With summer fast approaching, temperatures are rising, flowers are blooming, and pools are opening. For pool owners, pool maintenance may be the center of attention this summer, but don’t forget about your septic system. Your pool and septic can affect each other more than you may realize. Don’t panic! We are here to help! Here are some tips on how to handle your pool and keep your septic healthy.
Building Your Pool
When you are building a new pool, be sure to locate your septic system and steer clear of the leach field. The proper distance from the septic tank for an above-ground pool is 15 feet and the distance for an in-ground pool is 25 feet. (Check your local regulations for details specific to your area.) Building a pool too close to your septic system can block access to your tank when it’s time for a repair or a pump. Even an inflatable pool should be kept at a distance because the weight of the water and the potential of leakage are still a possibility. Additionally, in-ground pools cannot be built over the pipes leading to your tank. If your pool is just a small piece of a large house renovation, check out more home improvement tips.
Draining
Draining your pool is another practice to be careful about. While chlorine is crucial for the care of a swimming pool, its antibacterial properties are extremely harmful to septic systems. When draining your pool, be sure to drain the water away from your septic. If the chlorine gets into the tank, it can affect the helpful bacteria that are needed to break down solids and keep the system running. This could damage or even make your septic stop working altogether.
Excess Water
It’s a good idea to keep excess water from the pool away from the leach field and septic. The leach field process of getting rid of water involves evaporation and filtering down through the ground. If excess water is added, this process could be disrupted and slowed. If the leach field gets super saturated, the septic tank may even back up. Be cognizant of splashing water out of the pool, overflowing the pool, backwashing the filter, or a leak.
Heavy Objects
If maintenance on your pool or pool area requires machinery such as trucks, skid steers, and trailers, be careful of where they are placed. Placing heavy objects like this over the leach field during maintenance can really disrupt the function of the leach field. To break down waste, the field needs oxygen. Allowing heavy objects to sit on the leach field can not only cause damage (or collapse) to the field but will also deprive the soil of the necessary oxygen to break down waste.
Owning a pool can be a lot of fun and a lot of work. Maintaining a pool with a septic system can be an even more daunting task. Nobody wants to make a mistake and cost themselves thousands of dollars in repairs. Following these tips will help you avoid costly mistakes and keep both your pool and your septic system running smoothly.
Still, have questions? Contact our experts at Felix Septic and we will ensure your septic system keeps working at its best all summer long!