If you’re new to having septic tanks in Napa, CA, you may have heard certain things about them. For example, they can’t handle as much heavy water use as a city system. You might know you can’t do load after load of laundry all in a row, but how much water can the septic tank handle in a day?
Whether you’re flushing a toilet, taking a bath, or running the dishwasher, water will enter your septic system regularly and every system has a limited capacity. You don’t want to overload the system or you could cause a big problem. You need to know the size of your tank and how much it can handle and then you need to keep an eye on your household and start a lifestyle that everyone can enjoy without overloading the septic tank.
Think about how a septic system works. When wastewater from the house gets to the tank, solids and liquids separate and solids go into the tank to be broken down by bacteria. Liquids are put out into the leach field. There’s a filter involved as well that prevents solids from getting out of the tank. That process takes time so if your tank gets a lot of water at once, the solids could build up and block the pipes out to the field, causing issues for the tank overall.
If you have an overloaded tank, it could happen after excessive water use. If you have a big party and lots of people are flushing and using the facilities, you could overload the tank. If you do a lot of laundry in a row or take a shower, run the dishwasher, and run laundry all at once, you could also overload it. If you have a fixture that is leaking, that could also cause issues that you may not even notice.
Most homeowners use 60-70 gallons of water in a day and tanks are designed to hold about 750-1,250 gallons. Keep in mind that the tanks aren’t usually completely empty when you start using them on a daily basis. When you flush a toilet, it takes 1-7 gallons, depending on the toilet. Washing machines take 15-45 gallons for every load. Showers are usually around 17 gallons, depending on how long you shower, and dishwashers take 4-6 gallons per cycle. Do a little math and keep an eye on how fast the water goes out before you run into a deeper issue in the yard.
If you have questions about your septic Tanks in Napa, CA, like how much water it can handle, how often you need to pump it out, or other things, contact the professionals at American Sanitation Inc. We’re here to help with repairs, regular maintenance, and even just basic questions. Call us at (707) 554-8258 or visit us in person at 1729 Action Avenue, Napa, CA 94559. We’d love to help you with anything septic tank-0reltaed. If you’re new to having a septic tank, we can give you a list of dos and don’ts and help you get started on the right path.