked from time to time and it’s imperative that you clean it so that the water can flow freely without any issues. If you don’t clean the septic drain field, then water will back up and it will cause damage and failure in the tank itself.

Septic System Overload

This is somewhat the same as wasting a lot of water or getting a tank that is too small for your needs, but it also has to do with how much research you’ve put into septic tanks when you’re buying them.

It is really important to know your house water usage capacity and the right size of the septic tank because this is the only possible way by which you can reduce septic system overload and save your tank from failing on you. It does require a bit of work, but it is ultimately worth it.

The Tank Not Properly Installed

Septic tanks are not easy to install. There are a lot of things that need to be done perfectly and if one thing is out of line, then the whole installation will fall to pieces. This is why it’s crucial that you always choose a professional when it comes to septic tank installation.

You don’t want to rely on amateurs when it comes to septic system installation. It is difficult. As it is underground, once it is installed, fixing problems will be really difficult. So, you want to make sure that you’re doing things right the first time around. So, hire the right septic companies Berkeley County for septic system installation and maintenance.

The Septic Tank Is Old

Have you had a septic tank for years or decades by now? It’s really old and sometimes when the equipment or system has lived its life, it can start to run into a lot of problems. One of them is septic tank failure. It will misbehave a lot. There will be times when you need to repair the septic tank constantly and that’s just not what you want to do with your time.

This is why if the septic tank is really old, you need to change it and get a new one installed. This will quite literally change your life.

Unconsolidated Soil

The type of soil that is surrounded by the septic tank is also important to know about. It needs to be dense, but not too dense. It shouldn’t be too loose, otherwise, it won’t be able to hold the septic tank nicely and there are just a lot of problems that can rear their heads when the soil is not tested before installation.

This is why professional opinion and assessment is crucial. Installing a septic tank isn’t just about setting it in one place and calling it a day. There is a lot more to it than meets the eye.

The Tank Is Too Big Or Too Small

One of the most common causes of failure in a septic tank is the size. The septic tank is either too big or too small. Too big of a septic tank and it is hard to maintain, which leads to people leaving it as it is and just not taking care of it.

Too small, and people have to maintain it every single time it overflows and that is just not ideal for someone who has little time on their hands. This is why it’s crucial to select the right size of septic tank for your house.

Water Is Contaminated

The septic tank has wastewater in it, but there can be times when polluted water with even harsher bacteria and agents can find its way into the septic tank. Groundwater can be polluted or contaminated. This is why the septic tank is built in a way to not let anything else in.

However, sometimes, the foundation of the septic tank can lead to problems of contamination, especially if the tank is cracked or very old and the harmful bacteria and other organisms can poison the septic tank and lead to failure.

Wasting Too Much Water

You are wasting too much water. If you’re constantly keeping all of the faucets and taps in your house on and the water is just flowing away, that water is all going into the septic tank, making it work double time for no reason at all.

The tank fills up quickly, it works to dispose of the water and there’s just a host of issues to deal with. So, if this keeps up, then the septic tank will fail in no time. This is a problem that may not seem serious, but it is.

Conclusion

Now you know the common reasons why septic tanks can fail. Once you know why it happens, you can solve the issue like it’s no problem. To improve the longevity of your septic tank, have it installed by a licensed professional, schedule septic tank cleaning Loudoun County as recommended by an expert and avoid putting things in the drain that should go in the trash can.