With recent weather, more than a few people have posted about frozen septic systems.
If you are unsure about your system, or if it’s your first winter on the property, it’s always a good idea to have a licensed professional check your systems and make sure you are winter-ready. I was lucky enough to have a great contractor explaining a few simple things to do to prepare your septic for winter.
A few things to consider,
Always keep your system full, the volume of water helps prevent freezing.
Use your system consistently, especially hot water. It seems like a good excuse to take a long, hot shower to warm up after working outside. The hot water does help warm the tank overall. Be careful, though. If you're having issues or have a plugged pipe, the hot water can cause frozen sewer lines to burst.
Don’t pump out your system in the fall. The bacteria in it create heat that helps you through the winter. Pumping it out too late in the season will not give the bacteria enough time to get going before the freeze hits.
Add insulation on top of your tank. In winters with low snow cover, a couple of inches of rigid foam insulation (R10) is equal to 10 inches of snow or soil.
If you don’t want to buy insulation, hay bales on top of the tank are an alternative.
Check the insulation on your sewer pipes, maybe add a layer overtop. Ours were exposed to the wind so we skirted around them.
Squirrels, mice, and other critters seem to like insulation, so when you check it, look for holes chewed in it and make sure you seal them up.
Don’t pack the soil around your septic system; compacted soil has a much lower R-value.
Just like everything else, winter is hard on things. A little preventative maintenance goes a long way.
