Are Moist Wipes Causing Your Septic Tank Troubles?
Moist wipes can certainly make cleaning up in the bathroom more pleasant and convenient, but if your home relies on a septic tank system, your moist wipes may be doing harm than good. Flushing moist wipes down your toilet can deal serious damage to any septic tank, and relying on so-called flushable wipes can be just as risky.
How Do Moist Wipes Damage Septic Tank Systems?
Because septic tanks are not connected to any kind of sewer system, any waste that enters a tank must be broken down and processed before it can be safely released into the system's drainfield. The beneficial bacteria contained within a septic tank are capable of consuming and breaking down all manner of organic material, including ordinary toilet paper.
Wet wipes, such as baby wipes and moist toilet wipes, may look like they are made from paper, cotton, or some other organic material. In fact, most brands of moist wipes are made from polyester or polypropylene, synthetic plastics that cannot be consumed effectively by septic tank bacteria.
Routinely flushing moist wipes down a toilet served by a septic tank can rapidly lead to serious problems. Because these wipes cannot be processed by the tank's bacteria, they will remain inside the tank for an indefinite period. Sometimes they sink to the bottom of the tank; this creates an impacted layer of solid waste, that reduces the tank's overall capacity, and may lead to overflowing.
If you are particularly unfortunate, the wipes you flush down your toilet won't even make it into the tank. Septic tank lines are usually narrower than sewer lines, which can cause flushed wipes to become trapped around the septic tank's inlet valve. This can cause serious blockages and may cause sewage to back up into your toilet and other plumbing fixtures.
Many moist wipes are also impregnated with antibacterial chemicals, which can wreak havoc on the vital bacterial cultures inside your tank. While each wipe only contains a small amount of these chemicals, they can accumulate over time and start to kill your tank's bacteria. This will prevent proper sewage processing and may render your entire system unusable.
What About Septic Safe Moist Wipes?
Many toilet paper manufacturers offer moist, flushable wipes that are supposedly septic safe, but most septic tank professionals will tell you to steer clear. Most septic-safe wipes are so-called because they come apart more easily when they are flushed, instead of staying in one piece.
However, they are still made from inorganic materials that cannot be consumed by bacteria. While these types of wipes may not cause clogging issues to the same extent as ordinary wipes, they will still accumulate within the tank over time, leading to similar problems as regular moist wipes.
What Should You Do If Moist Wipes Damage Your Septic System?
If your septic tank is suffering problems caused by moist wipes, you may be able to fix the problem by having your tank pumped by a professional septic tank pumping service. Regular pumping will prevent moist wipes from accumulating in the bottom of the tank, and households that use moist wipes should have their tanks pumped more frequently than those that don't.
However, if you have been using moist wipes for some time, and haven't had your tank pumped recently, it may be too late to fix the problem with pumping alone. If your septic tank is malfunctioning and you believe moist wipes are to blame, you will need to have the tank professionally excavated and inspected to find the source of the problem.
Prevention is always cheaper than the cure, so if you like using moist wipes in the bathroom, scheduling your next tank pumping as soon as possible can prevent serious long term issues. If you need professional pumping services, contact the septic tank experts at AAA Pumping Service Inc. today.
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Address: 2855 2nd Street Southwest , Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone: 505-345-3965
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