The holidays are a time of joy as family and friends travel to your home to celebrate being together. As the holiday season fast approaches you may have begun planning the menu for Thanksgiving dinner or preparing additional sleeping quarters for out of town guests. Holiday parties hosted at your home and additional overnight visitors can quickly wreak havoc on your septic system if you’re not prepared. No one wants to hear the ominous words “the toilet is backing up” as Christmas festivities commence with a houseful of friends and family members.
The best approach is being prepared and taking precaution to keep your bathrooms and kitchen running smoothly. No matter what Holiday you celebrate, it’s important you make the necessary preparations with regards to your septic system to try to prevent incidents during the holiday season. Here is a short yet often overlooked list of things to remember when it comes to your septic system.
- Schedule to have your septic system pumped before the holidays. While it would be ideal to manage and appropriately space water usage to avoid stress and backups on your septic system, this is nearly impossible with a holiday gathering in mid swing. Anticipate the increased bathroom use that comes with additional visitors and pump your septic tank before the holidays. This proactive approach will ensure your septic tank doesn’t overflow at a less than ideal time.
- Make guests aware of a “do not flush list.” Many homeowners and renters who are connected to city sewer are unaware many items are not flushable and even prohibited from septic systems. We’ve compiled a list of items you and your guests should not flush or put down the drain.
- Do not put any trash or hard food into drains — potato peels, peanut shells, coffee grounds, egg shells, and bones should all be avoided.
- Don’t empty any oils or kitchen grease down drains — this can harden in the pipes and cause clogs.
- Never flush excessive toilet paper, tampons, sanitary napkins, contraceptives, diapers or wipes — these items are both harmful to your drains and your septic tank.
- Never dump paints, oils, thinners, pesticides, liquid plumber, disinfectants or poisons — these corrode your pipes, cause undue wear and tear, and can harm plumbers when they replace your pipes. Always warn your plumber if you’ve used any of these items so they can take precautionary measures.
Instead of the sink or toilet, place the above mentioned items in the compost, recycling or garbage. Even if you have a garbage disposal, you should not place hard food into the sink as it won’t always break food down to a small enough size.
- Educate guests on efficient water use and basic septic system function. Increased and or overlapping usage while showering, using the restroom, doing laundry and washing dishes can cause your septic system to overload and backup, even if it’s not full. Spacing these activities out will put less stress on your system.
If you have further questions or would like to schedule your holiday septic tank maintenance ahead of the rush, please call 559-623-2340. We are open 24/7, all year, and offer quick emergency response. Should you encounter a holiday emergency, don’t hesitate to call us! Pro Rooter and Septic wishes you a joyous holiday season from our family to yours.