ADB Construction Septic Blog

Your drain field is an essential part of your septic system. Once wastewater travels out of your home and into your septic tank, your tank releases it into the drain field. The drain field is then responsible for filtering the wastewater and releasing it into the ground as clean groundwater. Without a functioning drain field, your groundwater can become contaminated, putting your health and safety at risk, as well as the plants and wildlife in your area. In order to function properly, your drain field needs to be comprised of the proper type of soil.

Types of Soil

Clay

Clay soils are not ideal for drain fields because they do not provide enough room for effluents to easily flow through. This density will create drainage issues in your yard and backups in your septic system. Clay soils typically bond to sodium molecules in wastewater, blocking the effluent from draining properly. Over time, this bonding can lead to drain field failure.

Course

Soils made up primarily of gravel or other course materials are too course and will cause the effluent to pass through too quickly. When the effluent passes through at this rate, it will not be filtered at all. This lack of filtration can contaminate your water supply and cause issues in your yard. This unfiltered effluent will cause waste buildup in your yard and toxic smells.

Ideal Soil

The best type of soil is a happy medium between clay and gravel that is not too dense or too loose. The mixture of the two will allow the soil to filter the effluent while draining properly and keeping the septic process functioning properly. In order to ensure ideal filtration, there needs to be a good balance of course and fine soil.

Owning a septic system might seem like a daunting task, with all of the required maintenance. However, when you take care of your septic system, you are unlikely to run into large problems that can be both costly and time-consuming. Taking care of your septic system isn’t as hard as you might think, but there are important things to consider. Having your tank pumped regularly is the most important thing you can do for maintenance. However, between pumpings, there are a few steps you can take to make sure your septic system remains healthy and functions optimally.

With the weather getting warmer, most people are beginning to spend more and more time outside. This time of the year is also full of outdoor events, such as Memorial Day barbecues and fireworks displays. If you’re hosting an outdoor party, you’ll need to consider what to do for restrooms. For parties with no access to indoor restrooms or for large parties where a home restroom won’t be enough, portable toilets can be a good solution. We’ve compiled a list of the top questions people ask when renting portable toilets for parties to help get you the information you need.

If you’re building a house or business in an area without access to a sewage system, one of the steps of construction will include installing a septic system. Septic system installation is a big process, and an important step in having your property functioning properly. If you’ve never had a septic system installed before, you might not know what to expect. To find out what to do to prepare for your installation, click here to find out. To learn about what to expect during your septic system installation, read the blog post below.

Septic systems require specific maintenance to keep them up and running. Like any other system, there are issues that can go wrong with your septic system and tank. However, many homeowners don’t know how to distinguish between a problem that needs a scheduled fix and an emergency that needs immediate attention. For this reason, we’ve broken down the top signs of septic system emergencies and what you should do about them.

Signs of an Emergency

Many homeowners with septic systems are looking to extend the life of their septic systems. Septic systems can last decades, but each one has an expiration date. To extend the life of your system, you can keep up with proper maintenance and avoid doing damage to your tank. However, some people turn to septic tank additives, believing that they will improve the health of the system, which will extend its lifespan. Do these additives really work? We’ve broken it down for you in the post below.

Now that we’re officially in the rainy season of the year, it’s not uncommon to see pools of water around your property and in your yard. However, pools of water over your septic tank can be a different story. If you’ve noticed pools of water that don’t seem to go away, even when there are a few dry days, it can indicate a bigger problem. Even worse, if there’s an odor that accompanies those pools of water, you can be fairly certain that the pools of water are septic system-related. Wondering why there's water pooling over your septic system? We've compiled a list of the top septic system problems that lead to pooling water and what you can do about them.

If your home has a septic system, you probably know that there is a whole list of things that shouldn’t end up in your septic tank. One substance that can be harmful to your septic tank, especially in large quantities, is bleach. When you use bleach cleaners and they end up in your septic tank, they can disrupt the bacteria balance in your tank. When this bacteria balance is off, your tank cannot break down the solid waste in your tank, leading to blockages and overflow. To avoid this issue, it’s a good idea to use alternative cleaners in your sinks, showers, and toilets. We’ve compiled a list of cleaners you can use instead of bleach to maintain the health of your septic tank.

1. Lemon Juice

Lemon juice contains citric acid, which is a non-toxic natural cleaner. You can cut a lemon in half and rub it on any area you want to clean, which will disinfect the area. You can also squeeze out the juice into a spray bottle and use it as a spray cleaner. In both cases, the lemon will act as a natural cleaner and has the added benefit of creating a delightful smell in your home. Because lemon juice is natural and biodegradable, it will not harm your septic tank.

Septic systems are important for treating and disposing of human waste and wastewater on all types of properties. Both homeowners and commercial property owners can benefit from septic systems. Commercial septic systems and residential septic systems are actually designed very similarly, with similar parts and operations. We’ve broken down a comparison of the two types of systems below to help you understand the difference.

Most homeowners with septic systems know how important pumping your tank is to septic system maintenance. Failing to pump your tank regularly can result in damage to the system, overflowing waste, nasty backups, and foul odors in your yard and your home. Pumping your tank will help your entire system continue to dispose of waste efficiently and increase the lifespan of your septic tank. But what is the optimal pumping schedule for your septic tank? We’ve broken it down for you below.