Have you recently moved into a home that uses a septic tank, and you have no idea what you should be doing to maintain the system? You may not realize that you need to maintain the filter inside the septic tank, which helps ensure that solids and oil are not going out to the leach field. Here are some tips on how to clean this filter as part of regular septic tank maintenance.

Finding The Septic Tank

Locating the opening to your septic tank is going to be the first step that needs to be done. If you've never located the septic tank opening before and it's not obvious where it is, you'll need to be a little creative when it comes to locating it. 

There is going to be a pipe that leaves your home and travels out to the septic tank. You can expect this pipe to run straight out to where the septic tank is located, so figure out where this pipe exit your home on the outside. You can then use a soil probe, that is essentially a long rod, to stick into the ground until you find something hard. Figure out the outline of the tank's shape by continuing to probe the soil, since the opening is likely in the center of the side that faces your home. You can then use a shovel to dig in this area and hopefully locate the opening with ease. 

When you open up the septic tank, you'll see a few things. The tank should have a layer of oil on the scum layer on top of the waste, and then a discharge pipe near the top that goes out to the leach field. 

Cleaning The Filter

While wearing gloves, you should be able to lift out the filter from the opening of the discharge pipe. This pipe actually extends deep into the septic tank so that the solid waste travels through the entire filter as it enters the pipe. You can remove the filter by lifting it up and out of the tank. 

You'll want to use a garden hose to clean the filter. Simply hold the filter over the opening of the septic tank, and use a garden hose to spray off the filter so that all the solid waste goes back into the septic tank. Slide the filter back into the discharge pipe when you are finished, put the cover back on the septic tank, and bury it with soil to finish this job.