Septic tank pumping, maintenance and proper usage go hand in hand. Even though you are assured that your septic tank will be in good hands when it is being pumped by local septic tank pumping companies near you, you still need to ensure that your tank is properly maintained and used. This will make it easier for the septic tank pumping professionals to clean your tank, which will keep the fees minimal.
Prepping your septic tank for pumping will make the procedure faster and hassle-free. Following certain guidelines about septic tank care and maintenance will also keep you from hiring experts often. Hence, you won’t have to spend more money on the maintenance and pumping of your septic tank than you should have when you were not taking proper care of your septic system.
How to Maintain and Prep Your Tank for Pumping
Here are some tips on how you can properly use your septic system and prep your tank for pumping. These will not only be useful during maintenance but will also save you during emergencies so keep them in mind.
- Avoid flushing objects that can clog the drain.
Tissues, baby wipes, napkins and other items should not be flushed into the toilet. Even if your toilet system is designed to flush tissue paper, it is still not recommended as it can cause the effluent to not be processed properly. Since tissue paper can accumulate at the tank, the effluent will not be filtered and processed properly and quickly, which will cause the tank to be full before long.
This will cause you to call in septic tank pumping professionals sooner than you expected. This will also make it harder for the pumping professionals to pump out the hard matter that is left from the filtered effluent. This will take more time for them to dissolve the solids and turn them into mushy effluent, which is harder to do when there are a lot of foreign objects inside the tank. The pumping might take more than a day, which will cost you more money.
- Create a schedule for septic tank pumping.
Septic tank pumping intervals depend on the size of the tank and the household using it. Most of the time, an interval of 3 to 5 years is scheduled for average sized tank installed in average sized homes. But of course, your needs might be different from the average household so it is best to ask septic tank pumping professionals about it.
Be wary of experts, though, who would try to schedule you in for a pumping service every 3 to 6 months. Unless your septic tank is too small for your household, you won’t need the service for every few years. Ask different service providers so that you can compare their advice.
- Draw a sketch of your house in relation to the tank.
It would be easier for everyone to have a sketch of your septic system and your house that you can show to your new septic tank pumping experts. This will allow them to decide how they are going to go about the pumping and other services that you might need.
If you have no idea about the plan of your septic system and you have bought your house with the system already installed, you might want to ask the previous owners or the installers about the plan.
- Know where exactly your tank is.
Knowing exactly where your tank is will make it a lot easier for the septic tank servicemen to dig a hole to service the tank. It will also prevent you from damaging your tank when you are going a project.
It is also advisable that you know where the pipes are. This will allow you to protect the areas where the pipes are running to avoid damaging or puncturing them.
- Do not park vehicles on top of the tank.
Parking vehicles on top of a septic tank is not advisable as this can damage the tank itself as well as the pipes connected to it. Locate the position of your tank and make sure that no one parks their vehicles on that spot.
Putting objects that are too heavy is also not advisable especially if your tank is made from plastic as this can easily be damaged by weight.
- Do not plant on the drainfield.
Planting a garden on the drainfield should be prevented if it needs constant watering. Grass is a good alternative, however, as it will keep the soil dry, which can help the system work better.
If you want to cover the drainfield, you might want to choose grass or other small ornamental plants that would not require constant watering. This will help the drainfield to process effluent more efficiently without getting drowned with water from the top surface.
- Know where the septic tank opening is.
Knowing where the tank opening is will save you a lot of time. Since you can point the exact location of the opening to the septic tank pumping professionals, they can start with their work immediately.
Knowing where the opening is will also help with emergency situations. Since you know where septic tank experts can access your septic tank, you enable them to address the problem instantly, which will allow the problem to be resolved without delay. It may not seem necessary at first but once you start having problems with your septic system, you will soon realize how important this small detail is. Hence, before you need to know where your tank opening is, look for it and mark it.
Septic tank maintenance and pumping should be done periodically to avoid problems with the septic system. This will keep the contents from getting too compacted, which will make the pumping easier. Periodical pumping will also prevent the tank from overflowing, which can cost a lot to repair. Moreover, periodical pumping and proper maintenance will help keep your septic tank usable for a long period of time without the need for major repairs.
Getting Free Estimates & Quotes
Getting your septic tank pumped at the best price does not need to be hard – simply get free estimates or quotes by filling out the form at the top of this page, and we’ll make sure to connect you with the most relevant contractors in your area.