Five Winter Septic System Maintenance Tips
Posted on
With the winter weather encroaching in many areas, now is a great time to encourage homeowners to prepare their septic systems for cold weather with a few preventative maintenance tips. There’s never a good time for a septic system problem, hopefully sharing these tips with your customers will help eliminate a call or two during the cold winter months.
Pump the Septic Tank
If necessary, the septic tank should be pumped prior to the winter season to eliminate accumulated solids.
Inspect the Septic System Before the First Snow and Ice Arrive
Inspecting the tank prior to the cycle of freezing and thawing can detect any cracks or issues that should be corrected. Also, inspect the drainfield to ensure that there is no surfacing effluent, wet areas, or spongy soil above the drainfield.
Inspect the Plant Cover of New Septic Systems
Septic systems installed in the fall may not have enough vegetative cover to provide proper insulation of the system to prevent winter freezing. Placing a good layer of mulch or dry soil over the system is an important preventative measure.
Winterize Vacation Home Plumbing
Septic systems require usage to minimize the risk of freezing. If the home is a vacation property that is not used regularly during the winter, the septic tank should be pumped prior to the first frost and the home’s pipes should be winterized and drained.
Avoid Snow Compaction and Placing Structures Over the Drainfield
Although snow is a good insulator, compacted snow is not as effective. Homeowners should avoid driving over the drainfield, especially in the winter, and structures should never be placed on top of the septic system.
These winter septic system maintenance tips have also been published as a PDF that you can download, print, and share with your customers.
Winter Septic System Maintenance Tips
In addition to our tips, Onsite Installer has also compiled a list of eight articles to review to prepare for the winter months.
Contact us if you have any questions about this blog post.