Your septic system is an important part of your home's plumbing and works to remove all waste water that your home produces throughout the day. A malfunctioning septic system can thus cause all sorts of problems for your home, including sewage leaks and plumbing damage, which can be expensive and complicated to have repaired. Thankfully, there are a few things that you can do (and avoid) to ensure that your septic system continues working properly for as long as possible. 

Limit Garbage Disposal

Your garbage disposal may make working in the kitchen much easier, but it can place a great amount of strain on your septic tank if you use it excessively. This is because a garbage disposal, by the very nature of its function, will drastically increase the amount of solid waste that is in your septic tank that needs to be broken down. This can create clogs, backlogs, and even overflowing in excessive cases, so be sure to limit the use of your disposal to only when absolutely necessary.

Spread Water Use Around

In a somewhat similar vein to the above point, it is a good idea to spread out the water usage of your major water using appliances (like your dishwasher and washing machine). This is because a massive amount of water and soaps that enter your septic tank within a single day can dilute and imbalance the chemical levels within your tank, affecting your tank and making it less effective at breaking down waste. In addition, be sure to only use soaps and cleaning products that are biodegradable and friendly for use with septic systems.

Avoid Additives

Further, you should avoid putting anything in your septic tank that is designed to boost the performance of the bacteria that naturally breaks down the solid waste within your tank or is otherwise designed to alter or change the function of your septic tank. More often than not, such additives will disrupt the careful chemical balance within your tank and kill off bacteria, reducing your tank's effectiveness.

Annual Inspections

Finally, one of the most important things that you should do to ensure that your septic system stays in good working order is to have a professional come out and actually take a look at the tank and the connected plumbing. A professional contractor will be able to identify possible problems early and prescribe proper treatments to help prevent these problems from turning into septic tank failure down the road. Having someone come out annually is a great way to keep the worst problems at bay. 

For more information and tips, contact a local septic pumping and maintenance company.