With colder temperatures upon us and little
or no snow cover to insulate septic systems, your system may need some help to
keep from freezing. “Place a layer of mulch (8-12 inches) over the pipes, tank
and soil treatment system to provide extra insulation. This mulch could be
straw, leaves, hay or any other loose material that will not compact and will
stay in place.”
These tips on keeping your septic system from
freezing, are provided by the Crow Wing County Extension Service. This is the
first of three articles on the subject, so check back here over the next two
days for more valuable and timely information.
What Should
You Do If Your Onsite System Freezes
If your septic system is frozen, your first
step is to call an onsite professional. Unless the cause of freezing is
corrected the system will refreeze next winter. If you have a pump and hear
water constantly running in a pump tank (a possible indication of a frozen
system) shut off your pump and call an onsite professional. This will likely be
a pumper or an installer who can help determine the cause of the problem and
offer solutions. The University of Minnesota Onsite Program web site is one
place to go to locate a professional – http://www.septic.umn.edu. Many pumpers and
installers have devices called steamers and high-pressure jetters to try to
unfreeze system piping. Other methods used to help fix a freezing problem
include adding heat tape and tank heaters. Cameras can be sent down the pipes
to determine where the freezing is occurring and if repairs are needed. If the
soil treatment system is full of ice, or there is evidence of leaking, there is
no need to thaw the lines leading to the treatment area, as it cannot accept
liquid until the area is thawed in spring.
If it is not feasible to correct the problem
or equipment is not available in your area, the only other option is to use the
septic tank(s) in the system as a holding tank until the system thaws
naturally. You will need to contact a pumper who will empty out the tanks when
they are full on a regular basis .This can be very costly, especially with
normal volumes of water use (50 to 75 gallons per person per day). Reduce water
use by limiting the number of toilet flushes, taking short showers, using the
dishwasher at full capacity, limiting running water to get hot or cold and
doing laundry at a laundromat. It is smart to find the cause of the freezing
problem so that it can be addressed in the spring, preventing future
freeze-ups. Then preventative measures can be added to the system such as
adding insulation around the tank and pipes or adding additional cover.
There are many misconceptions about how to
deal with a frozen onsite system.
- Do NOT add antifreeze, salt or a septic
system additive into the system.
- Do NOT pump sewage onto the ground
surface.
- Do NOT start a fire over the system to
attempt to thaw it out.
- Do NOT run water continually to try to thaw system.
Contributed by David Ellingson a Real Estate professional at RE/MAX Lakes Area Realty in
Nisswa. Call our office at 218-963-9554 and talk to David about
your Real Estate needs, or email him at davide@uslink.net for more information!
