Your septic tank needs to be pumped to prevent leaks and backup over time, but how often is enough, and how much is too much? You don’t want to waste money pumping your tank more often than necessary, so let’s find the middle-of-the-road option and keep your tank healthy without making your wallet hurt and whether or not you’ll be finding septic services today.
Your Pump Frequency Depends on Use
If you have a large family and there’s a lot more waste to account for, your septic tank may need to be emptied more often than you think. The more a septic tank gets used, the more often you’ll need it pumped. You have to think that everything that goes down your drain ends up in that septic system.
Any septic tank should be pumped every three to five years. That pump frequency depends on how many people are using it, and whether or not it’s being used all year-round. If your septic tank is only in a vacation home, you may be able to push it closer to that five-year mark.
Be Cautious of What You Pour Down the Drain
Everything that’s considered organic waste will break down in your septic tank. This includes most particles of food scraps that go down your drain, hair from the shower drain, and other similar types of waste.
Always be aware of what’s going down the drain, and make sure anything you are flushing that isn’t organic waste is clearly labeled as septic-safe. If you can buy biodegradable toilet paper so it can break down faster, that will help prevent potential clogs in the future.
You always want to treat your septic system as temperamental. In the time between pumps to empty your tank, being hyper aware of what goes into your septic system is a must. It’s the best way to avoid breakdowns, backups, and enduring any septic problems in those three to five year spans.
Why Does Your Septic Tank Need to Be Drained?
Let’s talk about how the buildup in your septic tank occurs and why it needs to be drained in the first place. Bacteria works to break down solids in your tank, but those solids don’t just vanish.
Whatever waste goes down the drain ends up in the septic tank, where bacteria break it down from a solid into a thick sludge. That sludge is what needs to be pumped in order for your septic tank to continue working properly.
Your septic tank has a certain capacity for this sludge, but when it overflows, that’s when you can experience backup that comes back up the drain.
Don’t Skip Regular Pumps
You can’t skip your annual septic pumps, otherwise the results could be disastrous and expensive. Be sure to schedule your next septic tank pump as soon as possible and stay on that schedule to prevent breakdowns in the future.
Contact us today to speak to a professional and schedule your next septic tank draining. It has to be done every 2 to 3 years like clockwork!
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