If you've never lived in a house that uses a septic tank system before, you might need to make some lifestyle changes. Your septic tank can only handle so much at one time, so you'll want to be careful about what you send its way. Here are some things you should do (and not do) once you move onto property that uses a septic tank.

Do Educate Your Entire Family

You may know that it's not a good idea to put anything besides toilet paper into the toilet, but what about the rest of your family? If you have young children, you should take some time during the first few days after getting settled into your new house to let your kids know what's up. You don't want to end up with a septic backup and then only find out after the fact that your child was sending something troublesome down the drain.

Do Schedule Regular Maintenance

A septic tank will need pumped every few years or more often with a lot of use. But that doesn't mean you should wait a few years in between maintenance appointments. Contact a local septic tank maintenance company and talk to them about setting up an annual inspection. Besides checking the tank, a good contractor will also look at the lines going all the way up to your house to ensure there are no blockages or early warning signs of danger.

Don't Dump Leftovers Down the Drain

If you frequently scrape leftovers off of your plate into your kitchen sink and down into the garbage disposal, this is one thing you will want to stop doing immediately. Large chunks of food can be difficult for a septic system to break down. Eventually, this will lead to a buildup and a clog that will require professional help. Make sure your whole family is dumping leftovers into the trash instead.

Don't Dump a Deluge of Water Into the System 

If you have a big family, you might have a need for multiple showers and many, many loads of laundry. But sending too much water into your septic system can overload and back it up. Try and stagger your shower time throughout the day if possible and stretch laundry out over a few days instead of doing it all at once.

You can keep your septic tank and overall system in good shape with regular maintenance from a professional. Contact a local septic tank contractor today for more information.

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