Most of us don’t put much thought into what happens to our wastewater once it leaves the house. We let the water go down the drain and then don’t think about it! Septic tank owners, however, need to be a little bit more discerning. Even though septic tank ownership requires a little more forethought, it shouldn’t deter you from buying a home with a septic tank. In fact, septic tanks can actually be more effective and cheaper to run than traditional wastewater treatment options. If you are thinking about buying a home with a septic tank, but are new to septic systems, here are four safety tips for you to consider:
1. Never enter the tank. The gasses that build up in a septic tank can be deadly and can act quickly. Professionals know how to enter tanks while keeping themselves safe. Homeowners should never enter their tanks — not to retrieve someone, not to look for their wedding ring they accidentally flushed, not for anything.
2. Do not drive over the tank. The weight of a vehicle can crack or damage your septic tank, enabling gases and dangerous fumes to escape into the ground.
3. Make the tank easy to find, but hard to open. Make the opening to your septic tank very obvious, so you can find it when you need to and avoid driving over it. However, your marker should be difficult to move and heavy to prevent children from getting in.
4. Sparks/fires of any kind are not allowed near the septic tank. Don’t even think about covering up that ugly septic marker with an attractive firepit or placing one anywhere near it! Septic tanks contain explosive methane gasses, which don’t need much heat to react.
If you are buying a home with a septic tank, our team here at Sauer Septic would be happy to show you the ropes in terms of safe septic ownership.
