In topic of this article is how calcium can wreak havoc in an aerobic system. A residential septic system is a very efficient way to treat the wastewater that your household produces on a daily basis. It is designed, built, and installed specifically for your own use, according to the number of household members. With this, maintaining your septic system is important. You should always make sure that it is optimal at all times so that you could enjoy health and sanitation every single day. Most septic experts recommend that you turn your septic system into an aerobic system. This means that you should have an aerator to supply the septic system with oxygen. With a consistent oxygen supply, the septic system becomes a wastewater treatment machine like no other. With more oxygen, more aerobic bacteria are encouraged to proliferate. Aerobic bacteria enhance the wastewater purification process. The effluent becomes rid of pathogens and toxins, ready to be reused in the surrounding environment.
The septic system also experiences problems from time to time. Clogging is a common issue among septic systems. Clogging interrupts the normal flow of the wastewater treatment process. It could happen at any given time. One of the main causes of clogging is the improper disposal of waste. Many households dump non-biodegradable materials into their drains and toilets. These substances cannot be decomposed or broken down by anaerobic bacteria. They just stay in the tank until they get pushed into the drain field to clog it. Harsh chemicals also cause septics to clog. Harsh cleaners kill bacteria. Without bacteria, the wastewater treatment process will stop. If the solid waste particles are not degraded, they will just stay in the tank and clog everything.
Soil compaction is also a cause of septic system clogging. It happens when vehicles and structures are placed over the septic system area. The heavy weight crushes the septic system components until they cannot support the normal wastewater treatment flow anymore. The cracks produce result to leaks, which stop the forward flow of wastewater. You should definitely remove these obstacles over your septic and do not make a driveway, storage facility, or parking lot out of it. Irregular pump outs also cause septic system clogging. It is mandatory for homeowners like you to make sure that you follow the pump out schedule that you established with your septic expert. Pump outs do your septic much good because the sludge is sucked out of the tank. Without the accumulated sludge, there will always be enough room for proper wastewater treatment.
One of the worst possible causes of septic clogging is calcium sulfoaluminate or ettringite formation. This starts with the anaerobic digestion that the thiocillus bacteria perform. The process produces hydrogen sulfide gas that gathers above the septic water line. It then reacts with oxygen and forms sulfuric acid. The strong acid forms white ettringite, which corrodes the concrete reinforcement of your septic. Once this happens, the metal components become exposed to the elements. They rust over and acquire cracks. These cracks bring about leaks, which prevent the normal flow of wastewater treatment. If you have an aerobic system that works efficiently, you could easily prevent the formation of ettringite in your septic. The oxygen produced will keep occupy the headspace above the water line and keep hydrogen sulfide from aiding in the production of sulfuric acid. However, you should always make sure that your aerobic system is always inspected so that it could run efficiently. If you do not take good care of your aerobic system, you will have a problem with calcium sulfoaluminate again.
An aerobic septic system is key to having a long lasting septic system in your property. Everything that lives needs oxygen to survive. In the septic’s case, oxygen is needed to increase the number of aerobic bacteria and decrease the sulfuric acid produced by the anaerobic bacteria. Work with your septic expert to get the best results—no matter how big or how small your septic system is. Knowing how calcium can wreak havoc in an aerobic system is definitely something every homeowner should know.