Your septic system works hard for you all year long and needs maintenance through every season of every year. Here are some tips that you can use with your home septic system to make sure it stays working well this winter, despite any extreme drops in the outside temperature.

Provide Continuous Tank Protection

The tank for your septic system is buried below the soil, which traditionally provides it the right amount of insulation to protect its contents from freezing. However, some extremely cold winters and poorly compacted soil around the tank can cause it to freeze. For this reason, talk to your septic professional about completing an inspection of your tank and system. They can add insulation around the tank and surface pipes to protect them from freeze activity and damage. 

Your septic tank will additionally stay warm and unfrozen when you regularly use water in your home, especially warm or hot, for it to drain into your tank. This constant introduction of warm water will keep your tank relatively protected, but if you plan to be away from home and not use your tank for a few days during a cold spell, you may plan to leave a faucet trickling with warm water. 

Pump Your Tank

Be sure you still adhere to your tank's regular pumping schedule, even if it falls during the winter months. Your tank will need to be drained of sludge and sewage waste to keep it protected further. If freezing occurs to your tank and it and your drainfield are full of sewage, it can freeze and expand, causing further damage to your system. When your septic professional is onsite to pump your tank, you can ask about ensuring the tank lids are sealed to prevent freeze damage, or also adding in tank insulation to the surface areas.

Pumping your tank during the winter will protect it, and your drainfield from freeze clogs and damage from expansion. For this reason, it is important to make access to your tank even if the ground is frozen or the tank access hatch is covered in snow. Prepare beforehand by thawing the area, removing snow from the site, or scheduling your septic tank pumping to be completed just before the weather turns cold. So, for example, if you know you need to pump your tank this coming winter, arrange to have it pumped in the fall during the months of September through November.

For more information on keeping your septic tank clean, talk to a septic pumping service today.