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Preventing septic freeze up Fall is here and it is time to start thinking about what you can do to prevent freeze up of septic systems again this winter. The following information was provided by the University of Minnesota's Onsite Sewage Treatment Program. Depending on your system, location, water use, you may never have a freezing problem. However, there are several steps that you can take if you are concerned about your onsite system freezing. It is not necessary to do all of these, but you may pick and choose based on your situation. l. Place a layer of mulch (8-10 inches) over the pipes, tank and soil treatment system to provide extra insulation. This mulch could be straw, leaves, hay or any other loose material that will not compact and will stay in place. This is particularly important if you have had a new system installed late in the year and no vegetative cover has been established. 2. Let the grass in your lawn get a little longer in the late summer/fall over the tank and soil treatment area. This will provide extra insulation and help hold any snow that may fall. 3. Use water; the warmer the better! The Onsite Sewage Treatment Program is usually a advocate of water conservation, but if freezing is a concern, increasing low use to a normal water use can help the system. This includes spreading out your laundry schedule to possibly doing one warm/hot load per day, using your dishwasher and maybe even taking a hot bath, DO NOT leave water running all the time, as this will hydraulically overload the system. 4. If you know you are going to be gone for an extended period, plan accordingly. This could include having someone use sufficient quantities of water in the home regularly or pumping out your tank before leaving. If you live in an area with a high water table, you should only pump out the tank if the tank was designed for high water table conditions. If a tank is left full for several winter months, the sewage will get very cold in shallow tanks and can even freeze. If you then return before temperatures start to rise, the effluent leaving the tank will be cold. By starting with an empty tank, you can then start fresh with warm effluent. If you use a cabin on a limited basis during the winter months, this may be a good idea as well. 5. Fix any leaky plumbing fixtures or appliances in your home. This will help prevent freezing problems and help your system work better year round. If you have appliances that generate very low flows such as high efficiency furnaces, you can put a heat tape in the pipe, and while on vacation have someone come by and run warm water far a while. Alternately, you could install a small condensate pump that holds and discharges 2 gallons per cycle. 6. Keep all types of vehicles and high traffic people activities off of the system. This is a good rule to follow year round. 7. Make sure all risers, inspection pipes and manholes have covers on them. Sealing them and adding insulation is a good idea. Insulation may be added during construction particularly if the top of the septic tank is within 2 feet of the surface. 8. Keep an eye on your system. If any seeping or pooling occurs, contact an onsite professional to help determine the cause and remedy. 9. Add more insulation to your system. This could include replacing pipe with insulated pipe, adding Styrofoam over septic tanks or adding more soil cover. For more information about proper operation of septic systems, check the Onsite Sewage Treatment Program's website at: http://septic.coafes.umn.edu/homeowner/index.html or call (800)322-8642. |