This article will cover how French drains can help your septic system. Every plan needs a backup. If you’re a homeowner, you very well know why this is necessary. If one component of your home fails, you should have a ready replacement or a repair plan for it. It applies to the major elements that you have in and around your home such as your French drain. These days, especially in areas where rainfall and water use are always prolific, excess water is usually a problem. In maintaining your property, excess water is an issue that you have to face with strategy. When water accumulates in your basement or at the sides of your home, you have to do something about it. If you let the water stand for prolonged periods, you will have a problem with moisture in your home’s foundations. When moisture seeps into the base of your home, premature rotting takes place. This weakens the materials uses to build your home. It would just be a matter of time until you have to spend thousands of dollars to repair the damages. With the help of a French drain, you can avoid such large expenses and terrible worry. French drain, with its simple structure, could indeed waterproof your home. It can easily divert the excess water accumulation away from your home and deliver it to a part of your property that needs watering.
A typical French drain is also known as a rubble drain, blind drain, drain tile, rock drain, French ditch, land drain, and perimeter drain. It is actually an established trench filled with crushed rock or gravel. It also contains a perforated pipe along its length. The pipe is the one that diverts or redirects the groundwater or surface water away from your home’s foundations. The perforations of your French drain are needed to disperse the water through the rock layers as quickly as possible. These days, there are pre-made French drains that do not need the conventional rock layer anymore. It only has a gravel substitute that is installed around the perforated pipe. The pipe and gravel substitute are then covered by a geo fabric that is used as a filter.
French drains are used to divert water away from areas that need a dry environment such as your home’s foundation. It also helps in decreasing the water load from your septic system, which usually experiences high water load. The water load produced by your household should not exceed your septic tank’s capacity. When this happens, the wastewater overflows and your entire property becomes flooded. When there is too much water rushing into the septic tank, the solid particles get pushed into the drain field. They block the treatment process and this brings forth backups, overflows, and flooding as well. The same thing happens when it rains hard. This is where the French drain helps. It allows the excess water to be filtered even when it overflows from the septic tank. The layers of filters, together with the slime that build up in its durable media break down the solid waste particles. The filtered effluent is then dispersed into the surrounding soil to be treated again by the latent bacteria. If a French drain is installed near the septic area, it can help the French drain built near the sides of your house. It will help catch excess water especially surface and ground water brought in by heavy rains. This is how French drains can help your French drains. Extra French drains help the pre-installed French drains do their job more efficiently and with fewer issues to deal with.
Excessive amounts of water around your home and in your property can bring havoc to the landscaping and to the house foundations. French drains can help you save a lot of effort, time, and money in maintaining your property. Consult your septic and drain expert so that you may determine where it is best to install French drains within your premises.