How do you know when to pump your septic tank?
 

I've been in my current home for 7 years with 2 adults and a 6 year old and a 4 year old. The tank was pumped as a requirement of our purchase 7 years ago. When should I think about pumping it again? Is there a general rule? :o

When the toilets no longer work is a pretty good indication.

The house I live in now is the first house I ever bought that had a septic system. When I moved into it it had a problem with the system. The field was made up of old clay pipes with had shifted thru the years and consequently the pipes filled up with earth. I had the field replaced but I was told that as a general rule you should have the tank pumped once every couple of years.

Another good thing is to put in a septic system additive every other month or so. You can buy it at most retailers (Home Depot, Walmart, etc.). It is a powder that supposedly has enzymes and bacteria to eat most of the crap in the tank.

Believe it or not a beer poured down the drain every now and then will do the same thing.

Plenty of 'recycled' beer makes its way down there :D. Does that count? So it sounds like I should have it done since it has been 7 years? No flow problems yet though. I don't know if this matters but it is an engineered system - made from fill as opposed to digging a hole in the ground.

me too
 

I was wondering the same thing, I saw a ad the other day septic tanks pumed for $150, so I did a search on the web and most said every two years, but I think that is excessive. I use Ridex every month. The house I have now is 7 years old and I do not know if this has ever been done..but I will probaly get it done this summer anyway..

I would think that it partly depends on the size of the septic tank. I would imagine that an overfull tank might results in solids migrating into the leech field which would stop its effective operation.

I had an external underground kitchen grease tank in a rental property. When it filled up, water started bubbling out of the ground in the vicinity. My guess is that it had not been pumped out in about 40 yrs.

In my town there is a requirement to have the tank pumped and inspected every 5 years. When you do it the local service companies send a certification in and you get a reminder in the mail when you get within a few months of the 5 year mark. Based on this, I would suggest a 5 year interval. I have had no problems with the tank or any other part of the system in the 25 years I have lived in this house. I also use an additive of special enzymes and spices to keep the system clear. The biggest problem with these is usually grease, though, so the enzymes and special spices or whatever they are have to be able to eat grease and turn it into something that becomes water soluble. Jim

The trick with a septic system is to remember that your dealing with a living system. You have to treat it right, a balanced diet, and don't give it substances that would harm you because you'll kill bacteria in the tank. DON'T put one of those bottles with blue fluid thingies in your toilet tank. It kills bacteria.

If you use a lot of oils, grease, and animal protein in meals or cooking, it might be time for a septic pumping.

If you get a septic tank aroma over your field lines in means you may have waited too long--the grease has gone into the field lines. Or you used too much bleach. Or poured herbacide down the drain. Etc.

Somebody said "Ridex". That's good $hit, man. It has all kinds of high-class bacteria tailored for septic tanks. It comes in two strains, one for aerobic systems and the other for anerobic systems. If you can find only one choice then buy it. It will just take a little longer to sort itself out.

Beer only works if it is unpasteurized. Most American beers are pasteurized. The neat thing about unpasteurized beer is you can drink it except for the last swallow or so because that sludge in the bottom is dormant yeast. The rest is just yummy beer. Just pour a little water in the nearly empty bottle and shake that sludge into suspension and pour it down the toilet. I recommend at least a couple of pints. Even if it doesn't help the tank, you'll feel great about the whole thing.

"it depends"
 

Folks,

As the experiences here have shown, your answer will probably be different than any one else's due to size of your tank, how you use the tank ( garbage disposal? family home all day? ), and size of family.

Our system went 13 years from new installation before it was pumped. Our neighbor was having his tank pumped so I asked the guy to do ours as well. We put minimal garbage disposal solids down, and now have 11 and 9 year old daughters. Our tank had minimal solids at the base and was in good condition. The cost to pump it was about $150 if I recall correctly. I plan on doing it again in about 5-7 years since my wife is now home all day and the kids are older.

In the process of cleaning, the guy pumped / vacuumed the tank empty (liquid and solids) then returned the majority of the liquid back into the tank. He said we did not need to use any enzymes or additives. That was 2 years ago and all is well so far. Again, our situation is a system in good shape in moderate climate with moderate usage.

Chuck

Grease is a big problem, enzymes and yeast will help. If you go out of town for a while treat it when you leave and it will get some recovery time.

If your clothes washer empties into the septic the synthetic fibers are hell on the field lines. There are strainers designed to catch them.

I have seen a book in the book store that was called something like: Septic Tank Owner's Manual. It has good information.

Drainage above the fields is important also. Standing water can flood the system.

what ever you do, DON'T ORALLY SIPHON IT! :D

Does the beer have to be from the can or could it be pre-processed thru my kidneys first? If the latter, I bet there is a lot of clean septic tanks among this bunch.

i'm probably revealing too much here, but, has anyone here ever seen the red green show?

and another thing....
 

if you get your tank pumped on a regular basis, the company pumping it will inspect the tank itself and let you know of any problems with it. Remember "an ounce of prevention..."