Run a greywater system on a calendar: weekly, skim the grease trap and look at every stage for standing water or odour; monthly, flush the distribution pipes with clean water and check the reed bed plants; each season, clean the sand filter if flow is slow and thin the reed bed; and once a year, empty the trap completely, check the bed liner and test the soil for salt. Before winter, drain exposed parts and mulch the beds.
Part of Greywater Recycling Systems
A seasonal maintenance schedule sets the tasks each greywater stage needs and when, so cleaning happens before a stage clogs rather than after.
The Calendar
Every week
- Skim the grease trap (Grease Trap Design); put the fat in a closed container.
- Look at each stage for standing water or odour; either means a blockage.
Every month
- Flush the distribution pipes with clean water through the flushing point.
- Check reed bed plant health and look for ponding at the inlet.
- Check that mulch basins have drained within hours.
Every season
- Clean the sand filter’s top layer if the flow is slow: scrape 2-3 cm, wash it and replace it (Sand & Gravel Filters).
- Harvest and thin the reed bed plants and compost the biomass away from food beds.
- Top up the mulch in the basins; move the main feed to a different basin.
- Before winter: drain exposed components, mulch over the reed beds, set the diverter for the dry well (Cold Climate Adaptations).
Every year
- Empty and clean the grease trap completely.
- Check the reed bed liner for damage (Reed Bed Construction).
- Assess soil salinity in irrigated areas (parent page): look for white crusts, stunted growth and soil that seals when wet.
- Review the log: which stage needed attention most?
Worked Example: A Year Of Trap Skimming
- 52 weekly skims. The fat layer thickness each week goes in the log.
- If one week’s layer is double the typical thickness, the cause is upstream: a change in cooking or washing.
- If the layer is thin but the water still smells, the trap is too big or the outlet is blocked: see Odor & Clogging Solutions.
Adjust For Season And Load
- Wet season: the soil absorbs less; send more flow to the dry well.
- Hot season: water turns septic faster; skim and flush more often.
- Wash days and guests: a spike in load clogs the filter; scrape sooner.
- Winter: reed beds go dormant; reduce flow to prevent ice build-up.
Common Mistakes
- Cleaning everything at once. Stagger tasks so the living layers are not all disturbed in the same week.
- No record of when the sand was scraped.
- Leaving exposed pipes full in autumn.
- Skipping the yearly soil check until plants die.
Safety
Every maintenance task handles contaminated water or sludge
Wear gloves and boots, wash with soap or ash and water afterwards, bury trap sludge and sand scrapings in a pit away from wells and food plants, and never enter a tank or trap, which can hold hydrogen sulphide. Do not test the air with a flame.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Odor & Clogging Solutions — what to do when the schedule is not enough
- Combine with: Greywater Maintenance & Troubleshooting — diagnose by symptom