When your septic system is involved, it’s vital that you know that it’s not made from one component alone. It is a system with several parts, with each of those parts contributing to the success of the entire process. Among the most important parts is the drain field or leach field. Most of the time, a lot of homeowners are only focused on the maintenance of the septic tank but forgets the importance of leach field maintenance as well.
Just as much as you recognize your tank, you want to also understand the leach field. You should understand its purpose, functionality, and importance. In this way, you will be able to prevent problems from happening in your septic system.
What is a Leach Field?
The leach field serves as an extension to the tank. It is also mentioned as the drain field because it drains the treated wastewater from the tank. The purpose of a leach field is to further treat any impurities left within the wastewater. The simplest way to explain its functions is analogous to a gastrointestinal system. Because the organic and biodegradable substances undergo the leach field, the bacteria will break them down. This is often why you have to plan a leach field maintenance schedule and don’t neglect it at all costs.
How does Leach Fieldwork?
Leach fields need a large area that has an unsaturated soil that has good absorbent properties to be effective in dissipating the effluent. Since there’s an oversaturation of the soil, the leach fields aren’t appropriate when it involves dense urban areas.
If you have a leach field, you should be fully conscious of its functionalities, particularly when it involves maintenance responsibilities. Always make sure that there are no deep-rooted plants or trees from the leach field because the roots can disrupt the tile bed or poke holes in it.
The drain field has a lot of pipelines beneath the ground. These pipes have some tiny holes on the edges and bottom. Once the wastewater goes to the pipes, it’ll leach to the encompassing soil or gravel. The subsequent process is when the bacteria within the ground purifies and cleanses the liquid waste, through digestion of the organic waste materials.
You have to remember that only liquid waste goes into the leach field. Every tank features a filter on the outlet pipe that prevents solid waste from getting to the leach field. The solid waste left within the tank is going to be weakened by the bacteria. The end products of the anaerobic bacterial digestion process are called the scum and sludge. Both the scum and sludge build-up within the tank, which is why you ought to regularly pump your septic tanks.
When the water is absorbed by the soul, it’s also filtered. The drain field’s size is usually determined by how absorbent the soil is. In areas with hard clay ground, the soil will slowly absorb the water which might require the leach field to be bigger.
All of those functionalities work in an absolute passive system. The septic system is powered by gravity because the water flows down from the house to the tank, then to the drain field.
How to properly maintain your Leach Field?
The leach field is a component of the last steps within the entire septic system. It would be within the last stages of the entire process but it’s a really important factor. In fact, when the leach field fails, you’ll expect that it’ll affect your whole septic system.
One of the ways to make sure that your leach field will work properly is to make sure that there are no bushes or trees within 10 feet from the leach field. Don’t plant anything within the leach field because the roots may block and damage the pipes. Never park or drive vehicles, dirt bikes, tractors, or any go-karts within the leach field area. This stuff can potentially damage the leach field, especially if the soil is wet. If you’re hosting events in your home or have many relatives living in your home, make everyone aware to avoid the leach field area.
Regularly pumping your septic tanks and performing routine leach field maintenance is extremely important. Having a maintenance routine would prevent any sludge accumulation within the tank which can block the filter and make sure that your leach field is in optimal condition to work.