If your home is on a septic system, you probably understand the importance of regular septic tank pumping. Unless the accumulation of solid material is regularly cleaned out of the tank, the system could cause waste water containing untreated sewage to back up into the sink, tub, and shower drains inside your home. In addition, an overflowing septic tank can cause permanent damage to the leach field.
Regular septic tank pumping avoids these problems and helps keep your septic system healthy and working great for years. A question that arises frequently is how often should the septic tank be pumped? There is no easy answer to this question because it depends on many different factors.
The easy answer is that the septic tank should be pumped when it is getting full. Unfortunately, septic tanks don’t have gauges on them like your car’s gas tank to tell you when they are full. However, you can find out the level in your septic tank by having an annual inspection by a good sewer septic professional. Your septic tank inspector will measure the level of solid material and let you know if it is time to have the tank pumped.
For most homeowners, having the tank pumped every three to five years is typical. However, a home that has a high volume of waste water or an undersized septic tank will need more frequent septic tank pumping. The opposite is also true: all else being equal, a larger septic tank will need less frequent septic tank pumping. If you have a small family that creates a relatively smaller amount of wastewater, you can probably go a little longer between septic tank pumping than a large family that creates larger amounts of waste water.
