With winter around the corner and the cold beginning to settle in, people may begin to worry about the welfare of their septic tank during the festive period. Should you need septic pumping in Stanfordville NY, Jones´ is here to help.
Some people are worried that with the lack of snow, it could be a year of trouble for those with septic systems because of freezing and lower than normal temperatures.
For the most part, most people keep their septic tanks healthy by passively letting warmth from the discharge water and the generated heat from the waste composting at the bottom, do its thing.
If the weather does indeed get colder and the lack of precipitation remains, there could be trouble for a lot of folks who have septic systems.
Undisturbed snow accumulation helps to insulate pipes and septic vaults from freezing, with air pockets in the loft of the snow helping to keep the cold from penetrating the ground.
It is usually at the beginning of breakup that the snow starts to compact and we see wide swings between cold nights and warmer days. This is also when the frost starts to migrate down into the earth, and frost is the most troublesome for septic tanks.
There are some things you can do to help reduce problems with your septic tanks.
To begin with, do not walk or drive over the underground copper water lines that run from wells to the basement of a house. Having traffic over that buried plumbing line can compress the snow on the surface and “drive down” the frost to the line throughout the fall and winter.
If your copper water supply line cannot easily be buried and comes up and out of the top, it should be covered with black pipe foam. The pipe and foam can then be wrapped with fiberglass lightly and put inside a box of 2-inch blue board. The cable should not be spiraled around the pipe but instead placed underneath the pipe. Another strategy is to scatter straw over your septic system, but be sure to rake it up in the spring and summer.
We will see what the winter brings, but, hopefully, for your septic tanks health, there will be more precipitation and relatively warm weather for the next three months. For all your Dutchess County NY septic tank inspection needs, contact Jones´ for a thoroughly professional and concise service, boasting years of experience. We are here to help you!
