You have always wondered how the septic system has found its way into residential construction all over the world. Invented in the 1500’s The cesspit, septic tank and drain field design was a smart and practical invention that allows the household wastes to be collected, treated and recycled on site. It is installed on your property when your house is located far from the town’s sewage system. A conventional septic system is comprised of a septic tank and a drain field. The septic tank collects the wastewater and in it, the natural anaerobic bacteria take action and break the solid particles down. The drain field is the soil absorption area that purifies the effluent that enters it returning treated wastewater to the water table. Here, this is where contaminants and pathogens are filtered out. It is common for homeowners to think that the septic tank and drain field should be cleaned out regularly. The septic tank is the area where the sludge accumulates before it drains out into the drain field. But let’s talk more about the drain field? What if the anaerobic bacterial population decreases dramatically because of the harsh chemicals and antibacterial agents that you dump into the drains and toilets? The effluent will tend to disperse the solid particles into the drain field and this will definitely cause trouble for the homeowner. The drain field should then be regularly cleaned as well to ensure its proper function. But you may ask, how to clean a drain field. Here are some of the basic procedures that you should take note of.
1. Prepare the basic things that you need such as a shovel, the blueprint of your property, a crowbar, a garden hose, a funnel, a drain field treatment product, and of course, a septic expert. This will somehow give you an idea of how much to initially prepare for the drain field cleaning.
2. Determine the exact location of your septic system.
3. Know the borders of the tank itself and dig about 18 inches deep. There will be a hatch there that you could open either by hand or with the help of a crowbar.
4. The septic experts will then drain and pump out the septic tank.
5. As the septic expert performs the pump out, pour the drain field treatment solution directly over the drain field. This product will serve as a shock treatment. There are directions on the packaging that will guide you through its use.
6. Look for the outlet pipe that is shaped like a “T”. This is the pipe that leads to the drain field. Connect the hose into the outlet pipe and then attach your funnel. But if you have a distribution box, you can skip this already.
7. The drain field treatment solution could also be poured into the funnel. The solution will flow through the outflow pipe and go straight into the drain field to cleanse it.
You should always keep in mind that in cleaning the drain field, or the septic system for that matter, requires great care because of the toxins involved. Make sure that you have your septic expert with you during this process. Cleaning the drain field will only rid of the accumulated sludge that the effluent brought in with it. To maintain the optimal function of the drain field, you and your family should do your part. You can do this by not planting woody-rooted plants over the drain field, by installing a dry well to lessen the water load of the septic system, by not dumping grease, oils, harsh chemicals into sinks, drains, and toilets. By using household cleaning products that are friendly to the environment and to the bacterial population, keeping the treatment and maintenance schedules and by not having vehicles or construction park or drive over the drain field, your drain field can last much longer.
Cleaning the drain field enables you to appreciate what the drain field and your septic system are able to do for you. The drain field is the purifying center of the septic system. If it gets blocked, then the entire system will be in trouble. Cooperation is essential if a smooth running septic system is to be achieved. Once you get started, things will be easier in the long run by treating the septic tank and drain field with a beneficial bacterial septic tank treatment.