If your home or business is on a septic system, having your septic tank pumped is a part of regular maintenance. The purpose of pumping is to remove all of the sludge and remaining solids to ensure that the septic system continues working as it should. If you let the sludge and solids build up too much, waste can back up into your plumbing. The drain field can also be damaged. Here are some factors to consider when choosing a maintenance timeline for your septic system.
Factors That Influence Frequency of Pumpouts
The general recommendations for sizing a septic tank is based on how many bedrooms a house has. A 1,000-gallon tank is considered the minimum requirement and is normally sufficient for up to a three-bedroom house. For every additional bedroom, the recommendation is an additional 250 gallons of tank capacity. That means you’d typically need between a 1,250- and 1,500-gallon tank for a five- to six-person household. If you have additional sources of wastewater like bidets or a large bathtub, you may need a larger tank or a more frequent pumping schedule.
Commercial properties often don’t need as large of a septic tank and may not need to have the tank pumped as often. That’s because you have a lower proportion of gray water going into the septic system from things like showering, washing dishes and doing laundry. Restaurants are an exception to this rule of thumb due to the water used for dishwashing.
Another factor that can play a significant role in how quickly a septic tank starts to fill up is the materials that go down the building’s drains and toilets. For instance, only using septic-safe toilet paper helps to prevent a septic tank from filling up as much. Septic-safe toilet paper is thinner than normal toilet paper and breaks up into smaller pieces when flushed.
It doesn’t take up as much space and also gets broken down into sludge by the bacteria in the tank faster. The other reason is that septic-safe toilet paper doesn’t contain bleach or other chemicals that could harm the bacteria in the tank. This is also true of other septic-safe products like cleaning agents, soaps and detergents.
Regularly pouring bleach or other harsh chemicals down the drain will change the bacterial content of the septic tank so that it needs to be pumped sooner than it normally would. That’s because the chemicals end up killing off some of the bacteria in the tank, leading to the tank filling up faster as a result of the waste and solids not getting broken down properly.
Flushing feminine hygiene products and any type of wipes will also cause your septic tank to fill much faster and increase the chances of it clogging as well. That’s because these things stay intact when flushed and don’t get broken down by the bacteria in the septic tank. It’s also not recommended to use a garbage disposal with a septic system. The bacteria will break down food scraps fairly quickly, but the sludge layer will still build up faster.
How to Know When Your Septic Tank Needs to Be Pumped
There’s only one way to accurately determine if a septic tank needs to be pumped, and that’s to remove the cover and measure the level of the sludge and solids. The recommendation is that you should pump a septic tank once the sludge and solid layer fills up around 1/3 of the tank.
While you could try to measure the amount of sludge in your septic tank yourself, it will require you to do some digging to unearth the covers. The bigger issue is that it’s tough to get an accurate measurement unless you know the exact dimensions and volume of your septic tank. This is why it’s best to have a professional check out your septic tank every year.
Not only will they be able to accurately determine how much sludge and solid waste is in the tank, but they can also make sure that your septic system doesn’t have any issues. If they determine that the tank is starting to get too full, they can schedule or perform a pumpout at that time.
There are also some signs you should watch for that can indicate that either your septic tank is getting too full or your septic system has some other issue. One obvious sign that you need to contact a septic service immediately is if you have sewage backing up inside your house. This usually indicates that there’s a clog somewhere in the septic system, but it can also be a sign that the septic tank is so full that it can’t accept additional waste. Slow drains and toilets throughout the building are also a sign that you should have your septic system inspected.
Inspections also provide a look at the age and functionality of your system. If your septic system is nearing the end of its functional lifespan and your drainfield is no longer efficient, you may need more frequent pumpouts. At that point, replacement may be a better choice than repair. However, work with a septic professional to discover which options are best for your personal circumstances.
What Happens if You Let a Septic Tank Get Too Full?
Having sewage back up inside the building isn’t the only concern if you let a septic tank get too full. The other issue is that the tank could start to overflow. Wastewater always flows out of the tank and into the drain field when you use your plumbing. This isn’t a concern, as the water has already been partially treated by the bacteria in the tank and then finishes getting treated by bacteria in the soil.
What is a concern is if the solid layer in the tank rises to the height of the outlet baffle, as this can result in solids continually getting flushed out into the drain field. The solids will then usually start to clog up the perforations on the drain field pipes, resulting in water no longer being able to drain and the septic system no longer working.
If this happens, the septic tank will quickly fill up to the point where sewage backs up inside every time you use your plumbing. If the drain field pipes get clogged, the only way you can get your septic system to work again is to dig up the pipes and replace them.
When you need an experienced, reliable sewer, drain, and septic service in the Marion, IL, area, Baker & Sons Plumbing is the one to call. We’ve been in business for nearly 40 years and can professionally handle all of your septic needs. From pumping and inspections to repairs and replacement, our expert team is ready to help however we can. To schedule an inspection and get help determining whether it’s time to pump your septic tank, contact us today.
