What Is A Septic Tank?
A septic tank is a concrete, fiberglass, or plastic subterranean single or dual chamber into which untreated wastewater flows for any necessary treatment. Instead of sending waste through sewer mains to a central sewage treatment plant, a septic system pumps any liquid, solid waste, and sludge accumulated over time from the residence into a drain field and underground septic tank. These tanks help to confine and manage wastewater from residential plumbing, such as kitchen drains, laundry, and toilets, using technology.
Septic tank pumps are small electrical water pumps that submerge in sewage. As the chamber fills with water, a float switch will turn the pump on and off. When the pump turns on, a miniature impeller spins to push water up via the pipes to which the pump is connected. Septic systems are likely to be installed in around one out of every four residences in the United States. They are especially common in rural regions without municipal sewage connections. However, in urban areas, pumping your septic tank should be part of your regular tank maintenance. Property owners will appreciate the significance of daily pumps if they understand how a septic tank operates.
How Do Septic Tanks Work?
The process of septic tank pumping is somewhat detailed. It is this way to make sure the tank does not back up into your house. A septic tank aims to help remove particles heavier than water. It helps them to settle to the tank floor hence forming the sludge layer. Whereas for particles lighter than water, septic tanks let them float to the surface and remain in the tank, thus creating a scum layer.
- The first step is to empty the tank of all liquid, solid waste, and sludge accumulated over time with the help of a vacuum. Over time, gunk builds up in the tank’s bottom.
- In an undrained and unpumped tank, it can be tough to remove sludge. To break it up, we may need to add more water or use a pressure nozzle.
- During the two to three days that wastewater remains in the septic tank, biodegradable organics in the septic tank assist in degrading into less complex organic compounds in the absence of oxygen. Seeing as septic tanks are as cold as the soil around them, anaerobic bacteria require higher temperatures to effectively decompose the organic material in the wastewater, reducing the biological oxygen demand of the wastewater; this decomposition process is slow and largely ineffective.
- Finally, the anaerobically treated wastewater is piped to additional treatment units or distributed to the soil absorption region after leaving the septic tank.
- The septic tank slowly fills with solids from the bottom-up and top-down by retaining the heavy (settleable) and lighter (floatable) wastes.
- When the septic tank meets the outer pipe, it directs it into the drain field. The position of this pipe should be near the top of the septic tank that connects to the drain field, which is a specific section of your yard. The dirt filters the water, preventing groundwater pollution in the area.
How Often Should You Pump Your Tank?
Most homeowners need to pump their septic tank every 3-5 years, depending on the size of the tank and the volume of wastewater created by the family. Plumbers look at the number of people living in the particular home to determine the size of the septic tank to install. Five years is usually sufficient for two people. It is advisable to get the tank pumped every three or four years for a family of three to four individuals in order to avoid septic tank issues. If you have a family of more than four individuals, you should have the tank drained every three years at the very least.
How To Know Your Septic Tank Needs Pumping?
- When you detect sewage in the vicinity of your drain field or septic tank, you have to get your septic tank pumped. Any septic tanks and septic drain fields should be odor-free, both outside and within your home. The odors you perceive are due to carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen sulfide, all of which are prevalent in household garbage.
- When you need to pump wastewater from a septic tank or sewage treatment facility to a higher level, you will have to get a septic tank pump.
- When bacteria can not break down all of the solid waste, it can cause an increase in a foul odor. Septic tanks are home to a wide range of bacteria that are potentially harmful to your health. It may be due to more filth flowing in than the bacteria can break down, resulting in a gradual build-up of excrement.
- If the final sewage disposal point is upslope from the septic tank outlet, preventing wastewater from flowing there by gravity.
- If the sludge is more than a third of the tank depth, call a plumber right away.
- If your sinks and bathtubs are not draining as they usually do, it is time to look into a septic tank service to clean up everything.
How To Take Care of Your Septic Tank?
After having the septic tank pumped, it is crucial to maintain its condition. Everything that goes down your drains, whether flushed, ground in the garbage disposal, or poured down the sink, shower, or bath, ends up in your septic system. The quality of your septic system is influenced by what goes down the drain. Your septic system is not a trash can. A simple rule to follow: make sure not to flush anything besides human waste and toilet paper.
Furthermore, In a typical single-family home, the average indoor water use per person per day is nearly 70 gallons. A single leaky or continuously running toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water per day. The septic system collects all of the water that a homeowner sends down its pipes. Less water enters the septic system when a home conserves water.
Last Words
Lastly, when you contact a septic service company, they will inspect your septic tank for leaks and analyze the scum and sludge layers. It is a good idea to keep track of the work done on your septic tank. Electrical float switches, pumps, and mechanical components in alternative systems should be tested as frequently as possible, at least once a year.
When you stated that it is recommended to have your septic tank pumped every three to four years for a family of three, you caught my attention. I’ll make sure to get our septic tank serviced as soon as I can in light of this. We’ve been having clogs and problems because of smells coming from our plumbing equipment, and we have to take into account the fact that our tank hasn’t received any maintenance since it was installed more than 4 years ago.
When you said that if your sinks and bathtubs are not draining as they typically do, it’s time to check into a septic tank service, it drew my eye. I will keep this in mind as I intend to construct a septic system within the next month for improved wastewater management. I must make sure I can take good care of it to prevent anything from happening that would require expensive repairs. I appreciate you sharing this.
Thank you for suggesting finding a septic tank service to clean the system if the drains and sinks have become sluggish. The shower drains are so sluggish, water pools around my feet after showering. I won’t wait until the kitchen and bathroom sink become clogged before I hire a professional.
Thank you for letting us know that it is recommended that homeowners get their septic tanks pumped every 3-5 years, depending on the size of their household and their septic tank. Coincidentally, it’s almost three years since we had our tank installed so we might need to get it pumped soon as well. I’ll have to get in touch with a septic company and see if I can book an appointment for it soon.
I appreciate you explaining that, in order to avoid septic tank issues, it is advised that a family of three to four people have the system pumped out every 3 to 4 years. As he has discovered sewage near to my parents’ septic tank, a friend of my parents believes he has to have his tank pumped. He is curious as to how frequently he should do it in order to prevent this type of issue. I appreciate you teaching me about septic tank pumping.
Thank you for informing us that septic tanks will need pumping if we notice that our sinks and bathtubs haven’t been draining as quickly as they usually do. It’s been around 3 years since I got our septic system installed, so I was wondering if the slow drains meant it needs cleaning soon. I’ll keep this in mind and call a septic company for a pumping appointment this weekend.
Thank you for explaining that you know you should pump your tank if your sinks and bathtubs aren’t draining how they normally do. My sister was telling me that she’s been having some problems with the drains in her home. I’ll have to share this with her since I know that she has a septic system for her home.
I appreciate that you explained for a household of three to four people, it is recommended to have the tank pumped out every three to four years in order to prevent septic tank problems. My parents’ friend thinks he need a septic tank pumping as he find sewage close to their septic tank and he wants to know how often do he need to pump his tank in order to avoid this kind of problem. I appreciate you helping me learn about The Basics of Septic Tank Pumping.
Thanks so much for explaining that if the sludge takes up a third of the tank then it is time to pump it. My brother has had his septic tank for a while and has been thinking about having it pumped. Knowing the signs that the tank needs to be pumped will help in deciding if he should call someone.
It was nice to learn that the majority of homeowners should pump their septic tanks every three to five years. My septic tank has recently started to smell, therefore I know there’s a problem and I want to have it addressed right away! I’m grateful for the knowledge on septic systems, and I’m hope to hire a reliable business to service my house soon.
Thank you for explaining that it’s important to make sure that you don’t flush anything besides human waste and toilet paper. My friend was wondering what is okay to flush with a septic system since moving into her new home. I’ll be sure to share this with her so that she knows to avoid anything other than these two things.
Thanks for pointing out that you must look into a septic tank service when your sinks and bathtubs are not draining as they usually do. I will surely do this tip because our toilet and kitchen sink has been clogged since yesterday, and foul odors have been surrounding our house. I have to consider that our septic tank has never been serviced since it was installed 4 years ago.
I did not know there were so many types of septic tanks from concrete to plastic. There are also single or dual chambers. I think contacting a great septic service would give us a lot of more personalized information for our circumstances. After moving into a rural area, we have a lot of questions.
It’s interesting that you point out that septic tank pumps are small electrical water pumps that submerge in sewage. As the chamber fills with water, a float switch will turn the pump on and off. I want to make sure that my septic tank continues to function, so I’m thinking about having it pumped this month. I’m going to look for a reliable septic tank pumping service in my area that I can hire.
You got my attention when you said that to avoid septic tank issues, it is advisable to get your septic tank pumped every 3-4 years for a family of three. With this in mind, I will be sure to have our septic tank serviced as soon as possible. We have been experiencing clogs and getting troubles due to the foul odors from our plumbing appliances, and we have to consider that our tank has never been serviced since it was installed more than 4 years ago.
You got my attention when you said that septic tanks require to be pumped every 3-5 years, depending on the number of people living in the particular home and the tank’s size. With this in mind, I will be sure to have our septic tank pumped as soon as possible. It has never been serviced since it was installed 4 years ago, and we have been experiencing intermittent clogs.
The septic tank at my house is leaking and I need to get it repaired. I never knew that if a house has more than four individuals, the septic tank should be drained at least every three years! Thanks for the info and after repairing the septic tank, I will make sure to look after its condition well.
I never realized that septic tanks must be pumped every 3-5 years to avoid septic issues. This is something that I failed to remember so our septic tank must have been damaged. Since Saturday, we have been experiencing clogs in both the kitchen and toilet since our septic system has never been serviced since it was installed 4 years ago.
It caught my attention when you said that it’s time to look into a septic tank service if your sinks and bathtubs are not draining as they usually do. This is something that I will remember because I am planning to have a septic system installed within the month for better wastewater management. It’s important for me to ensure that I will be able to properly care for it to avoid anything that can lead to costly repairs. Thanks for sharing this.
It is good to know that septic pumping is necessary if your sink is not draining properly. My husband noticed that our bathroom sink drains slowly. We’ll have to get our septic tank pumped soon.
You got my attention when you said that an increase in a foul odor could be expected when bacteria can not break down all of the solid waste. With this in mind, I will be sure to hire a septic company that offers tank pumping services. I spent 5 days out of the country, and I was surprised to be welcomed by sewage smells when I got home. Thanks for sharing this.
You got my attention when you said that an increase in a foul odor could be expected when bacteria can not break down all of the solid waste. With this in mind, I will be sure to hire a professional that can service our septic tank. It was installed 3 years ago and has never been serviced. Since last Monday morning, it has been causing sewage odors in our house.
It’s interesting that you point out that septic tanks need to be pumped on a regular basis in order to work correctly. I want to make sure that my septic tank continues to function, so I’m thinking about having it pumped this month. I’m going to look for a reliable septic tank pumping service in my area that I can hire.
I recently had a conversation with my uncle on the phone last Saturday afternoon where he told me he is looking to hire septic tank pumping services. His noticed a rancid smell coming from his kitchen sink which seems to get clogged more often than usual now. I offered to help him look into it and that’s how I found your incredible article here. My favorite part has to be where you explained that when bacteria cannot break down all of the solid waste, it can cause an increase in a foul odor. This is a good point you mentioned here, which I’m sure those like my uncle will be glad to have heard of. Thanks! I’ll send this over to him later today!
It caught my attention when you said that you must have your tank pumped every 3-5 years. As you said, it would depend on the size of the tank. With this in mind, I will hire a professional that could service our septic system. Our toilets have been making gurgling noises. If I remember it correctly, we had the system installed more than 3 years ago, and it has never been serviced.
Thanks a lot for sharing such useful information about septic tank pumping. Kindly share the cost of the annual inspection of septic tank pumping.