Maintaining a Safe Septic System

« Back to Home

Effects Of Feminine Products In Septic Systems

Posted on

A septic system is designed to hold, filter, and drain all the waste water and solids you use in your home. The best way to keep your system in good-working condition is to avoid throwing things in it that do not belong. One item many people flush down their toilets is feminine products. While this may seem like a normal activity, it can harm your system. Here are several things you should understand about the effects of feminine products in septic systems.

They Take Up Space

For women, it can be tempting to simply toss a used tampon, or even a pad, down the toilet to get rid of it; however, these items do not belong in septic systems. Septic tanks were not designed to hold things like this. In fact, septic systems operate best when they only receive water and human waste. Anything else that goes down your drain can potentially lead to problems, and one of these problems is the space the items take up.

They Are Not Biodegradable

One of the reasons you should worry about space in your tank is there is only a limited amount of space. Your tank might hold around 1,000 gallons and once it is full, it will not be able to hold more. As the tank fills up, you will have to pay to have it emptied.

Secondly, tampons and pads are not biodegradable. This means that once they go down your drain, they will remain in your septic tank until the tank is pumped. Making a habit of placing these products down your toilets will cause you to need your tank pumped more often.

They Can Cause Blockages

The final thing to consider is the impact tampons and pads can have on the components of your system. Each time you run a faucet or flush a toilet, the waste water travels to the tank. Once it is there, the tank filters the contents, and the bacteria in the tank helps keep the solids to a minimum. As this occurs, the system will actually filter out water from the system. This is necessary to free up space in the tank and to ensure that the bacteria can properly break down the solids.

When tampons or pads are placed in the system, they can potentially disrupt this process if they get trapped in any of the system's components. If this happens, it could block off the pipes of the system, and this will prevent the system from functioning. You could end up with water in your yard, a bad drain field, or other types of costly problems with your system.

If you want to keep your septic system functioning well, do not place feminine products in your toilets. To learn more about septic maintenance or to schedule to have your tank pumped, contact a company that specializes in septic systems and repairs. Click here for more info.


Share