When you notice the water draining slowly in your sink or shower and the gurgling sounds of the washing machine as it drains, you could have a Putnam, NY, septic problem that needs attention. While a septic system is an amazing and relatively maintenance-free waste removal system, there are things that can clog the process which need correction to get back to proper working order.  

Your Septic Waste System

Your septic system can remove all of the waste that is flushed down the drains of your home with no aid from electricity or any other power source. Environmentally efficient, a septic system can provide a place where the waste is held and decomposed to keep your home running smoothly. However, there are items that you should not flush down the drain unless you want to end up with clogs, stopped up pipes, and a potential tank replacement. 

Baby Products: If you have a little one in your home, you should never flush diapers or baby wipes down the toilet. A septic system is not designed to handle these types of products as they cannot pass through the pipes or decompose in the tank if they do pass through.

Feminine Products: Likewise, feminine products have no place in a septic waste system either. 

Chemicals: Never put hazardous chemicals such as paint thinners, paint, motor oil into your drain where it will end up in the septic system.

Coffee Grounds:  Don’t flush coffee grounds into the drain as they can get stuck in the pipes and build up to a point where nothing can pass through. Coffee grounds will not decompose in the tank once they arrive there either.  

Too Much Water: Another way to compromise your septic system can be to use too much water too quickly, causing an excess of fluid to flow into the tank quickly where it cannot exit fast enough. Because the water is designed to flow out of the tank through a pipe and into a leach field where it filters back into the ground, washing too many loads of laundry along with multiple showers on one day can overload your system. Spacing out the loads over several days can protect your septic system from being overworked to a point of failure. 

Tree Roots: Tree roots naturally grow toward a water source and when you have even the smallest crack in a pipe or the tank, roots can work their way in to block the flow of waste to the tank. This is another way that your septic system can require professional repair to begin working correctly once more. 

When to Call a Professional

If you suspect that your septic system is not working as well as it should, you are most likely right. When searching for septic system help, look for a septic professional with years of successful service for septic waste systems as well as a knowledge of engineering and land management. 

The common culprits listed can bring harm to your septic waste system or worse, cause failure. If you think you have flushed any of these products down the drain of your system, this can be the cause of current problems. A septic professional can evaluate your Putnam, NY, system and recommend the right remedy so that you don’t have to deal with slow drains and septic issues any more.