How to Care for Your Septic Tank and Septic System

Septic System Ongoing Maintenance

If you live in a rural area you probably have a septic system instead of a sewer connection. Taking care of your septic system isn't difficult, because modern systems function efficiently when you follow a few basic guidelines. Put these tips to use for a clean and trouble-free septic system.

Divert Rainwater From the Septic Drainfield

• A soggy drainfield won't absorb and neutralize liquid waste. Plan landscaping, roof gutters and foundation drains so that excess water is diverted away from the septic drainfield.

Don't Overload the Septic Tank and Drainfield

• Check faucets and toilets for leaks; make repairs if necessary.
  
• Use aerators on faucets and flow reducer nozzles on showers to help lower water consumption.
  
• Reduce water levels for small loads of laundry.
  
• Wait until the dishwasher is full to run it.
  
• Use a displacer to reduce the amount of water needed to flush the toilet.

Keep Trees Away from the Septic System

• Discourage root damage by keeping trees at least 100 feet away from the septic system.
  
• Trees with very aggressive roots, such as willows, should be even farther away from the system.

The Toilet Isn't a Garbage Disposal

• Never flush cat litter, disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, tampons, paper towels, facial tissues, coffee grounds, or cigarette butts and filters. They'll clog your septic tank in less time than you might imagine.

Use Garbage Disposals Wisely

• A garbage disposal can double the amount of solids added to a septic tank.
• Choose a top-line disposal that grinds food into tiny particles that are easier for a system to digest.

Minimize Heavy Duty Cleaners

• Overuse of heavy cleaners kills beneficial bacteria in the septic tank, so solids won't break down as well.

Do Not Pour Grease Down the Drain

• Grease can clog the septic drainfield, making it impossible for soil to absorb liquids. If that happens you'll need a new drainfield.

Avoid Hazardous Chemicals

• Varnish, paint thinners, motor oils, gasoline and other similar chemicals can ruin your system and are a hazard to groundwater. Dispose of them properly.

Protect the System from Damage

• Do not drive over the drainfield, build a structure on top of it, or cover it with concrete or asphalt.
• Do plant grass on the drainfield to minimize soil erosion.

Perform Regular Maintenance

• Solids must eventually be pumped from the tank. Many experts advise a family of four with a 1,000 gallon septic tank to have the tank pumped after 3-5 years of full time use. Other experts say you can go much longer between pumping operations.
• Never attempt to open a septic tank yourself. Gases and bacteria in it are dangerous.

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Conserve Outside

Overview Why Save Water Outside? Despite our rainy winters, we get less rainfall than Tucson, AZ during the summer months. That's when our reservoirs are lowest, and demand for irrigation water is highest. Choosing drought-tolerant plants, building rich soil, watering wisely, and following the other key steps below will help you.

• Save money on water bills
• Save time maintaining your garden
• Protect your family's health by reducing the need for chemicals
• Protect our environment
• Grow a healthy, beautiful yard and garden all year 'round!

How To's Make the most of the water you will use in the summer:

• Aerate lawns in the spring to better absorb water.
• Mulch planting beds to decrease evaporation.
• Select the right plants for the right place - consult our new Plant List.
• Tune-up and improve your irrigation system - rebates are available!
• Wash your cars at locations that recycle their water.

5 Steps to Save Water Whether you're starting from scratch or improving an existing garden, follow these five steps:

• Build healthy soil with compost and mulch for plants with deeper roots, fewer pest and weed problems, and lower water needs.
• Choose the right plants that that are pest-resistant, require less water, and match the sun, shade, and soil in your yard. Use the Plant List to select the right plants for your garden,
• Practice smart watering to prevent plant disease. If you have an automatic watering system, check our Irrigation/Sprinkler System Rebates.
• Think twice before using pesticides. Keep your plants healthy by creating a garden that prevents problems before they start.
• Practice natural lawn care and enjoy a healthy lawn that needs less water, fertilizer and pesticides.

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Surviving Arizona Summer Heat

The Heat Can
Make You Sick!
Heat Cramps
Muscle spasms or cramps are an early warning sign
of heat illness. Immediately get to a cooler place
and rest. Lightly stretch the affected muscle. Drink
1/2 a glass of water every 15 minutes.
Heat Exhaustion
Sweating heavily, headache, upset stomach or
vomiting, and dizziness are all signs of heat
exhaustion. Cool, moist, pale, or flushed skin
(turns red) are also signs of heat exhaustion. Heat
exhaustion can become heat stroke. Immediately get
to a cooler place and rest. If symptoms worsen, get
help immediately. Drink 1/2 a glass of water every
15 minutes.
Heat Stroke
Hot, red skin, dizziness and confusion: rapid weak
pulse, and rapid shallow breathing are signs of
heat stroke. If a person was sweating from activity,
skin may be wet; otherwise, it will be dry. Call
9-1-1 or your local emergency number. Immerse
in a cool bath or wrap with wet sheets and turn
on air conditioning and a fan. Watch for breathing
problems. If you are helping someone and they
refuse to drink water or are throwing up, don’t give
them anything to eat or drink.

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Federal Tax Credit

Energy Efficient Federal Tax Credit

Take advantage of the Federal tax credit of up to $1500 dollars off. Credit available towards the purchase and install of new energy efficient equipment until December 2010. In addition a new energy efficient air conditioning unitl will save you money over the years on utility costs.

Federal Tax Credit Chart
AC Split Systems
16 SEER 13 EER n/a HSPF = 30% or $1500 max.

AC Package Systems
14 SEER 12 EER n/a HSPF = 30% or $1500 max.

Heat Pump Split Systems
15 SEER 12.5 EER 8.5 HSPF = 30% or $1500 max.

Heat Pump Package Systems
14 SEER 12 EER 8 HSPF = 30% or $1500 max.

TEP $250 Rebate - Efficient Home Cooling

The Efficient Home Cooling Program provides rebates towards the purchase of qualifying high-efficiency air conditioners and heat pumps. The amount of the rebate depends on the efficiency (SEER) of equipment you purchase. View rebate schedule.

Tucson Electric $250 Rebate

Save up to $1,750.00 by using both rebates!

Top 6 Home Cooling Steps

Running your air conditioner during the summer months can raise your energy bill quite significantly. Learn how to save money while air conditioning your home to a nice cool temperature.

1. Keep the Filter Clean

A dusty filter reduces air flow. Examine the unit's air filters once a month and clean or replace filters when necessary. Keeping your filters clean can cut the energy used 5 to 15%. Keep heat-producing appliances, such as televisions or lamps, away from the thermostat. The heat they produce can fool your thermostat into continuing to cool. Extra: If you are looking to replace your thermostat, you may want to choose one that offers a warning LED each month to remind you to change the filter.

2. Maintain the Ducts and Vents

If you are using a central air conditioning unit, make sure the air ducts are properly insulated, especially those that pass through the attic or any other unconditioned areas. You may want to have a specialist check for holes or leaks in the ducts. Duct tape can offer a temporary repair, but you will want to have any holes or leaks properly fixed. Make sure furniture does not obstruct air conditioning vents. Close off unused rooms and close vents in those rooms.

3. Check for Household Leaks

Make sure air isn't escaping through unnecessary openings such as fireplace dampers, doors and windows. Take a good look at the seals around doors and windows to see if weather stripping or caulk needs to be applied.

4. What You Do Around the House

Natural light is great, but the sun's heat can raise the temperature in your home. Make sure blinds and drapes are closed to help reduce the sun's thermal heat. If you are intent on letting the light in, install reflective film on the windows to block some of the heat. You also want to reserve heat and humidity producing tasks like cooking and doing the laundry to early morning or late evening.

5. Use Your Fans

Fans can also help cool your home. No one is saying that a fan can replace your air conditioner, but they can give supplemental cooling. Substituting fans for air conditioners on milder days can save 60% or more in energy costs. Appropriately setting the fan on your air conditioner can help you save as well. Set the fan speed on high except in very humid weather. This helps push cool air around the house.

6. Set the Thermostat to the Best Temperature

Turning your thermostat to 78 degrees Fahrenheit is the best setting for your air conditioner during warmer months. Reducing your home's temperature 72 degrees Fahrenheit could increase your cooling costs 12 to 47 percent. Also remember, setting it really low at first will not help your home cool faster. It will use more energy and if your forget to adjust it, you will be running far less efficiently than you think.

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ScaleBlaster Water Softeners

Introducing ScaleBlaster, the "Going Green" alternative to water softeners. The ScaleBlaster Water Softener prevents soap that won't lather well. Lime scale deposits on faucets, sinks and other plumbing fixtures. Mold and mildew on shower curtains. Shortage of hot water and poor water pressure and bad tasting water.

ScaleBlaster is a compact, state-of-the art, computerized system that is installed on the incoming waterline of the house or building.

This innovative product produces an oscillating electronic field using a unique and complex modulating frequency wave form that changes the physical shape, size and charge of the calcium molecules and causes them to lose their adhesive properties.

ScaleBlaster is installed on the incoming water supply line going to your house. It is non-invasive and no plumbing work is installed. It is easy to install and requires no maintenance, changing of filters or bags of salt.

(click photo for larger image)

The Causes of Low Water Pressure

Low water pressure is a phrase often used to describe what is technically a low flow situation, where one or more fixtures in a home do not provide adequate water flow. There is a relation between pressure and flow, but it is possible to have adequate water pressure but still have low flow out of one or more fixtures. For this section, we will use “Low Water Pressure” for both low water flow and low pressure, as they both have the same effect: not enough water being supplied to the fixture.

Single Fixture Low Water Pressure

If the low pressure conditions exist only at one or just a few fixtures, we have specific recommendations that may help. For all faucets, view our Low Water Pressure in Faucets article. For showers, please see our Low Water Pressure in Shower Heads article.

Whole House Low Water Pressure

If every fixture in the house has low water pressure, the cause may be corroded piping, a restriction of the line due to a failed pressure relief valve (PRV) or backflow preventer, low municipal water flow or a valve partially closed.

Testing Water Pressure

While these can be hard to find, Pex Supply does sell hose bib water pressure gages:

These are simple to use. Make sure no water is running elsewhere in the home. Thread the pressure gage onto any hose bib, and turn on the bib. Write down the resulting pressure reading. It is your “static water pressure”.
Municipalities may supply water pressure from 20 to 100 PSI, but typical readings are 50 to 75 PSI. If your water pressure is above 40 PSI, your “low water pressure” problem is not a water pressure problem, but a problem with the flow of water through your plumbing system. If the pressure is below 20 PSI, contact your local water supplier. If you have a pressure reducing valve, or PRV, you can adjust the PRV by turning the hex head nut at the top of the bell counter-clockwise, and observing if the pressure is increased. See the PRV section below for disassembling and repairing a PRV.

Partially Closed Valves

Starting with the easiest solution first, verify that the shut off valve on the main water supply is fully open. Shut off valves are usually located where the plumbing enters the home. There are two basic types, the ball valve configuration and the gate valve configuration.
The ball valve usually has a handle similar to the image, where the long portion of the handle indicates the position of the ball diverter inside. When the handle is “in-line” with the piping, as shown in the photo, water can flow freely. Turning the handle 90 degrees shuts off the water entirely. Any position in-between restricts flow.

A gate valve, and its cousins that look similar such as globe valves, use a rotary handle to determine the position of the “gate” inside. Turning the valve handle to the right (clockwise) closes the gate, preventing water flow. Turning the valve handle to the left (counter-clockwise) opens the gate completely. Older valves may be stiff and seem frozen. Under the handle is the packing nut; using a wrench on it and turning it 1/8 turn, just barely loosening it, is often all that’s needed to “un-freeze” the handle.
Where else will valves be? If all the hot water seems to have a low flow situation, check the cold water inlet to the water heater; it should also have one of these valves. In some older homes, you may have multiple valves as plumbing has been reconfigured.

The PRV or Backflow Preventer

Some homes have a pressure reducing valve (PRV) or backflow preventer installed. A typical PRV is pictured at the right. The PRV has an internal assembly of springs and discs that regulate the pressure coming into the home. When these parts start to fail, the result can be reduced flow to the entire house.
Shut off the water before disassembling the valve. If the main water shut off to the home is before the PRV, you can use it to shut off the water. However, if the PRV is located before the main shut off, the water must be shut off at the meter or municipal supply, usually located at the edge of your property. If the parts inside the PRV are corroded or fused with mineral deposits, take all the parts to the plumbing department to obtain exact replacements. In some cases, you may have to replace the entire PRV.

Corroded Piping

Most often seen with steel or galvanized water piping after 18 to 20 years, the internal passageways of the pipe may be partially closed due to years of corrosion and mineral buildup.

Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done to correct this problem, other than replacing the pipes. This is an expensive, labor and material intensive job. There are measures you can take to mitigate the effects of it while you save to have the house re-piped.
In most cases, homes with internally corroded pipes have “full flow” fixtures as well. Installing flow restrictors in the faucets and showerheads may help, especially when multiple fixtures are being used. For faucets, modern low flow faucets with aerators will seem to provide more flow than before. This won’t help your toilet tank to fill quickly, or your washing machine to fill any faster, but it can help reduce the appearance of low flow problems for showering, washing your hands, etc.

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