Pumping your septic services on a regular basis helps to keep waste from building up in the system and causing problems for you and your family. Keeping this task on a routine schedule is one of the best ways to extend the life of your septic system, saving you money in maintenance costs and protecting your home and yard from costly repairs.
How Often Should You Pump Your Septic Tank?
Whether you are planning to sell your residential property or not, having your septic tank pumped and cleaned on a regular basis is an important part of keeping your home in good condition. Prospective buyers will want to know the status of your septic system, and an overflowing tank can be a deal-breaker for some people.
The septic system is designed to treat liquid waste from toilets and drains and to separate solid waste from it. The liquid waste is drained out of the tank into a leach field, where gravity pulls it downward to a series of perforated pipes that allow it to be filtered by soil. The solid waste in the tank is broken down by anaerobic bacteria and eventually washed into a sludge layer in the bottom of the tank.
There are some things that you can do to help prevent the need for septic tank pumping, including only flushing human waste and toilet paper and avoiding pouring grease down drains or garbage disposals. It is also a good idea to plant grass and shallow-rooted shrubs over the absorption field to reduce the risk of clogging by roots.
