Septic tank pumping
One of the most important jobs if you own a septic tank is to empty it of solids regularly. Otherwise known as septic tank pumping, it’s a vital job which stops your tank from overflowing and ultimately breaking. By pumping out the solid waste, you can help your septic tank last for decades.
What is septic tank pumping?
Some people call it septic tank pumping, some call it septic tank emptying. However you say it, it’s the same thing – removing solid waste from your septic tank. The way tanks work is they separate your solid waste from liquid waste and deal with each differently.
Whilst liquid waste is, eventually, released back into the environment, solid waste is stored at the bottom of your septic tank. Of course, your tank only has so much space, and this waste needs to be manually emptied periodically. If you don’t, and the tank fills with solid waste, you are going to see major problems. These include drain blockages and backups, terrible smells and even waste spilling out onto your property.
Fortunately, this is all avoidable.
Why should I invest in septic tank pumping?
Regular septic tank pumping is essential for several reasons. Primarily, it stops your tank from clogging up and causing waste backups into your system. Once this starts to happen you’ll have even bigger problems on your hands, like overflowing toilets, smelly drains and even flooded floors.
Sometimes the flooding can occur outside, if the pressure is too much for one of your drainage pipes. This can lead to smelly areas on your property, as well as environmental contamination.
However, regular septic tank emptying will also increase the life expectancy of your tank. If a tank is put under continuous strain due to a lack of emptying, it will absolutely fail much sooner than one which is maintained correctly. The difference in cost between having your tank pumped and having your tank replaced is considerable.
Having a clean and empty tank means everything works perfectly. This includes the good bacteria which performs an important cleaning function. Too much solid waste can cause an imbalance of chemicals and nutrients, killing this bacteria meaning your waste water is not correctly cleaned before being released. This, again, can cause awful smells around your property.
How often should you have a septic tank emptied?
This is one of those questions that is difficult to answer without knowing more details. For example, how big is your tank? How often is it used? How many people use it throughout the year? A septic tank at a holiday or second home will require emptying less than one for a large family home. Give us a call and we can quickly give you an estimate of how often you should be looking at emptying your tank. Even if you are not sure when it was last pumped, we can come and evaluate it and let you know our thoughts.
Septic tank pumping in Scotland and Northern England
Septic tank pumping is an important part of keeping your waste system healthy. It is also a vital step in ensuring its long life, too. Pumping will keep it free from overflowing, smelling and flooding your property. Give us a call now to discuss your septic tank pumping needs, and we’ll happily take a look for you.