What is a septic system and how does it work?

A septic system consists of a few parts. There are drainage pipes from your home in which all water and sewage merge into one pipe. This plumbing pipe leads to the outdoor underground septic tank found on your property. This watertight tank can be made from fiberglass, concrete, or polyethylene. Inside of this tank is where the work really happens. Most of the tank is filled with a  septic waste known as effluent. Bacteria called anaerobic begins to break down the organic material found in the effluent. Due to gravity, the solids known as sludge which is really the inorganic material, fall to the bottom of the tank. Scum which is made up of oils and grease floats to the top. The effluent flows out the outlet pipe to a drain field​ which is also found underground on your property. A filter blocks the sludge and the scum from leaving. The outlet pipe has perforations along the way, allowing the effluent to seep out into the drain field. A drain field is a large area allowing the water to seep slowly and safely into the ground and mix with fresh clean water. As long as all parts of the system are working you should not even realize that it exists, but if any part of the system fails, water and sewage may begin to backup and you may see puddles on the ground around your home. It may also back up into your sinks and toilets. A sign of such a scenario beginning to occur can be the odor of waste starting to smell inside of the building. A professional septic contractor like All Septic of New Jersey must be contacted immediately to stop the breakdown of the entire septic system and to do a septic service or septic repair on your tank.