6 Ways to Avoid Needing Emergency Septic Tank Repair in Briarcliff Manor and Bedford, NY

December 6, 2021 Halstead Media Group

Proper care of your Briarcliff Manor and Bedford, NY septic system can ensure years of reliable use. However, what happens when your septic system is not working and you need emergency help? A septic professional can offer suggestions to avoid a septic crisis.

How does a septic system serve your home?

Every home either has a municipal sewage system access or a septic tank for waste removal from the home. When you flush the toilet and take a shower, that water and waste must go somewhere safe outside your home.

A home has a septic system when there is no access to the town sewage. The septic system is composed of pipes that allow for the flow of waste and water out of your home, an airtight septic tank that is buried at a low point on your property, and a drain field where the water seeps back into the earth.

This system is an environmentally efficient waste removal system that requires nothing other than gravity to work for many years. The key to ensuring your system does not need emergency service is to take care with what you flush down the drains.

How to Avoid Emergency Septic Tank Repair

The primary preventive to needing emergency repair is not to flush the following:

Feminine products: Feminine pads and other menstrual needs should not be flushed down the toilet. These items are large and will not decompose in the septic tank. instead, throw them away in a sanitary trashcan.
Baby products: You shouldn’t flush baby wipes or baby diapers down the toilet as they are the same as feminine products—too big to decompose and likely to clog the pipes along the way. Dispose of these in a sanitary trashcan, too.
Grease and oils: When you cook with grease and oils, the temptation to pour them down the drain can be strong but this is a primary way the pipes become clogged over time from the build-up of grease. Eventually, the coating becomes so thick that you can experience the water and waste backing up into your home. This creates a dangerous situation with unsanitary refuse in your home. Pour the cooled grease and oil into an old container or plastic bag that you are throwing away.
Coffee grounds and cigarette butts: Coffee grounds and cigarette butts are two items that should never be flushed down the drain as they, too, can clog the pipes and won’t decompose over time in the tank.
Bleach or paint thinners: These chemicals will upset the balance of the septic tank which depends on beneficial microorganisms and microbes to decompose the solid human waste.
Excessive water: Try to spread your showers and clothes washing over time so you don’t overwhelm the septic tank with too much water. Since the excess water drains from the septic tank to the drain field where it slowly filters into the earth, too much water can cause the process to malfunction. There should be plenty of time for the extra water to seep into the ground and that happens when the tank is not too full.

If you do experience a septic tank emergency, you need to contact a reliable septic system expert immediately for professional service. They can diagnose and repair the problem and quickly get your system back in working order.