The most common solution is for a professional to come and clean your soakaway out with high-pressure water jets, and then vacuum away the accumulated debris. Unfortunately, if the drainage field is deeper than one metre below ground level; and this includes the 300mm. gravel bed underneath the pipe, then it is in the ANAEROBIC soil layer and the bacterial growth is anaerobic. As the soakaway effectively percolates rainwater through its passages, dirt, leaves, and other small stones can become trapped inside. Over time, this build-up can impede the soakaway’s original effectiveness.

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How to unblock an outside drain with caustic soda?

Rubber gloves: Drains are dirtier than what you have imagined them to be. It is also as smelly as it is dirty, and that is why a good pair of rubber gloves would always be handy when going through a drain. Waste bags: Transporting the debris to the waste bins is also very important. That is why you will need some waste bags. If you're a regular Superdrug shopper, you can now earn more freebies and discounts under its Health & Beautycard loyalty scheme, as the retailer has launched new 'VIP Rewards' as part of it. Enzyme drain cleaners, on their own are only a partial solution. The difference with Digesta is that the microbes produce enzymes and then, in addition, digest the resulting fatty acids. Nowadays, although gravel is still sometimes used, the most favoured equipment is what is known as a plastic soakaway crate. Looking a bit like a large overturned milk crate, the soakaway crate acts identically to traditional gravel.

Just like its name says, water ‘soaks’ in, and then percolates ‘away’. Any accumulating rainwater would filter through this stone-based material and become evenly distributed in a controlled manner throughout the grounds. The bacteria in your septic tank are very sensitive. Their number one killers are chemicals and cleaners, especially those formulated with bleach and/or ammonia. Use Caustic Soda: The should be your last resort before calling a professional if all other methods above fail. Make use of the chemical following the steps outlined above. Fats, oils and grease (FOG) can play havoc with the performance of both septic tank systems and main sewers.Soakaways are highly useful constructions of either gravel or plastic that allow rainwater to disperse into the soil, rather than pooling and flooding in the surrounding area. When cooking, ensure that all fat’s oils and greases are disposed of in a waste-bin. Scrape fatty plates, pots and pans or wipe FOG off using a paper towel. Maintaining a Healthy Biological Septic System If the entire household is taking baths and showers over a short period, and the washing machine and dishwasher are running at the same time the tank is receiving a significant amount of liquid.

Septic tanks and soakaway drainage fields are designedto cope with a certain volume of liquid per day. You cannot increase this volume without increasing the size of the septic tank and drainage field to match. 8. Heavy Rain and its effect on the septic tank system If you have bought a house that previously had only one or two people using the system and you are a family of four, this will have vastly increased the amount of water entering the soakaway drainage field. The previous owners may not have had any problems but that does not mean that you won't, as the soakaway drainage field may not be able to cope with the increased daily flow. This is an important point to bear in mind when buying a house with a septic tank treatment system. How to solve the septic tank soakaway failure problem Again, both of these solutions require the ground surrounding to be dug out. Unless you know what you’re doing, please leave these types of repairs to be handled by an experienced professional with the proper equipment. That said, with caring for your septic tank system along with septic tank maintenance, your septic tank can last for 30-50 years, even longer. Caring For Your Septic Tank System Superdrug adds new 'VIP Rewards' offers to its existing loyalty scheme – here's what you need to knowThe ridiculous fact is that most modern 'onion' shaped septic tanks have outlet levels deeper than one metre as standard! This almost certainly ensures that the soakaway drainage field is constructed in the anaerobic layer, making failure inevitable. The bottom line is, without adding bacteria, your septic tank is going to clog up and/or overflow. That’s because, essentially, your tank and its soakaway are only going to do so much. Septic tanks need bacteria and microbes to break down solids. Make sure to have a professional come to your property and perform an inspection at least once per year. Get Your Free Quote Today To do this, remove the drain cover over the gully and set it to one side so that you can work on the interior. If the drain cover is solid, pry it up instead, being careful not to damage it as you do. While that liquid may not hold excessive amounts of organic waste, what it will do is literally stir up the waste in the tank and in all probability mix sludge and scum into the clear water middle layer and then overflow through the system into the drain field and soakaway.