It may be a taxing thing to do but a homeowner really needs to know what role a septic tank baffle plays in maintaining lateral lines. Every home that doesn’t have access to the municipal sewage system needs to have a septic system. The septic system is responsible for treating wastewater produced by the household on a daily basis. Each system is custom made to cater to the number of people living in that specific household. The septic system needs to be cared for because of the crucial part it has in keeping the living environment sanitized and safe. The septic baffles help a great deal in this area. Some people would like to know what role a septic tank baffle plays in lateral lines and water flow.
If your septic system comes with baffles, then you should know their main purpose. The baffles prevent the floating waste particles from clogging the outlet and the inlet pipes. Ultimately, they also prevent the drain fields and lateral lines clear of any obstruction. It is common for the septic baffles to be poorly made. Steel septic tanks usually have their baffles rusted off. This results to blocked and failed systems. The immediate solution to this kind of problem is to install septic tees that are made of plastic. The septic baffles or septic tees are a component installed in the inlet and outlet pipes of a septic system. They can be made of plastic, concrete, steel, or any other hard materials that can enable them to serve as effective barriers between the outlet/inlet pipes and the septic tank.
The septic inlet baffle or tee is designed to be a bit elevated than the outlet baffle or tee. This positioning makes sure that the raw sewage enters the baffle and stays in the tank. The same should happen with the pre-treated effluent that exits the tank. The baffles/tees should make sure that the effluent doesn’t have any grease, scum, or solid waste materials that could clog the drain field or lateral lines. The tank should be installed level, underground. If it so happens that the septic tank is not level anymore, septic experts will find it hard to re-level the tank. However, corrections can still be made on the outlet and inlet tees so that the system can effectively adapt to the shift of the tank.
If a septic baffle needs to be replaced with a PVC tee, you should make sure that the tees have the same diameter as the outlet and inlet pipes. This is to help the septic system do without any clogs or blockages during wastewater treatment. When it comes to the inlet pipe, the septic baffle installed here should allow wastewater and solid wastes to enter the septic tank. It should not allow the floating scum to flow back into your home. The waste stays in the tank. Inspection of the inlet baffle is performed when the septic tank is pumped out. The inlet baffle also retards the gas movement from the tank back into your home. Any amount of septic fumes should be directed towards the roof through the vent system. Just make sure that the vent is correctly installed. For the outlet pipe, the outlet baffles prevent the sewage or scum from flowing out of the septic tank. This keeps the drain field or lateral lines clog-free. The outlet pipe is connected to the drain field and to the lateral lines. The outlet baffle is also called a gas baffle in some regulations. The baffle keeps the gas bubbles and solid wastes from the outlet pipe so that the solid particles won’t be carried over outside the tank. The outlet baffle’s role is critical because if the lateral lines or the drain field is clogged, the entire system fails.
The septic baffles are very important in maintaining lateral lines. If they are always inspected, they will always function optimally and never cause the lateral lines to fail. When your lateral lines are clear, the drain field is healthy. As a result, you and your household remain safe as well.