#mjcentralseptic

'Other structures' of the home like septic tanks, pools, fences, etc. are covered the in the same way as everything else inside your home--there are limitations though. The types of damage that are actually covered are sudden and acute, meaning the homeowners could have done nothing to prevent them. There are '16 perils' that are considered the most common types of sudden damage:

Lightning or fire

Explosions

Damage caused by vehicles

Falling objects

Water damage from plumbing, heating, or air conditioning overflow

Pipe freezing

Hail or windstorm

Riots or civil disturbances

Theft

Volcanic eruption

Water heater cracking, tearing, and burning

Damage caused by aircraft

Smoke damage

Vandalism

Damage from the weight of snow, ice, or sleet

Damage from electrical current

Septic System, Septic Tank, & Cesspool Safety Warnings

Providing inspection and diagnosis of on-site waste disposal systems is an extremely valuable public service which helps protect people from expensive unanticipated septic system repair costs and helps protect public health by assuring sanitary disposal of sewage and gray water waste from buildings.

More importantly though, septic system inspections may detect and warn about serious safety hazards at some properties.

The strong warnings issued below intend to reduce septic system safety hazards for inspectors and property owners/occupants, but it is not the author's intention to dissuade inspectors from providing this valuable service.

Watch out: Septic tanks, cesspools, and drywells present serious hazards including septic cave-in's or collapses, methane gas explosion hazards, and asphyxiation hazards. Simple precautions and proper maintenance can help avoid a dangerous or expensive septic problem.

Nothing is more dangerous to your septic system than putting in things that don’t belong there.

Certainly some items are worse than others. Putting the wrong thing down drains or flushing them down the toilet can be costly and time consuming to repair. It can back up your pipes, causing clogs and eroding the tank to the point where you will have to call in professionals to pump it out.

If it goes on too long you could end up paying thousands of dollars for a new septic tank!

To keep this from happening to you, here are the 3 worst things to put in your septic system:

Grease. Your mom always told you never to pour grease down the drain and she was right! Grease won’t break down the way water and waste will and you will end up clogging up your drain which means nothing will be able to get through. Clogged pipes lead to the septic system backing up and this can cause serious damage to your septic system. Be smart and pour your grease in a can to solidify and throw away. It’s also a good idea to wipe your pans clean with a paper towel to make sure you don’t let any grease get down the drain.

Since the most likely cause of septic tank damage is wear and tear, and human error (which are not covered by insurance) you need to take precautions to make sure your tank stays healthy year after year. The following are some key steps to preventing cesspool damage:

No flushing of non-biodegradable objects

No flushing of cooking oil

No flushing of strong chemicals

Watching what you flush can go a long way in preserving the life of your tank. Objects that won't break down in the tank cause it to fill up faster, requiring it to be pumped more frequently. If you let your tank overfill too often, your risk of clogging the pipes goes up, which can cause back-up into your home. Cooking oils cause sludge build up which also dangerously clogs your system's pipes. Lastly, by flushing strong chemicals into the system, you can end up killing the bacteria that breaks down solid objects. If those objects are not broken down, that can also lead to build up and blockage.

Routine inspections and upkeep will also prolong the life of your tank and avoid costly breakdowns. Here are some things to do in the next year for your cesspool:

Inspect it once a year

Pump it once a year

Conserve water

Avoid parking heavy objects directly above it