SEPTIC BASICS
Septic Tank: An underground tank that is normally made of concrete or plastic and typically contains one or two chambers.
Field Lines: A system that can be made of different types of piping that diffuses treated waste into the ground. Every septic tank has to have a field line. Also called a leach field/ drain field. The length of field line is based on the number of bedrooms in a home.
Baffles: Tanks normally have two baffles (an outlet and inlet) that are positioned at junctions where a pipe enters or leaves a septic tank.
Clean Out: A clean out is normally located between the house and the tank. This is typically a smaller white PVC pipe that comes out of the ground, and it serves to channel waste up onto the ground instead of backing up into your home in the event of a septic back up.
General Tips and Tricks:
- Do NOT put dead animals in your tank (you’d be surprised what we hear about!)
- Do not dispose of cat litter via your septic system, that should go in the trash!
- Unless you have a garbage disposal, do NOT dispose of food waste via your septic system. In all circumstances avoid putting fats, oils, and grease (FOG’s) down the drain, as these can cause clogs and negatively impact your septic system’s chemistry