Sharing Knowledge About Residential Plumbing

Caring for your home's septic system is easily one of the more important tasks that you can do. However, you may not be fully aware of the various options available to help maintain the performance of your septic tank. More precisely, many homeowners are poorly informed about the benefits of using septic-tank additives. After you have a few basic questions answered, you will have a much better understanding of how these substances can help your septic system.

How Will a Septic-Tank Treatment Help Your System Work More Efficiently?

Your septic tank functions by storing solid organic material until the bacteria in the tank are able to decompose these substances. While these bacteria are normally highly effective, there can be instances where they will be insufficient. In particular, this can be a common problem for homes that have recently installed new septic tanks or have a large number of people living in the home. Septic-tank additives can help to boost the bacteria population in the tank, and this may greatly enhance the tank's ability to break down these materials.

Will Additives Replace Pumping the Septic Tank?

Many homeowners will make the mistake of assuming that these additives will eliminate the need to have the tank pumped on a regular basis. However, this can be a costly mistake to make, as it can lead to serious clogs in the system. While the additional bacteria will greatly enhance the system's ability to break down organic matter, the bacteria will not be able to decompose everything that is put into the tank. For this reason, you will still want to have your tank pumped every few years to ensure that it avoids potentially damaging clogs.  

Does It Matter How Often You Use Septic-Tank Additives?

While additives can greatly enhance the performance of your septic system, you will want to make sure that you avoid using these additives too frequently. If you add too much of these additives, you can cause a population explosion of the bacteria in the tank. When this occurs, most of the bacteria will eventually die. As a result, you will want to make sure that you are closely following the instructions on the additive packaging.

Maintaining your septic system does not have to be a very difficult or confusing task. By understanding the benefits and hazards of using septic-tank additives, you can help keep your system working as efficiently as possible.

Talk to a company such as Tyler Contracting Co for more information about septic-tank treatment.