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THE IMPORTANCE OF SEPTIC SERVICE MAINTENANCE: WINTER EDITION



Snow on trail

Once the weather turns cold, many septic owners think their systems will only need maintenance again in the spring, when temperatures begin to rise. However, the reality is wintertime septic services are just as important, if not more important, as maintenance throughout the rest of the year. Cold weather can have dangerous effects on your septic system, and keeping ahead of them by maintaining your service visits will help prevent disaster this winter. Here are some of winter's most common complications for your septic system.


Fats, Oils, & Greases (FOGs) in Winter

Once temperatures dip below freezing, FOGs present unique challenges for your septic system. We always stress the importance of limiting the amount of FOGs that enter your system. This is even more important in the winter when FOGs are prone to solidifying in your pipes and potentially creating blockages within your septic tank. Add to that that wintertime is the season of rich foods with its festive holidays and decadent feasts. The preparation and cleanup of these foods can introduce even more FOGs into our septic systems than usual. In fact, we tend to flush more FOGs into our system in wintertime than at any other time of the year. Taking steps to limit the amount of FOGs entering your system will help alleviate the issues they present for your septic system in the winter. Most importantly, wintertime service visits will remove any accumulated FOGs and prevent clogs from happening within your septic system.


Wintertime Impact on Your Septic System's Bacteria

The bacteria living within your septic system work hard, all year round, to break down the solids within your tank. In fact, the bacterial environment is so integral to a properly functioning system that we spend a lot of time educating septic owners on how to protect it. The bacteria within your septic system are happiest when the temperatures stay above 10°C. Once the temperatures fall below that, bacteria activity slows significantly. The result is a reduction in your system's efficiency at breaking down solids within your tank. In the colder months, solids will accumulate more quickly because of reduced bacteria activity. Left unchecked, these accumulated solids can overwhelm your tank and backup into your home or flow into the drain field, which can cause whole system failure. Scheduling a wintertime septic cleaning is the best way to give your septic system a hand during the colder months when bacterial activity is sluggish.


Wintertime Soil Saturation Around Your Septic System

Along with cold temperatures, wintertime brings additional precipitation in the form of snow, which slowly melts into the ground rather than running off into the ocean, or nearby streams and lakes. Heavy precipitation during the late winter and early spring months causes the water table to rise. A higher water table means your drain field has less room to filter out microscopic particles and bacteria from the effluent flowing from the septic tank. Overwhelming the septic system with too much water during the winter can cause the drain field to become flooded, potentially flooding the area around your system with harmful contaminants. We frequently stress the importance of practicing water conservation habits. This is especially true in the winter when cold temperatures make our systems less efficient, and the higher water table allows less room to dispel excess water. Wintertime septic cleanings are also helpful in preventing the system from becoming overwhelmed.


Schedule a wintertime service visit to keep your septic system happy during the colder months. As Vancouver Island's leading septic services provider, Shoreline Septic offers routine and emergency septic services. Contact us today to schedule your wintertime service visit!

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