Sometimes children have a hard time understanding things that are important to everyday life. This ignorance may include different home systems they should understand for safety reasons and other purposes. This certainly includes your home’s septic system. If you wish to explain your home’s septic system to your children, you better have a decent understanding of it yourself. Below is what you should know.
What Is Included in the Septic System?
You should explain to your child that all septic systems are composed of a few components. These include toilets, household drains, other water-based appliances, the septic tank, leach lines, and the drain field. Comprehending a septic system begins with understanding these components. The septic tank is buried underground and may come in different sizes depending on the size of the building in question. This tank is connected to toilets and other water-based appliances by piping. In turn, the septic tank is connected to leach lines that lead to the drain field.
How Does the Septic System Operate?
With this knowledge, you can now explain how the system operates. Water and waste are flushed down the toilet and sent underground through piping to the septic tank. In a compartment in the septic tank, more solid waste is separated from less solid waste. The heavier, more solid waste will go to the bottom of the tank, while things like oils and grease will float to the top. This forms a layer of “scum” on top of the liquid. Liquid waste is then screened towards the back of a different compartment. It then moves through the leach lines attached to the septic tank and finally drains into the soil located in the drain field. You can find images and additional resources on how septic systems work by visiting your local expert’s webpage, like Rob’s Septic Tanks Inc. They can also answer any additional questions you may have about operations.
What Dangers Should Your Child Be Aware Of?
Like many home systems, septic systems can be dangerous to children. Children should be told not to play near or over the septic tank or the drain field. Children falling into septic tanks has happened before, and such accidents can be fatal. The soil over the drain field can also be contacted, and that will negatively affect its operation. Children should also be informed that only human waste and toilet paper should be flushed down the toilet.
Overall, your children should not remain ignorant of the different systems in your home. This goes beyond education. Having this knowledge can also help to keep them safe. Explain to your child what your septic system is and why they should be careful near things like the septic tank and septic field. This will help them understand how your plumbing works and why it’s important!
