If you are thinking of installing a septic system, you should know the basics of how one works. Doing so will help you prolong the life of the system and alert you if something goes awry. Usually, the life expectancy of a septic system that is well maintained is about 30 years.
How a Septic System Works
Anyone who performs a professional septic system installation in Bellingham, WA focuses on installing two primary components. The first component is a tank where the waste solids settle. The other component is a drainfield, also called a leachfield. The water disperses in the drainfield. If a conventional septic system is installed, gravity transports the wastewater from a home into the septic tank before the water moves on to the drainfield.
The Septic System Tank
In a septic system installation, the tank is an underground box. This box is typically made of such materials as polyethylene, concrete, or fiberglass. The water in the tank collects before the ingredients separate. In turn, oils and grease float to the top of the tank as scum while solid materials sink to the tank’s bottom in the form of sludge.
Cleaning the Tank
After a septic system installation, you will probably rely on the same company to pump and remove the grease and sludge from the tank and transport it for disposal at an approved site. The clear water between the sludge and scum circulates to the drainfield.
How Water Is Cleaned
The drainfield should be kept free of vegetation or trees to prevent damage to the tiles or pipes. The drainfield is made up of drain tiles or perforated pipes that are either set on a gravel bed beneath the ground or are buried in trenches. When water seeps from the pipes, the microbes in the soil filter the water to clean it.
