How Often Should I Pump My Septic Tank?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 พ.ค. 2022
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I once worked at a place that had septic tanks cleaned every year regardless if the toilets were used or not. It was a small engine machine shop where we mostly only washed our hands, but the owners based our water usage to when to clean the septic. This was generally a bad idea because everytime the septic tank was cleaned there was not enough bacteria left and produced by the daily usage to work in the tank. Which caused our septic inspection to fail each year because they couldn't "smell" the right stuff and thought that everything was flowing out to the drain field. It got to a point that we had a teen temp video tape the whole operation for the inspector each year because no one believed us. Needless to say, once the fastfood places started to pop up around the site, there wasnt a problem with the inspector anymore. LOL
The best solution we've found is simply asking the septic pumping dude.
When we get our septic tank pumped, we ask what they think and they're usually fairly nice and straight forward. Turns out when people work with crap everyday, they're typically not full of it.
Nice turn of phrase 👍👍
That's what I tell people who ask as well. Depends on system and usage. Got a family member who now lives alone in a 12,000 sqft house that was built for family of 6 with 2500 gallon tank. 10 years and still not to 33% solids
I've lived on septic tanks my whole life and my parents are good about frequent pumping. Was told by the septic guy to pump more often if there are a lot of females in the home because of the high Toilet paper use
Yes that's exactly why I got a bidet. Went from 2 rolls a week to 1 a month to just pat dry
The two females (and males) in our household all put TP in the trash.
All tp goes in trash unless it's a guest in my home and I don't ask them to do that.
That would make sense. I've seen the usage when females are involved!!
As usual, I tend to be the exception to things. My toilet paper use is highly conservative. My husband actually uses more than I do. Since I'm the one who buys it and keeps track of it, and I know what I use, it's not much of a mystery.
This was a great PSA! After spending $30k to replace the septic system when we purchased our home 18 years ago, I pump every year. As you mentioned, that filter needs to be cleaned every year. If I’m going to pop the lids to clean that filter, then the septic guy does it while he’s pumping the tank. 18+ years of service and still working like day 1!
I have seen them last forever and maintaining good levels. Towlet cleaner and some chemical detergents and or roots can definitely effect the life of the septic system in my opinion.
25 years ago, before my sister and left the nest, we moved into a new house. The tank was designed for a normal family of 4 to be cleaned every 3-5 years. My dad was a truck driver and only home on the weekends. I was working two jobs, and really only came home to shower and sleep, before I too started driving truck and was gone all week. So it was just my mom and sister at home all the time. Just before my sister and I moved out, I tested the alarm like I did every year, and it wasn't working. It was something minor. The service provider couldn't believe how little solid waste was in the tank after 5 years. My parents lived there another 7 years and never had to have it emptied.
Conversely my retired parents bought a home with a septic tank that owners swore had been pumped for the sale. 2 elderly folks and one year of my youngest sister living there. So year 2 summer, solids back up, oh what a mess. Pump comes out, the tank was full. So it got cleaned and a few other minor things repaired. Dad was sure it was too much poop from 2 old folks and their few guests in 2 years. We tried to tell him, nooo the seller didn't really pump out before selling. Sad.
First off, don't even have a septic tank but really enjoy your videos for curiousity as wells as perspective from a fellow business owner. Thank you, I've learned a ton about common sense, kindness and transparency. Ever consider offering tank monitoring? Basically putting sensors and a GSM modem into customer tanks and letting them know they are full proactively? I'd pay for that.
I'm literally getting ready to build with septic. Now I know to pump it off every year. Thank you. I love your channel, you don't fuck around, you just tell the truth.
yeah except definitely don’t pump a one year old system
I think the takeaway is "check any any filters and the depth of the layers once a year, but you probably won't have to pump more often than 3 to 5 years depending on size of tank and number of occupants." Pumping every year would be a waste on a modern system that is easy to access and has baffles/filters. There are multiple videos from experts on TH-cam showing how to measure the layers.
I don’t have a septic system but I find this window you provide into your profession fascinating and wish more people would/could have channels like this. Like the TV show Dirty Jobs, most of us are blissfully ignorant of the work it takes to enjoy the level of civilization we take for granted and the people who maintain it.
$30K? Either you are making it up or got royaly ripped off. I replaced the septic system in a cottage we bought a couple of years ago and it cost $4K.
Growing up in my childhood home I had no idea that we where on a septic. Mom never had it pumped. It was probably 40 years since it had been pumped
Holy cow! I'm just a homeowner who's had septic systems. But my thought is, circumstances you've described are like driving a car, but never changing the engine oil. Sooner and or later that system will cease to function. Your screen name indicates you're a plumber? Just curious.
You raised some very good points, gave a well-considered suggestion, and explained why it should be done. You did this from your perspective not only as a septic business owner, but as a home owner who needs to understand why it'll save money in the long run to do an inspection & possible pump-job every year. Because it will save money in the long run. (I am so glad I stumbled across your TikToks a couple years ago, & it's great to see you on TH-cam, too!)
Yep, a valid question and you hope for an honest answer is, "How do you do it at your home?"
So glad I subscribed to your channel and watch your videos. Your saving me money that I can't afford on big projects. Thanks again and as always great job
Moved to PA in 2016 and got a contract with the septic company bc I thought it was a good idea. Turns out it’s required and the township actually calls you every 2 years to remind you it’s time to pump your septic. Having had sewage backing up into my house once in my life, I’m happy to do anything to prevent it from happening again.
Yep, one of life's hard lessons haha.
With my company our Rule of thumbs is the average family of four and last about 4 to 5 years between pump outs but there are also extenuating circumstances in a lot of cases
Does there exist a way for the septic installer to provide a better answer to the specific homeowner?
Maybe a chart where you can look up "size of tank" versus "# of residents" to cross-index to a suggested service interval?
Though, I imagine the age of the leaching field would impact that number up and down.
What a great channel. Keep up the good videos.
Taking a look every year is a great idea, but pumping interval depends highly on usage...i.e. occupancy and habits.
A couple that treats their system right can easily go 10 years before pumping.
I can barely clean my room once a year...
Same for the plumbing at our homes since they're tied to the system. Be careful and thoughtful about what you put into the system. For example, wipe grease from pans, plates and put it in the trash, don't try to wash it down the drain.
My parents septic tank has not been pumped since they built the house in 1984. Seven kids.
Man I wish yall where closer to my area (Jacksonville nc)
I'd definitely hire yall for my septic needs you seem like you run a tight ship and straight forward
Same I'm in Sampson county
Wow, had no clue. New to the channel. My house is 30 years old, original system, never cleaned/pumped. We are cautious with what goes down (no extra grease, no taper towels, no feminine products, no wipes). I guess we’ve been very lucky. Can the inspection be done via the 4” pvc check? (I’m in Ga).
You need to dig and open it to even asses levels, as said here really should be every year. Every 2 is probably acceptable once you have been there a few years and have an idea of how your system runs, but many septic companies have a decent price break if you do yearly inspections so it only ends up being an extra ~$30-60 a year for double the peace of mind. After 30 year you NEED to be planning to have that thing pumped and a full inspection done. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but after that long It is almost certain your field is full of solids or your tank is straight up compromised, and you just have good enough drainage and incompetent enough local inspectors that no one has noticed.
Thanks for the info just had a new septic system installed will take your advice
Our county requires us to pump every 3 years. Sometimes I forget for a year or two. But I also had the installers put in a 4 bathroom gallon tank size for a conventional system. We only had 1 bathroom the first decade and now at 3. And I rinse the filter twice a year.
I live in the Mohave desert in California. Put in risers and an outlet filter to my vintage septic system. The solids tend to very low. The problem is the roots from the desert plants.
System in KS was pumped twice in 25 years. Had about 4 to 5 inches of sludge in the bottom, both times.
Moved to FL, had the tank pumped 10 years ago. Still going strong. Two old people, that only use about a thousand gallons of water a month, and don't dump a bunch of stuff in there that doesn't belong, can go a long time.
I'm no longer on septic , but I use to get mine done every year ... Was just nice to not worry about it .
My inlaws had a small 1950s house. It would get a pump every 10 years or so and was still functioning when they sold the place in 2018. But like most things in the 50s nobody makes them like that anymore.
My old neighbors had to replace their ancient septic system bc they were having problems with it. When they pumped it they saw it was starting to collapse bc it was made of blocks and it also didn’t have a bottom in it.
@@rickershomesteadahobbyfarm3291 what you don't know can't hurt you (but it may cause harm downstream) lol
I'm guessing it was just the two of them living there which means the amount of solids going into the septic was fairly low along with a slower water flow. That means solids had more time to settle before they got to the far side of the tank and into the leach field plumbing. A larger house with kids is going to see a lot more water usage and less time for solids to settle thus they need the bigger 1250 or 1500 gallon tanks. Personally, I think 5 years is a better timeframe for pumping myself having dealt with family on septics over the years.
Great info. Don't have a septic system anymore since I moved. Also I found out you shouldn't have a garbage disposal if you have a septic system. Who knew?
Valuable information.
Thank you
My septic tank guy told us when we got our tank, if you take care if it, then it will tank care of you. Don't put grease in it, don't use flushable wipes and Scott 1000 is the best TP for the tank and we have never had a problem. I have the upmost respect for what you do.
I'll pump out our tank before the holidays. That way it's ready for the guests.
I was actually told by the person who pumped ours that we should have it pumped every 3 year. He said not to wait any longer then 5. I moved into a new place in 2019. We had the new septic system installed at that time. Me and my wife were actually just talking about getting our tank pumped. Funny how this video popped up a couple days later.
Funny... more like Google collected "environmental data" (eaves dropping) and the algorithms put this into your "feed" 🐑🐄🐐
It pooped up.
@@Firedog-ny3cq lol 😂 well that to I guess
@Monkey JumpStarr And still some people think it's a sign from a god or the universe or some other entity
That is one hell of a haircut man!
Great info
Can you do a video on septic safe toilet cleaners/cleaners in general?
I bought my first home in 1979. The seller, a friend of mine said that the septic would probably never need to be pumped, as he had built it himself and it was big. We lived there nine years and had it pumped twice.
My grandfather built his own septic tank and may have over engineered it. After 40 years he checked it, and it was at 2' out of 12.
So I don’t even live where I have a septic tank I live in an apartment building. And I still watched your video because they’re so damn informative. And now I’ll know if someone has a septic question I’ll be able to answer it. Thanks for the info
You would be surprised depending on where you live your apartment complex may be on a septic system
@@jimmysmith6430 well if so the sewer bill I get is fraudulent. Lol I m sure some apartments do have septics. Thanks 😊
@@Diana-ng2xv sewer bill is based off of water usage, they cannot put a meter on the sewage to tell exactly amount, so they just base it off water usage.
@@Diana-ng2xv but not yours¹, right 😏
¹ edit for grammer (your~yours)
@@user-rn3rn6nl3h “but not your right” doesn’t make sense. About what? I’m so confused
Bucketing out the grease trap by hand, and dumping it on the lawn. What childhoods are made of
In Canada we got ours pumped every year or two. Our septic access wasn't buried so it could be monitored easily. we also didn't have a drain field, our water pumped out on the surface. Now we are in missouri and have no idea what we have since everything is underground. really stupid system.
when I had my septic I had it pumped @$250.00 and inspected yearly also we had a mound system and I put mound system Biomat enzymes in yearly just in case. cheeper than replacing a system
My tank got full, no money. I shoveled all the solids out in a field and pumped the liquid into another area. It was winter and no fire hazard, so I burned the solids. Burned for couple days.
Was glad when I got the money to have it pumped.
Ewwwwww . Sodium Hydroxide. Buy 10 bottles pour them all in and take a weeks vacation.
@@joeyl.rowland4153 😂 No money, I hocked stuff to feed us and put gas in the car so I could make it to work.
Measure the solids by fitting and taping a white sock to a 1” diameter pvc and using it as a dip stick.
In Wisconsin you have to have your septic tank inspected at least every 3 years you are not able to inspect it
never if its working properly. I had mine checked after 25 years and the Septic guy said it was fine. Just don't put anything down into the tank witch didn't go through you first, other than dish water.
It should be a self sustaining system. It’s not supposed to just be a repository that needs to be evacuated frequently.
@@psyience3213 thanks for your reply. I totally agree with you. But it is a scary image.
Yeah no James has explained this multiple times on here. Grease is your mortal enemy in a septic tank. Not just poured down the drain but what your body can't process and ends up in the tank. The bacteria in a tank that breaks down solid matter isn't able to break down grease and oils. This then causes it to build up at the top of the water and can end up in the drain field where you never want it to be.
Plus we the amount of body wash, hair shampoo, dish detergent, laundry detergent, and cleaning products that make their way down a drain though the course of daily life your system is going to struggle at maintaining a proper bacterial balance to keep the system self sufficient.
And even if your system is self sufficient some how. You still want to be able to drain the tank and inspect the tank walls for as James just said, cracks, leaks, roots penetrating. And so on. Thing's that not only could result in your tank suddenly collapsing but could also lead to ground water contamination meaning you now have nothing to drink and no where to shit.
Bro you’re looking shredded in your new Peloton commercial
Do you recommend the same yearly clean out and inspection for gravity fed systems without an affluent filter at the outlet ?
here in Estonia we do it every spring.
What would you recommend for a septic system on a property with one small summer cottage with only one toilet used, at most, 4 months per year? In terms of both inspection and cleaning?
So do you recommend Plastic Tanks, or Concrete? What are your "personal" 9 septic tanks made of?
I saw the tictok is going away but I this one. Is this really your page?
Sensible 😁👍 that's why I enjoy watching
I worked rv parks would have all tanks pumped and filters change in beginning of the season!!
Hi I no longer live in a home with a septic tank...however if I was to ever BUY a home with a septic tank. The very first things I would do is 1 dug up tank and have Risers installed IF it wasn't already done or at serface. 2 Buy sludge Judge and test the tank myself and determin the depth of sludge levels tgen have it pumped if NEEDED. I see ZERO reason why a home owner with a tank on site shoukd NOT DO THESE EXACT THINGS if they care at all about there system and saving $$$$
Do you have a video showing the filter
The county I live in, in Texas, requires a contract with a septic company. They come out every month and check your system over. But that's all they do, no preventative maintenance, nothing, anything else cost, even cleaning the air filter ($5.00).
Harris County Texas past a law, that you have a contractor inspection come out an inspect it annually. The company that does mine, does it once a quarter, they come sludge gauge it, and check the chlorine level in the last tank.
Here for the “septic tanks never need to be pumped” comments
RIGHT!!!!
At minimum they need to put a liquid level controller and the pipe going into the septic tank so if it backs up and conducts electricity, it sends a signal inside the house that the water needs to be turned off that a back up is beginning.
So, do you offer contracts to people where for whatevers is resonable, let's say $100 a year just for an example, you will come out and clean and check the filter and let them know if they need additional work done?
My system was pumped Dec 2021 and the tank is about 4 ft under ground. They installed a riser cap on it for me. Is it still possible to do an inspection without digging it all up again?
living at my dads i don't think the septic ever got emptied until he got a house put there in place of the trailer. closest town is a half hour away.
I live in Norway, and here the community service orders a septic cleanup every single year on your property, as we anually pay a small tax for having waste, water and sevage to our home. That way we are sure that everything works as it should and there are no problems. If a tank busts we have to take care of the bill ourselves but this is very rare because many tanks are made of fiberglass and can take many years of abuse.
You need a tripod James. Getting a little motion sickness here. 😅
So, we have a home built in the 50's... had to replace the line from the house immediately after possession... had it cleaned. It's got no filter, 2 people in the house. Should we still pump annually?
I probably need to get my septic tank pumped because I've been living here 10 years and it's never been pumped
Yeah you should do that
I rent in a relatively low income community and my LL only pumps when a problem happens…
I dug other 2 lids up all 3 are full of liquid light brown foam in the 1st tank grabbed my spud bar a could not find any thick 5hitit was completely empty little over a year ago... 2½baths 4 teens 2 adults lots of showers... should I get it pumped again called my guy waiting to hear back
My mother pumps hers every 2 years... and now she feeds it some special enzymes the last company sold her.... she has at least one failed leaching field, and would have fluids draining back into the tank from her field when she would pump it. Like 1400 gallons would get pumped out of her 1200 gallon tank.
We need to build a MASSIVE addition, and I'm trying (failing) to prep her for the fact she is going to need an entirely new system. The old one is more then 40 years old.
Have you EVER known a system to come back from almost failure? Or of an old one that could be added on to instead of 100% removed and re-installed?
Thank you in advance if you answer
Often times the cinder blocks/concrete break down after such a long time and cause It to leak it almost definitely needs to be dug out and totally replaced
I’ve saw people who just replaced the drain lines and they got off pretty cheap.
If it’s backfilling from the drain field, the porous pipes could be clogged or can’t drain properly anymore, depending how they were installed.
40 years for a septic is old. When you get the backhoe out to rip out the old tank, get a couple more hours rental and go dig up the field and replace the pipes. It’s not going to be cheap, but don’t half ass it.
How do I make sure I get a reputable company to come check my septic?
So since you know all your competitors, is there one that wont rip me off in the swain county area?
If you never flush wipes and do a poo a day, how often do you expect the tank to need to be pumped?
Is it cheaper to just do it every year if it needs it out not?
By pumping the tank every year, what should that cost the homeowner? I live in FL by the way. Reasonable balpark question.
I have a septic with a 2 lid tank with risers, and 1 effluent tank. Its a 3 bedroom house built in 2010, but im the only one that occassionally poops at my house. Should i pump every 4 years? Its been 6 years because like i said im the only one pooping solids in the system.
Secondly the drain field is up hill from the tanks and sometimes the septic system gets overwhelmed (as i think water seeps into the solids tank). The high water alarm going off every 2 to 3 weeks and i "hand pump" until the light goes off (30 mins) os my system shot?
You may need to pump it much, much more frequently depending on the amount of consumed Taco Bell. 🤔🤔🤔🤔
I only eat from Taco Bell once every 3 to 5 years.
I'm slightly terrified of this deck job I'm doing. She hasn't ever pumped it...ever.
More often than our landlord does.
What is a drain field? We don't have those here just septic tanks
Btw... you rock!
I usually do mine yearly because that's the "norm" around here
I had lived in a home outside city in Ukraine for some time, we had our septic tank "cap" or "cover" on the ground level. In your videos you have to dig them up, do all americans bury the septic tanks like that?
we've had our tank pumped once since 1990 and that was 10 years ago
I want 21 years without cleaning it and my septic tank cleaning guy said that there was barely anything in it that I could go longer. I’m on 10 years now since the last time I’m going to have it cleaned this spring just to see if he was right, before you freak out, I have a single person household just me and I’m usually gone between 3 to 6 months a year since I bought the house. I don’t use fabric softeners, and I barely use bleach I probably only purchased five jugs of bleach in the last 33 years or so.
The length of time in between clings all depends on how much you’re using it. how many people are in the household? How much laundry do you do?
It depends on if your septic system servicer needs a new boat.
OK now how about the use of toilet paper in septic system. I hear keep a waste can for TP and only flush that. Then I hear if paper says septic go a head and flush it? So what is the correct way so as not to cause issues?
I do mine once a year
I've been in my home since 1990 no problem yet
Have a home from 1920. Didn’t have wiring till 1929/1930s.
The septic tank is literally a foot of concrete. 100 ft away from the well.
Yes I am lucky and have well water. Nothing comes close to well water just wash your Filter or keep your water Systems upkeeped.
So next year, gotcha.
What is the cost difference between cleaning every 1 or 3 years? Also the tank is a fixed size, how hard could it be to calculate how full it is with enough data? After you've just had it serviced.
300%
i cant find this guys business page anyone know how to contact
That's funny because I just asked him this question in the comments of another video.
We pump our tank every 40 years whether it needs it or not.
What do you mean how am I supposed to know when it has 33% solids ? I can just check during my weekly swim.
Do you guys offer services to do that once per year checkup? Idk much about septic systems or what that yearly checkup involves, but it sounds kinda gross and maybe like something some people might not be able to do for whatever reason.
I went 15 years before I decide to have it pumped and the guy said there was almost nothing in it and I could have waited until I told him how long it had been and he simply didn't believe it was that clean after that long other than a box of septic treatment pour down the toilet once every few months I rarely even think about having one but I try not to flush toilet paper or anything that's not human waste that's just habit for my mom septic system that would clog up anytime you flushed toilet paper or anything down it
Strange question, wouldn't it be fairly simple to take a long piece of pipe, could be pvc or steel, lower it in and shove it down put your palm or a cap to hydro lock and pull it up and measure it that way?
Yeah cause filling a 20’ long opaque pvc pipe full of shit is way better
@@psyience3213 I was genuinely asking, I don't know or work in this field lol
If I'm no mistaken that's basically what they do to check solids, just a fancy clear pipe with a bal on a sting. Push to bottom, pull string to close end with ball.. lift measure solids against overall depth.
Just off the top probably once every 3 to 5 years.
If you've a big family or 5 people probably once every year.
Lesson learned. Everything in the home requires basic maintenance. At least once a year.
It's no fun. But having to replace something completely, instead of catching and patching a small something sucks even more.
Dude you are one hour from where I live. And your videos make me wanna ask you for a job only for the expiriance. You have some great knowledge.