Plumber Tips: The Pros and Cons of Home Septic Systems | Waxahachie, TX
Have you ever imagined how living in a home without a sewer system or septic tank is? Gross, right? You will not be able to endure nasty sewer gasses that come with health complications due to sewer gas poisoning.
Septic and sewer systems are vital in holding or disposing wastewater from your bathroom, shower, kitchen sinks, and human waste from the toilet. The wastewater flows through the drainage system to the vent stacks and the septic system, leaving your house clean and free from awful smells.
With this in mind, it is imperative to ensure your plumbing system is smoothly running throughout by paying an experienced plumber to conduct regular maintenance and cleaning services.
Septic Systems
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, septic systems are wastewater treatment structures consisting of a septic tank, drain field, and soil absorption field, popular in places without sewer systems. It requires the skills and expertise of a qualified plumber and crew to bury the steel or concrete septic tanks underground for optimal performance.
The private sewage treatment tanks or septic systems come in different types not limited to septic tanks, conventional systems, drip distribution, chamber, mound systems, and constructed wetland systems.
A qualified plumber who understands all the options will come in handy when you want help selecting the best for your new construction. Without further ado, let’s discuss some of the pros and cons of septic systems in homes.
Advantages of Septic Systems
Environmentally Friendly
Septic systems are second to none because they pose minimal dangers to the environment like sewer leakages. The decentralized sewer systems for municipal wastewater preferred in populated areas can leak sewage to the ground, risking the health of residents around the leaking part.
People using the septic system cannot face such filthy situations because a septic tank is buried underground, reducing the chances of sewage leakages in your home.
The T-shaped outlets in the septic systems efficiently prevent solid waste and sludge from getting out of the tank to the drain field. The drainfield is a shallow excavation in unsaturated soils that holds the liquid waste from the septic system. It absorbs the liquid waste, which the sun dries.
Low Maintenance
Another superiority of the septic system over the sewer lines is the level of maintenance it requires. Sewer lines are critical and require regular inspections and cleaning to avert clogs that can cause severe plumbing issues such as backups.
The septic tanks require less maintenance as the homeowners with the installed system will pay for pumping once in a long while, depending on the number of people and water usage.
It also requires periodic inspections by a plumber specializing in septic systems to evaluate the need to pump the tank, reducing the maintenance costs. So, for the septic system to provide long-term treatment of wastewater in your home, do not skip the inspections and pumping.
Easy Installation
Plumbing professionals in Waxahachie, TX, mostly recommend a septic system over the sewer system because of the complexity of the fixing process. The water-tight container requires skilled plumbing to install it underground. An expert ensures the tank properly connects to the drainage pipes in the home through the venting system for proper disposal of sewage and wastewater.
The plumber also considers the standard disposal processes recommended by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and selects from absorptive drainfields, pumped effluent drain fields, and unlined evapotranspiration systems that require perforated pipes and gravel for installation.
Installing a septic system is easier when compared to the fixing of the sewer system that requires numerous piping systems, commissioning by a sewage engineer, and electrical wiring by an electrician for it to operate efficiently.
Disadvantages of the Septic Systems
Tree Root Encroachment
The first con that homeowners with septic tank systems might encounter is tree roots intrusion. A qualified plumber in Waxahachie, TX, evaluates your home and selects a spot far from trees to excavate for the water-tight tank. The problem occurs when you plant a tree close to the septic tank without consulting your plumbing expert.
The tree can also be a problem if the tank is installed too close to a tree without recommending the owner cut it down before installing the septic system. With time, the tree roots follow the nutrient effluent that flows from the septic tank to the drainfield and eventually penetrates the septic tank when it gets a crack.
Tree encroachment into the septic systems is the beginning of plumbing issues such as backflows, standing water, indoor floods, and water damage that require emergency plumbing services.
Disposed Things Down the Drain
The septic system can also be a problem when you are not keen on what goes down your drains. It is wise to advocate against the flushing of pads, sanitary wipes, objects, and too much tissue to prevent obstructing the septic tanks.
Similarly, garbage disposals are also a risk to the septic tank due to the large food particles they allow down to the septic tank. If you are not careful, you will not escape gross plumbing issues, including backups and standing water that requires plumbing to fix.
Chemicals and Antibiotics
Another disadvantage of the private wastewater treatment structures in the home is how they react to antibiotics and chemicals. A plumber cannot use chemicals to clean the septic tank because of its damage to the ecosystem in the septic tanks.
Also, any traces of antibiotics in the septic system upsets the perfectly balanced ecosystem, affecting the natural bacteria allowing solid waste to the drainfield.
The bacteria is essential in breaking down the solid waste and separating the floatable oils and grease, allowing the effluent to flow through perforated pipes to the leach field and other units. Therefore, homeowners with members taking medications such as antibacterials and antibiotics should invest in pumping their septic systems more frequently.
We Are Here at Your Service!
If you are a homeowner looking for the best septic system for your new construction, call Bahama Plumbing for a competent plumber. We are a family-owned and operated plumbing service company in Waxahachie, TX, addressing residential and commercial plumbing concerns.
Our plumber team is well-trained and highly experienced in handling plumbing repairs, replacements, maintenance, and installation of your plumbing, drainage, venting, and septic systems skillfully and professionally.