Your Septic System and the Brutal Winter Temps

When the brutal winter weather strikes, there are some things to know about your septic that will protect both your system and your wallet.

Don’t Walk on Your Mound

Walking, sledding, or driving over your septic mound at any time of year can lead to issues for your system. When you compact the snow on top of your mound, you lose the insulating benefit of snow which makes your septic system more vulnerable to freezing. So as tempting as it will be for your kids to view that septic mound as a built-in sledding hill, don’t let them do it! 

This is actually a year-long standard. Keep people, animals, and traffic off of your septic mound. And during the warmer months, consider either letting natural grasses grow tall or adding 8-12 inches of mulch to your mound. 

Use Hot Water

Using hot water helps to keep things moving in your septic system. Frequent hot showers, daily use of washing machines and dishwashers, and other ways to get hot water to enter your septic can help you during the deep freezes.

Address Issues

Don’t neglect visual inspections of your septic system in the winter months. If you’re finding a messy exterior or a soggy drain field, you should contact Septic Check immediately. You need to identify the source of the issue and address it so that you can address issues before they get bigger.   

You need to be intentional about taking the right steps for septic maintenance in the winter. When you’re not intentional or proactive, your septic system is potentially exposed to the elements in ways that it’s not prepared for.