Whenever we do any septic pumping in Hesperia, we like to talk to the property owners and make sure to answer any questions they might have about their septic systems. These are complicated setups, and people can help ensure things run smoothly when they know how everything works.
One thing we’ve noticed is that while most people know what the septic tank is for, fewer people understand what their drain field is, or how it relates to their septic system. So we wanted to quickly talk about drain cleaning.
Why Your Drain Field Is Vital to Your Septic System
Many people think that water and other waste materials from their home simply go into their septic tank, and that’s that. However, that’s only part of the story! If that’s all there was to it, their septic tank would fill up in a matter of weeks, rather than taking years to fully fill.
The septic tank is designed to primarily hold solid waste. The tank has one or two chambers which are set up to separate solid waste from the lighter liquids. The solids sink to the bottom, but the liquid doesn’t hang around. It drains constantly from the top of the tank, making room for more water to come in from your home.
Where does the extra wastewater go? The drain field.
The drain field is a large underground system of pipes and gravel or other filtering products. The size can vary, but it’s usually in the area of 20 feet on a side, and several feet deep. It’s also several feet underground. All the excess water from your septic tank is carried through pipes to this drain field, which is where natural filtration happens. The water can seep into the large field of gravel, and into the ground beneath, where the earth works its magic in slowly decontaminating the wastewater through filtration.
If anything should happen to the drain field that prevents water from freely entering it, you would see problems start occurring almost immediately. Your septic system would act as if it needs draining. You might even get large puddles of standing wastewater on your lawn. That’s why it’s vital to keep your drain field working properly and have it inspected to avoid problems related to septic pumping in Hesperia.
Do you have other septic questions? Contact Roto-Rooter High Desert!
