If the thought of having a septic tank at your Tarrytown and Briarcliff Manor, NY, home makes you feel uneasy, these steps will help you know what to expect in a septic tank installation. Here is what you need to know about this functional system.
Related: How To Protect Your New Septic Installation In Chappaqua And Mohegan Lake, NY
How the Septic System Works
Any time you flush your toilet or pour something down the sink, it flows into the septic pipes and to the tank. There, the solids and watery fluids separate into three layers.
The top layer floats on the water and is composed of grease and oils that never decompose. The only way to remove them from the septic tank is by pumping. The middle layer is the watery fluids that flow out from the tank and into the drain bed nearby. There, the fluids filter back into the soil where the pollutants and contaminants are trapped in the dirt.
The final layer is the solids which sit on the bottom to be decomposed by beneficial microbes and bacteria.
What to Know About Septic Installation
New Septic Tank: When you are having a new septic tank installation, the septic company will bring out large equipment to move the earth and dig a hole to contain the septic tank. Because the septic tank is buried beneath the ground where you won’t see it, they must ensure the tank is secure and airtight.
Drain field: The drain field is in a lower location of the property than the septic tank so the watery liquids will follow gravity and flow down from the tank to the field. To build the drain field, the septic company will dig a trench where they lay a pipe to allow the liquids to flow.
This pipe leads to the drain field which is a large trench with perforated pipes. The pipes hold the liquid and sit on a bed of deep gravel. They cover the pipes with more gravel and a septic fabric to keep dirt out of the pipes and cover the trench with soil and grass seed.
This is where the watery liquids slowly seep out of the tank, to the drain field, and back into the ground.
Septic Tank Replacement: While most septic tanks last between twenty-thirty years, there are times when the tank needs to be replaced. This can happen when the tank develops a crack from parked cars sitting on top or a tree root somehow works its way into the smallest crack in the tank and it is not airtight any longer.
If the tank should need replacement, the septic company will bring the proper equipment to dig up the old tank and drop in a new tank. They will haul the old tank away and connect any the pipes to the new septic tank.
A septic system is a reliable, efficient, and sanitary waste removal system that serves a home for many years when cared for properly.
You should not flush: diapers, feminine products, cigarette butts, kitty litter, grease, cooking oil, or any other item that can clog the pipes. Once this happens, the waste water backs up into the house and can bring health hazards. Protecting your septic tank can be done by using common sense on what you flush in the toilet or pour down the drains.
Related: What To Expect: A Quick Guide To Your New Septic Tank Installation In Armonk And Ardsley, NY
