There are many times every year when we have visitors in our homes. Why spend time worrying about septic problems, when you should be relaxing with family and friends? With a house full of guests, your septic system’s soil treatment area may not be able to handle the extra usage/water load. There are ways to ease the usage to your septic system when there is an excess amount of people in your home.
Stagger showers and baths
Reduce the amount of water entering your septic system by asking some guests to shower or bathe in the morning, and some at night and taking shorter showers or baths.
Avoid consecutive laundry loads
Plan to run only FULL loads of laundry over several days, instead of doing your laundry all at once.
Remind guests to be careful about what they flush
Not everyone who comes to visit will understand what is okay to put into your septic system. Although it may be a sensitive subject, ask guests to avoid flushing any solid wastes into the septic system. These include diapers, cigarette butts, coffee grounds, tampons, condoms, those “supposedly” flushable wipes and grease. This can prevent a plumbing blockage and possible backup.
Prepare food early to cut down on concentrated kitchen usage
Prepping food ahead of time will reduce the amount of water that enters your system while it is under heavy usage by extra guests. Pretend you do not have a garbage disposal, and make sure you inform your guests about not using it unless necessary. Use disposable plates and silverware to cut down on dishwasher loads, and only runt the dishwasher when it is full.
Schedule a pre-hosting septic pumping
Pumping the septic tank just before guests arrive will give the drain field a short resting period while the tank fills. This may be hard to coordinate on short notice, but keep in mind that many pumping companies get booked quickly around the holidays. Coordinating a pumping can be especially difficult when homeowners begin experiencing problems when guests arrive. Although booking a pumping in advance does not guarantee you will not experience a septic problem, it may reduce the chances. If you experience a backup in the house, there is a chance you may have a blockage in the plumbing. You can troubleshoot this problem yourself by watching the short video on our home page about how to clear a blockage.
