Septic Care During the Winter

Published Date: January 28th, 2015 | Category: Plumbing Tips

Your septic tank is one of the most important aspects of your home. So you want to be sure you properly care for it, even during extreme weather, like what we see here during the winter months. But septic care during winter can be confusing at times, so we thought we would take the time to offer some tips on how to make sure yours is properly maintained.

Cold temperatures and no snow

Surprisingly enough, one of the biggest challenges of septic care during winter isn’t a large amount of snowfall! Snow is your septic system’s friend because it acts as an excellent insulator. It helps keep the heat of the sewage, as well as the geothermal heat from soil layers, in the septic system so the system will not freeze even as temperatures plummet.

Compacted vs. non-compacted snow

When the snow falls, do not allow it to compact over your septic system. This is an easy task when you are worrying about septic care during winter. Do not allow anyone to drive over the system. Uncompacted snow is a better insulator than compacted snow. This also goes for the soil itself. Your driveway or another path through your property will freeze deeper and faster than the rest of the soil.

Plants and vegetation

During the warm months, plant some vegetation that does not have a deep root system. The plants will act as insulation when the cold months hit, and that can also help keep your septic system from freezing when it’s cold out and help ensure proper septic care during winter.

System usage

If the septic system in question is not used regularly, the septic system can freeze. So for this type of septic care during winter, make sure you are regularly using the system so plenty of sewage enters the system and helps it maintain a temperature that will not cause it to freeze.

Plumbing leaks

If a toilet or shower is leaking in your home, it will send a small trickle of water into your septic system. That trickle of water can easily freeze in the system and eventually cause the pipe to totally freeze. Make sure all plumbing leaks are properly fixed before the winter months hit.

These are just a few tips for proper septic care during winter. If you want more information, give us a call here at All Ways Drains! We can be reached at 612-922-9422 or you can contact us for a Free Estimate.