The Basics of a Home Septic System

In the United Kingdom, a good amount of households already makes use of some sort of home septic system. It has become sort of a necessity for a lot of homes as a means to dispose of the tons of wastes produced by the population on a daily basis. However, this type of disposal system comes with great responsibility as caring for and maintaining it is no easy task. Moreover, it does not only affect the owners of the system, but more importantly, it has more widespread consequences on the environment.

In order to better understand these systems, it is necessary to describe its major parts. Basically, it consists of four main elements: the main drain pipe, the septic tank, the distribution pipes, and the seepage pit. This article will briefly describe these parts and their basic functions.

Firstly, we have the main drain pipe. As the name implies, it is the primary household pipe that routes all of the home’s waste products to the septic tank. These wastes, be it solid or liquid, come from different parts of the house which includes toilets, sinks, as well as the kitchen.

All these channeled wastes then go to the second part of the system which is the actual septic tank. The occurrence of septic system problems occur most often in this part which is why it is necessary to keep it well maintained. This is where the wastes are treated, but the problems usually occur with waste particles that are either too heavy or too light. The former sink to the bottom and don’t fully decompose, the latter forms a layer of scum at the top. Combined, these are the main causes of septic tank clogs.

Connected to the septic tank are the distribution pipes which are also known as the drainfield. These trenches are usually filled with gravel and are responsible for distributing the partially decomposed wastes to the surrounding soil. Making sure that the drainfield is aptly sized as the wastes may seep through the ground if they are too small.

The final part of the system is the seepage pit or the surrounding soil. This is where the decomposed materials are distributed to through the use of some sort of perforated lining. A lot of folks make the mistake of believing that septic system maintenance ends at the first three parts. This is definitely not true as homeowners must see to it that their seepage pits are still properly maintained to avoid any problems in the future.