A plumber does not want to be out messing with your septic tank on beautiful weekend afternoon anymore than you do. However, when you smell that overflowing tank though you know that you are in for a costly and embarassing mess.

Roughly 25 million homes in the United States have a septic tank. Every one of them requires regular maintenance to keep performing in peak condition. Luckily, this upkeep can be pretty simple, the only hard part is remembering to do it. First and foremost is to make sure there is enough bacteria in the system. Many people forget this very simple fact. When there is not enough bacteria, the system cannot break down waste matter which will lead to sludge building up faster. This in turn means the system's outlet pipe will get blocked and the drain will be clogged and then you have a backup.

All you have to do is once a month, use the first sunday of each month so it's easy to remember, is remember to pour a septic tank additive down the toilet. If you are using a good additive, one that is all natural, then it will add billions of bacteria and enzymes to your septic system that will be perfectly happy to break down anything you send its way.

The reason it is important to add more bacteria each month is because the water that flows to the sepctic tank whenever you flush the toilet or run water in the sink will gradually wash away the bacteria. So it's important to put that addtive in your tank every single month. Occasionally you might also need to pump the tank.

Pumping is another essential maintence step to take. You should have your sepctic tank pumped out about every other year. This will get the insoluble waste out of the tanke which will provide the space inside the tank needed for the system to do its job. I don't think this is exactly a DIY job so you will probably have to get a plumber to do it for you. While he is getting the sludge out, ask him to take a look inside the tank to look for cracks or other damage inside.

There are also a few things you shouldn't do in order to keep your septic system in good working order. Don't do all your laundry in one day, the system can handle one or two loads a day better than five or six all at once. Also, use liquid detergent instead of powder, powder contains fillers that can clog your septic system. Don't hook the drain from your garbage disposal to the septic system, food waste doesn't break down the same way as human waste and they system could become clogged. Don't pour grease down the drain for the same reason. Diapers and tampons may be flushable but they will clog your tank. Don't plant anything other than grass and flowers near your tank because the roots on trees and shrubs can damage it. Finally, don't drive over the tank because the weight will damage it even when it is underground.