Holiday Guests? Avoid Holiday Septic Fiascos with These Tips

The holiday season invites us to open our homes to family and friends, but your generosity could come back to bite you if your guests take liberties with your septic system. Nothing’s worse than an overflowing toilet or noisy, gurgling shower drain for all of you guests to see.

While we all want to avoid septic tank conundrums, discussing it with your holiday guests can be challenging. In this blog, the team at Economy Septic Tank Services discusses all your guests need to know about the dos and don’ts of septic care and how to approach the potentially awkward topic.

How to Talk to Your Guests

Septic tank maintenance isn’t necessarily the easiest topic to approach with friends and family. It can be uncomfortable discussing bathroom matters with your in-laws. But most loved ones want to help you keep your home in tip-top shape, so they’ll likely be understanding when you need to address the matter.
While speaking with your guests, we advise a polite, compassionate tone. If you don’t want to go into detail, you certainly don’t have to—just ensure you’re all on the same page about maintaining the health of your septic system.

Holiday Septic Maintenance Topics

As you prepare to speak with your guests, you may wonder what you should tell your guests about your septic system. Education can go a long way and help keep your septic tank in good health during the holidays. Let’s take a look at some of the top suggestions you should discuss with your house guests.

Be Conscious of What You Flush

To avoid a holiday septic catastrophe, we recommend you politely educate your guests about what can and can’t be flushed down the toilet or drains. Even products that are marketed as flushable are usually not suitable for flushing, such as flushable wipes. Ask your guests to refrain from flushing items such as tampons, disposable wipes, or diapers.

If you’d rather avoid an awkward conversation with your distant cousin or nosey aunt, consider putting up signs in your bathrooms to remind them of flushable and non-flushable items. Keep these notices lighthearted and fun, rather than demanding. Likewise, you can encourage conscientious flushing by making sure there are garbage cans in the bathroom and kitchen, and any other helpful places for non-flushable items.

Stagger Water Use

Too many showers back to back can place stress on your septic system. So, if you’re hosting for the holidays, it may be beneficial to stagger shower times. For example, half of your guests could shower in the morning and the other half at night. Or, if you all have to be somewhere at once, like holiday brunch, shorter showers can release the strain on your septic system while accommodating everyone’s hygiene needs.

Park with Care

Another tip to ensure septic success over the holidays is tasking your guests to park away from your system. If cars are parked on top of your septic system, it can weaken and destroy crucial parts of the system, resulting in a costly repair or replacement. We recommend taping off “no park zones” when your guests are arriving, so everyone can find a safe spot for their car—and your septic system.

Pump Your Septic Tank

Before your guests arrive, it’s a good idea to pump your septic tank. If your septic tank is already overloaded, extra uses can cause a major disruption to your system. Septic tanks usually only need to be pumped every few years, but if you are due for maintenance, we recommend scheduling an appointment before you have guests arrive at your humble abode.

Avoid Septic System Emergencies This Holiday Season

While many homeowners change lightbulbs, clean air filters, and adjust thermostats for the holiday season, it’s easy to forget about your septic system. As you prepare for the most wonderful time of the year, don’t let septic system maintenance slip your mind.

With septic system maintenance and care, you can decrease the chances of toilet, shower, and bath disasters. At Economy Septic Tank Services, we understand how hectic the holidays can be. When you call us, you receive comprehensive maintenance in a timely manner. Don’t hesitate to call our team to help your holiday hosting run smoothly!

Your Trusted Septic System Experts

Since 1975, we have provided our customers with the highest quality service. For fair, affordable septic tank maintenance, contact Economy Septic Tank Services. Call us at 256-294-4415 or contact us online. Let us help you avoid septic tank emergencies!