Summer is the perfect time to gather your friends and family for fun daytime activities and evening cookouts. But the fun can come to an abrupt halt for homeowners with septic tanks, should an issue present itself—that is, a stinky or overflowing issue accidentally brought on by your guests. If your property is on a septic system, it’s important to take note of anything that can cause problems to prevent costly damages and avoid the need for emergency repairs this summer.
With this in mind, here are some ways your summertime fun can lead to the need for septic maintenance in Modesto, CA:
- Draining the pool: If you’re going to set up an above ground swimming pool in your yard, and you’re on a septic system, plan to place the pool not only away from the leach field, but from the main tank as well. Kids splashing around and spillage from overfilling the pool can be considered minor contributors to pooling water; draining the pool, however, is substantial. Excessive water in the leach field area or over the tank can likely lead to septic flooding that can back up into your house.
- Lawn games: There are all sorts of outdoor summer games that call for setting up accessories. For example, metal poles for badminton or volleyball are required to hold up the net. Designate a game area ahead of time that’s nowhere near your septic tank or drainage pipes and ask your guests to be careful when inserting pointed objects into the yard. A puncture in your septic tank can put a hold on summer fun.
- Off-roading: Properties on many acres of uncultivated land are perfect for playing with motorized toys like dirt bikes, ATVs, four-wheel-drive vehicles and go-carts. Unfortunately, many septic systems get run over by heavy vehicles. And although they should be buried fairly deep, drainpipes to the leach field can be cracked as a result. Know where your pipes are installed and block them off with caution tape when guest riders visit.
- Using too much water: What do you get when you have a house full of people all taking showers, flushing multiple toilets, using every sink and running the washing machine? Let’s also toss in constant dishwasher use, because there will probably be a lot of dirty dishes. In these situations, you get an overworked septic system that can stop functioning properly. Space out residential water usage whenever possible.
- Clogging the drains: One of the most common issues faced by properties hooked up to septic systems is clogged drains. Your guests may not know or may have forgotten they need to throw away certain debris in the trash instead of sending it down the toilet or sink. The garbage disposal is not for platefuls of leftovers or paper towels, and nothing but toilet paper should go down the toilet.
Make sure your summer fun doesn’t become the cause of canceled parties and gatherings cut short by avoidable septic problems. If you need septic maintenance in Modesto, CA this summer, don’t hesitate to give Alvarado Pumping Septic Service a call.