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Keep Your Septic System Healthy During the Holidays
The holidays should be enjoyed relaxing with family and friends, not dealing with a septic system problem with a house full of guests. Your septic system’s drainfield may not be able to handle the extra usage that happens during the holidays, so the best way to lessen the chances of a septic problem during the holidays is by staggering the home’s water usage.
Stagger showers and baths
Reduce the amount of water entering your septic system by:
- Asking some guests shower in the morning, and some at night
- Bathing young children together
- Taking shorter showers
Avoid consecutive laundry loads
Do your laundry over several days (instead of all at once), and run only full loads.
Remind guests to be careful about what they flush
Although it may be a sensitive subject, asking guests to avoid putting anything down the drains that shouldn’t go down (like feminine products) will not only help prevent those items from entering your tank, but can also prevent a plumbing blockage and possible backup.
Prepare food early
- Consider prepping food ahead of time
- Avoid using the garbage disposal (in fact, pretend you don’t have one)
- Use disposable plates and silverware
- Run only full dishwasher loads
All of these things will cut down on concentrated kitchen usage.
Schedule a pre-holiday septic pumping
Pumping the septic tank just before guests arrive may give the drainfield a short resting period while the tank fills. This may be hard to coordinate on short notice; pumping companies get booked quickly when homeowners begin experiencing problems when guests arrive.
Try booking a pumping in advance. Although this does not guarantee you won’t experience a septic problem, it may reduce the chances.
If you do experience a backup in the house, there is a chance you may have a blockage in the plumbing. Learn how to determine if a backup is caused by the plumbing or septic problem here.
Schedule your septic pumping today
Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. Why not schedule a septic system pumping with Van Delden today to reduce the chances of having a septic problem? Call us today or contact us online to book your pumping!