Frederick, MD Plumbing Tip: Why Garbage Disposals and Septic Tanks Don’t Mix

Septic and Drains

Your septic tank is a private waste management system that separates your wastewater so that it can be properly disposed of in the leach field, and so the sludge can be pumped out by a septic service. It’s important, however, to recognize that not all materials can be sent down into your drains with the hope that your septic system will take care of the rest. When you have a septic tank, you need to be more careful about what you flush down the drains. If you’re in the market for a new garbage disposal, you should keep in mind that a garbage disposal typically shouldn’t be installed if you have a septic tank. In this post, we’d like to explain why that is.

Garbage Disposals

Garbage Disposal in Frederick MD

Garbage disposals are great devices: they allow you to cut down on how much food waste goes into your trash by grinding up scraps of food and mixing it in with the wastewater. However, when used with a septic tank, they can present problems. Because you want to limit the amount of work that your wastewater plumbing system has to do when possible, a garbage disposal may disturb the balance of layers in your septic tank with matter that cannot be broken down as easily as organic waste. This can cause accumulations within the plumbing and blockages. If you have a septic tank and still want a garbage disposal, talk to your local plumber about how you can make sure it doesn’t disrupt your septic system.

Contact Larry & Sons

For more information about septic systems and how they work, contact an expert at Larry & Sons for comprehensive Frederick, MD plumbing services.