Your septic tank is a critical component of your home. It is an underground chamber with concrete, plastic, or fiberglass through which your sewage will flow for basic treatment. There are different ways that these can be created, but the main goal is to provide some treatment for the water that is leaving your home. Many homeowners may wonder whether their septic tank needs an aerator or not, though.
The answer is yes, most septic tanks need an aerator. A septic tank that is considered aerobic will need an aerator to help separate out the bad stuff from the water and keep it clean. This type of septic tank is becoming more common and is found in cities and homes with large families. Older systems are often anaerobic systems and will not need the aerator because no oxygen is introduced or used in them.
Since the septic tank is such an important part of your home and treating the water that leaves, it is important to have all the right workings parts in order all the time. Let’s take a closer look at the different types of septic tanks commonly used, how each one works, and why one type may rely on an aerator and the other does not need it at all.
Table of Contents
Does a Septic Tank Need an Aerator?
Whether your septic tank needs an aerator will depend on the type of septic tank that you have. When you use an anaerobic system, which is more common in rural and farming areas, the system will utilize a few different treatment cycles to help clean out the water after it is used. These systems do not add oxygen to the mix and, therefore, do not need an aerator at all.
However, many septic systems leave the anaerobic system behind because it is outdated and does not work efficiently. Due to this, many are choosing to work with the aerobic system instead. This system requires oxygen to get introduced to the septic tank and help clean out the water. If you are using this system, your septic tank will need an aerator, and you will need to take good care of it.
Types of Septic Tanks
There are two main types of septic tanks that you can use. The one that you choose will determine whether you need an aerator or not. The two main types of septic tank systems that you may have include:
An Anaerobic System
One type of system that you may find with your septic tank is anaerobic. The anaerobic bacteria that are in this system are not going to need any oxygen so you do not need an aerator to help them to work well. Standard septic tanks are going to have this kind of anaerobic environment where the heavier solids are able to sink right to the bottom while the fats, grease, and oils rise to the top. There is usually gray water that is in between these.
When the bacteria comes into this system, they will allow the clean gray water to filter into a drain field after all of the solid waste is broken down. This system will hold onto the wastewater for about 24 hours. When that time is done, it will move over to the drain field.
The main problem that comes with this kind of septic tank is that the anaerobic environment is not going to allow a lot of oxygen into it to dissolve in the water. If this is the type of system that you have, you need to make sure that a large and empty property is in place to help house the drain field so that the water treatment in the second phase is able to happen.
How an Aeration System Works
While some of the older systems are going to work with the anaerobic method, the aerobic is often a better choice. Since septic tank systems will create an environment where there is not a lot of oxygen inside of it, a septic aeration system can help to solve this problem by adding more oxygen to the wastewater.
The aerators will be able to introduce some air into the treatment system to help mix and oxygenate the liquid. This kind of system is made up out of three chambers that can then help to filter and purify the water as well. The first chamber is going to be the trash trap. This is going to be the pre-treatment chamber and will work just like the septic tank in the anaerobic system we talked about before. The heavier parts will settle to the bottom while the other, lighter stuff will go to the top.
Then we can move into the second chamber. This is where the water will be suspended with the solids will then enter into the aeration compartment. The aerator will then mix and add some oxygen into the water. Then everything moves into the final chamber, the clarifier. This is where the rest of the solids are able to settle into the bottom and then water, which is now clean, will be pumped out of the system.
It is this clean water that is able to move into a smaller treatment system, sometimes a drain field that is smaller than what you see in the anaerobic system. To install, replace, and repair these tanks, and even pump them, you will need to hire a company to get it all done.
As you can see, it is often better to work with the aeration system. This is what makes the aerator so important for the septic tank if you choose to have one. There are a number of benefits to doing this that we will talk about below:
The Benefits of Using an Aeration System
If you do not have a lot of space that is able to house a drain field, or you have soil that prevents septic drainage, then getting an aeration system is often the best option. You will often find these aeration systems in cities or if the drain field for the anaerobic septic system starts to fail. These areas have less room than in the country so the aeration system is a better choice.
Most homeowners prefer to use an aeration system because the oxygen water will not need as much of the secondary filtration, while still breaking down and reducing some of the solids that may clog up the drain fields in some of the other systems. This makes it more efficient to use and can ensure that the system is able to keep up without needing extra components.
The aerator is also able to break down solids inside the septic system. Since it is able to do this,
your system will not get worn down as much by excessive water usage. For someone with a
large family, the aerator system is one of the better ones to go with.
When Do I Need an Aerator?
If your system is an anaerobic system, then you do not need the aerator on it. This system is set up as a way to not need it. It is often not seen as efficient as the aerator option. If you are looking to replace your septic tank, then it may be worth your time to work with the aerobic option and put the aerator inside of it as well.
The system that will need the aerator is the aerobic option. This one is set up to add oxygen into the tank, helping it to stay clear and to prevent the materials from getting stuck in the drain. This method of cleaning out the septic tank is more efficient, making the water cleaner without several rounds of treatment and without needing to house extra parts to take care of the issues.
Taking Care of Your Septic Tank
No matter which type of septic tank that you have in your home, it is important to take good care of it and make sure that you do not push it too hard. If you suspect that something is wrong, get someone out there to take a closer look and see what you can do to clean the system out. Waiting too long, whether you use an anaerobic or anaerobic option, you need to have the right size septic tank for your needs and take good care of it.