Question By: Septic tank aeration is a way to improve the flow through your septic system and make it easier for waste to settle, which can both save you money on repairs and prevent backups. It's simple enough that you can install it yourself with a remediation kit from Aero-Stream. Septic tank systems are designed to last 20 years according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and that is about how long they usually last in most areas.
A basic septic aeration systems have two basic working parts:
1) An aeration or septic tank.
2) Absorption field. (Also called a Drain field.)
- Waste flows from your home through your home's plumbing system to the septic tank.
- The aeration/septic tank is nothing more than a holding space for waste (liquid & solids). The solid waste is digested in the tank by aerobic and/or anaerobic bacteria. Digested solids settle to the bottom of the septic tank creating a sludge layer.
Aeration Systems Work
Septic tank systems create an environment where there is limited oxygen in the wastewater, the septic aeration system is designed to introduce oxygen into the wastewater.
Aerators introduce air into sewage treatment systems to mix and oxygenate the liquid, and this system is made up of three chambers that filter and purify household water.
- The first chamber, known as the "trash trap," is the pretreatment chamber, and it operates just like an anaerobic septic tank. Heavier solids settle to the bottom, and lighter fat, oil and grease float to the top.
- In the second chamber, water with suspended solids enters the aeration compartment, and the aerator mixes and adds oxygen to the water.
- Last, the water moves into a clarifier chamber, and the remaining solids settle to the bottom before the clean water is pumped out of the system. This clean water will move into a smaller, secondary treatment system like a drain field, but it's smaller than drain fields that anaerobic systems use.
Benefits
Increasing the oxygen content effectively improves the rate of solid digestion and the efficiency of the overall treatment process. Homeowners directly benefit in several ways:
- Safer water: With less risk of groundwater contamination, homeowners don't have to worry about potentially hazardous drinking water.
- Availability: Septic system aeration is ideal for homeowners with limited space for an adequate drainfield, or when soil conditions are less than conducive.
- Conservation: It's possible to divert the septic system discharge for greywater use. At this stage, the water is safe enough to use for irrigation purposes or flushing toilets.
- Low operating cost: The costs to operate the aerator are minimal. The system only consumes electricity to run the blower, and the benefits of safer water and proper waste treatment offset the purchase cost.
- Efficiency: A study from Baylor University showed that aeration increases waste removal rates, giving independent septic systems nearly the same rate of removal as municipal treatment plants.
The drawbacks of a septic system aerator are:
- They will burn electricity. The best advice is to avoid letting the system go into failure in the first place.
- If the pump is too strong, the septic system aerator could agitate the contents of the tank, flushing solids out to the drainfield and creating more of a problem.
- The pumps can get clogged with lint from washing machines.
Conclusion
Whether you're looking to save some money, or just want to make your septic system work better, aeration is a great way to go. Aero-Stream LLC covered how it works and how you can do this on your own.
Visit https://www.aero-stream.com/septic-tank-aeration/ for moreinformation.
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