Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Rural Living Septic System: How often to inspect/pump

New to a septic system. There's only two of us. Had it pumped right before we moved in a year ago. House is 6 years old, so newer system.

When should we get it pumped or look at it to see if it need pumped? I'm guessing at least two more years. Am I in the ball park?

If it's a 1000 gallon tank which most are should be good for 5-6 years.

Is it an aerobic system that pumps the clear water out or just a regular tank? Ours is a grandfathered septic and we usually have to pump it ever 5-6 years. I made some improvements in the tank piping and expanded the field lines a few years ago so we may get 10 years out of it this time. Only time we ever have trouble otherwise is when the sister in law stays a few days. She thinks she needs two long hot showers ever day. (Insert rude comment here).

Big thing is to minimize paper and trash of course, and don't use those toilet bowl hanger cleaners, women like so well. Put some Rid-X in it once in awhile and flush spoiled milk down it to feed your bugs in the tank. You shouldn't have any trouble.

It's a passive system with drain field. Not aware of a pump. Certainly no breaker in either of the panels for one.

Not sure the size. We're careful about what we put down it.

Guessing I'll give it another two years then get it pumped to get an idea of how we're doing.

Tank size should be in closing P/W somewhere. Bank usually wants a well and septic flow check done.

As noted, it depends on tank size, 3 of residents, and ground temp. Up here with cold ground, we have ours pumped every 2 years. I'm sure you could go 2X that.

Remember it is a septic system (poop processor) not a garbage can. I knew people that put every damn thing down their insinkerator into the tank. Chicken bones don't digest well in the tank.

The drainfield stays happiest when the water that flows into it sits in the tank long enough for lots of solids to settle to the bottom of the tank and stay there. None of the back to back laundries that some womenfolk love when they get on the cleaning horse and ride like there's no tomorrow, running down all too slow or stupid to get out of their way as they gallop towards some bright and sparkling world where they drink mimosas and talk about starched sheets with well groomed young men dressed in tight whites with earrings.

You should be gtg for another 5 years or so.

There are two of us also. We installed a new 1000 gallon concrete tank about 5 years ago. (The old one was a site built tank installed in 1948 and it caved in.)

Two years after we installed it we pumped it out and the pumper said, based on what he saw and there just being two of us we could likely go 4 years between pumping. As an aside we also put in a new drain field that uses shallow diffusers and it has performed well.

It SHOULD be a baffled tank, and if so, that should not be an issue.

Our local pumper sends a reminder card every three years.

We've been going with that, but it's probably not needed quite that often. Good for peace of mind though.

First go-round I had to dig to uncover the access. We put in an extension with a concrete lid, and also a baffle on the exit line toward the drain-field. Don't need any floaty stuff leaving the tank.

Working well and fed right, I have gone 10 years with no issue, on several houses.

You absolutely should NOT feed them fat, grease, meat scraps, anything that doesn't come out of YOU. A disposal into a Septic System is begging for trouble.

Printed tissue is also a DO NOT, the ink doesn't break down supposedly.

If you haven't fed them Rid-X or similar from the start...DON't. This from a Minn. Septic guy, he says it aerates the tank and pushes solids out.

I never have used it. That which comes out of you is sufficient..........

I have only lived south of Atlanta, your results may vary.

Rid-X also eats and dissolves concrete. Very much shortens the life of your concrete tank.

Thanks for all the info guys. We don't put much solids down it unless it's from the care and maintenance of our backsides.

We'll pencil in 2019 to get it checked barring any issues in the mean time.

if mama takes those 45 minute showers
and uses 3 or 4 different hair products,
you're best off to have a separate gray
water system installed and have a sewage
only tank. it'll last a lot longer.excess
soap kills as many as toilet paper.

Naw. She's pretty low maintenance.

you'll probably be able to go a
good while between pumpings then.
i burn my paper and don't put
any bleach down the spout.
good luck

No bleach........!!

homemade mixture to add to tank..

brown sugar.....yeast........corn meal.......mix equal portions

well with warm water....flush in toilet......every...

4-6 weeks depending on usage.....

my septic guy says a good healthy [bleep] is the best thing for them

When we had our septic system installed the guy said our soil was some of the best he's seen and our field should last forever...

...provided we didn't use powdered laundry detergent or dish detergent. So we've been using only liquid detergents. And the garbage disposal only gets the small bits that get past the strainer in the sink.