The Septic Services Gazette

You may not think about your septic system too much each day. But it’s important to think about the amount of water you use each day in your home because the soil under the septic system must absorb all of the water used in your house. Too much water entering your septic system on a daily basis may not allow enough time for the solids to separate. This excessive use of water in your house can eventually cause your septic system to fail.

To reduce the possibility of a failed septic system due to excessive water usage, you should remember to follow a few simple septic water saving guidelines in your kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry. These helpful hints and tips will help you reduce the amount of water entering your septic system.

Septic Water Saving Tips and Hints

• Flush the toilet only when necessary – Don’t use the toilet as a wastebasket
• Check for leaky toilets and sink faucets – a small drip can waste gallons of water each day
• Don’t leave the faucet on while brushing your teeth or shaving
• Install water efficient shower heads and take shorter showers
• Keep a cold water of pitcher in the refrigerator instead getting a glass of water from the sink.
• Do not wash dishes under a running faucet
• If you have a dishwasher, only use turn it on when it is full
• Clean fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of under a running faucet
• Use proper load size settings when doing laundry

These are just a few helpful tips that will reduce the total gallons of water that you use in your house each day. Remember to teach all the other members of your house about the importance of reducing their own consumption of water throughout the day. Your septic system will operate more efficiently and will save you from costly repairs in the future. The EPA publishes a Homeowner’s Guide to Septic Systems that provides more water saving hints.

Aerobic septic systems use a pump or aerator to introduce dissolved oxygen into the septic tank. This process is called aeration and it helps aerobic bacteria grow and thrive. Aerobic bacteria consume organic material and can consume up to 98% of solids in your septic system. This is why it’s important to keep that pump or aerator in proper working order so your aerobic septic system is operating at peak efficiency.

For those that are using a shaft aerator, you can extend the life of your shaft aerator with some simple regular maintenance. This video explains the different parts of a shaft aerator as well as how to maintain and rebuild a shaft aerator.

In previous articles focused on shaft aerators, we explained how to properly install these types of aerators, as well as providing troubleshooting hints and maintenance guidelines. A shaft aerator is but one type of aerator that can be used to provide septic aeration in your septic tank. A shaft aerator has an electrical motor attached to a stainless steel hollow shaft. Air is drawn through the shaft and distributed by the aspirator tip submerged in the wastewater. There are several other types of aerators. Choosing the best aerator for your application requires weighing the advantages and disadvantages that each type of aerator offers.

Shaft aerators do offer advantages that may make it the right choice for your application. For instance, the shaft aerator is installed inside the septic tank riser and so it is out of sight. Other types of aerators that operate outside the tank will require some type of camouflage to help them blend into the landscape. And because the shaft aerator is operating inside the tank, it operates more quietly. Sitting in the tank, the shaft aerator is also protected from the elements and extremes in weather. And since delivery of air into the septic tank wastewater is accomplished directly through the hollow shaft of the aerator, there is no need to run air hoses into the tank from and exterior pump so installation is less complicated.

The shaft aerator generally operates at low RPM and low Amps and so the operating cost can be lower than other types of aerators. Shaft aerators also generally have low amp mini-breakers that will protect the motor which not only provide a more reliable but a longer operating life as well.