Understanding Septic Systems | Ask This Old House

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In this video, This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey teaches host Kevin O’Connor everything he needs to know about septic systems, how they work, and how to maintain them. SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: http://bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse. Host Kevin O'Connor and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey meet at the shop to talk about septic systems. Richard explains how septic systems work, what they look like inside, and what homeowners can do if their septic begins to fail. Septic Systems are Contained Units A septic system consists of piping running from the home’s drain system to a sealed tank, and then out to a series of pipes called leach pipes. As waste is flushed down the drain, it travels down the waste pipe to the tank where it separates, breaks down, and eventually ends up back into the soil. There are Two Chambers Septic tanks are typically very large, with over 1000 gallons of volume, and they’re made from concrete or fiberglass. Inside those tanks are two chambers divided by a half-wall. As waste comes down the drain pipes and lands in the tank, solid waste falls into the first chamber, while liquid waste continues over the wall and into the liquid chamber. From there, the liquid flows out into the leach fields through the leach pipes. The First Chamber is Where Solids Break Down Solids that travel down the drain pipe land in the first chamber and break down. The septic tank is an anaerobic chamber filled with beneficial bacteria a

Published 2023-01-21 · Watch on YouTube ↗
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