Your home’s septic system has a heavy workload removing waste and making sure you never see it again. This system works mostly behind the scenes. You flush water and waste down the drain and watch it vanish. After that, the septic system takes over. Learn more about how this mighty system keeps your home clean and gives you the sanitation you need.
Your Home’s Plumbing and Septic System
If your home isn’t connected to the local sewer system, you likely have a septic system that removes waste. Plumbing waste consists of anything that goes down the drains in your home and may include the toilet, sinks, shower, and laundry drains.
After The Flush
Your septic tank is often buried somewhere outside of your house. The septic tank has a lid that allows access for pumping and maintenance. This lid indicates the location of your septic tank. Once waste goes down the drain, it travels through your home’s drain pipes and heads to the septic tank. Inside the tank, solid material separates from liquid by dropping to the bottom. Liquid, also called effluent, makes up the middle section of the tank while grease and oil float to the top and create a slimy, sludgy layer.
Breakdown Inside the Tank
Once inside the septic tank, waste begins the breakdown process. Bacteria that occur naturally inside the septic tank work on breaking down organic solid matter. This helps reduce the amount of solid waste inside the tank, but the process does not eliminate all of it. Because of the remaining solid waste, your tank requires routine pumping. Schedule septic tank pumping every 3-5 years and prevent problems such as clogs, backflows, and leaks.
Moving on From the Tank
Septic tanks vary in design. Some septic tanks have a wall in the middle that allows liquid to flow over while solid settles to the bottom. Others have a drain line near the middle of the tank that lets liquids flow through the drain lines without taking solids along. No matter the type of tank you have, the liquid drains out of the tank and travels to the drain field. The drain field is a designated spot on your property where liquid waste drains. This area sits underground. In the drain field, soil and other environmental factors filter and further break down liquid waste for safe reabsorption into the environment.
Septic System Experts
Your septic system is complex and crucial for home sanitation and cleanliness. Licensed and experienced plumbers know all the ins and outs of septic systems and make it their mission to provide top-quality septic services so you can maintain a healthy plumbing system with every flush. Call our dedicated plumbers at Straight Flush Septic today for any septic system services you need in Winston-Salem, NC.
