Septic systems may seem like they are pretty maintenance-free, but there is one big maintenance task that you need to take care of on a regular basis. That task is to get your septic tank pumped out so that it is empty and ready to get used again.
Pumping Your Tank
Getting your tank pumped out is actually a pretty quick and easy job to have done. It generally is done in around 30 minutes. It may take more if the tech has to look around and try to find the top of your tank or dig up an access point. Once they have access to your tank, the tech will stick a vacuum hose down into the tank and suck up all the sludge and contents into their tank truck. Once the tech has pumped out your tank, they will tank the contents away and dispose of them correctly. There are a lot of variables that go into how often you need to have the septic company come out and pump your tank for you.
Usage
One of the things that will go into how often you need to have the tank pumped is how much usage your tank is going to get. That means how much water and waste is going to get pushed through your tank. If you have people who like to take very long showers so you have a lot of water going into your tank, or you have to do a lot of laundry, that's going to put a lot of strain on your tank, and it will mean that you may have to get your tank pumped more often than a tank of the same size that doesn't get as much use.
Size
Another variable that goes into how frequently you get your tank pumped is how big your tank is. The average size for a residential septic tank is about 1000 gallons, which may be the right size for your uses, but you might decide that you need to have a larger tank because you have more people who live in your house or will be using your tank. The larger your tank is, the less frequently you are going to need to have it
If you have a septic tank, there is one maintenance task that you need to make sure that you take care of on a regular basis. That is to get your tank pumped out. Talk to a local septic service for help to get started.
