Don’t become a Brown Friday statistic.
American plumbers named the Friday after Thanksgiving Brown Friday because of the increase in service calls they get after the holiday. The extra cooking and celebrations with friends and family take their toll on pipes and drains, clogging toilets and garbage disposals. If you live on a rural property, those pipes and drains lead to your septic system, where additional problems can occur.
With Canadian Thanksgiving fast approaching, here are a few tips to keep your pipes and drains off the plumbers’ to-do list and prolong the life of your septic system.
Compost Your Leftover Greases
Fat, oil and grease from cooking belong in the compost, not your drains. They block pipes and are not easily decomposed by the beneficial bacteria present in septic tanks. A layer of floating scum builds up in the tank that requires more frequent pump-outs.
Dispose Your Waste
Garbage disposals are not recommended for use with septic systems. The additional food particles in the wastewater overwhelm the bacteria in the tank. This reduces the system’s capacity for treatment. Food particles build up in your tank and require more frequent pump-outs.
Do Not Flush
Wipes don’t belong in your toilet. Most wipes are not flushable, regardless of how they are labeled. Their fibrous durability means they don’t break down in your septic tank like toilet paper does. They add to the sludge layer in your tank and require more frequent pump-outs.
Shape up Your Septic System
Attend our upcoming Septic Social workshop on October 5 in Caledon to learn more preventative steps to keep your septic system working well.