Frequently Asked Questions

Yes.  Although we do offer this service, we charge extra.  We recommend the customer uncovers their own lid(s).

A: Most tank have two lids and they both need to be expose in order to clean the system properly.  Older homes, built before 1978, might only have one lid.

A: Paint, paint thinners, gasoline, motor oil, cat litter or coffee grounds, cigarette butts, dental floss, diapers, ear plugs, sanitary napkins or tampons, paper towels or baby wipes, plastics, grease, fat, oil, insect or weed killers, photographic chemicals, solvents.

A: Slow drains, toilets gurgling, washing machine backs up into the bathtub, odor, wet spots outside around tank or drainfield.

A: 2-5 years

As a general rule, you should ideally empty out your septic tank once every two to five years. However, the actual frequency will vary depending on the size of the tank, the usage, and how many people live in your household.  We recommend a family of 4 with a 1000-gallon tank to pump it every 3 years.  If you have a garbage disposal, pump your tank in half the recommended time.

A: The septic tank is usually buried near your house and connected by a sewer pipe to your indoor plumbing.  Newer septic tanks have green access lids, or risers, that are visible at or just above ground level. Some older septic tanks can be located by finding an area of the yard that grows faster and is greener than the rest of the yard, or it may even be an area with less growth. If there is no visible sign of where the tank is situated, contact your local health department. Depending on when your system was installed, the health department may have a permit on record, which should include a diagram showing the location of the system.

A: No, they are not all the same size. Septic tanks are sold in a variety of sizes for numerous applications. The size of the septic tank you need depends on the number of bedrooms in the home, number of people living there, the home’s square footage and whether or not water saving fixtures are used.  Most tanks range from 500-1500 gallons.

A: Yes, your septic tank includes a T-shaped outlet, called a baffle, which prevents sludge and scum from leaving the tank and traveling to the drainfield area. If the bottom of the scum layer is within six inches of the bottom of the outlet baffle, or if the top of the sludge layer is within 12 inches of the outlet baffle, your tank needs to be pumped.  If you neglect your tank and choose not to pump it, you will eventually back up into the house and/or plug up the outlet pipe and drainfield.  

A: It is common to have a septic back up after or even during a heavy rain. Significant rainfall can quickly flood the ground around the soil absorption area (drainfield) leaving it saturated, making it impossible for water to flow out of your septic system.

A: A septic tank should always be “filled” to its normal liquid level, or the bottom of the outlet pipe which carries excess water to the absorption area or drainfield. This normal liquid level is usually between 8” to 12” from the top of the tank on average.  A small family will have a septic tank at normal level within a week of having it pumped.

A: The septic tank, a key component of the septic system, is a large container usually buried near the home that collects sewage and decomposes it through bacterial activity before draining.  The excess liquid is carried away from the tank, through the outlet baffles to the drainfield were it is both, absorbed into the ground and evaporated into the air.

The septic tank serves three main functions:

o Removal of solids. As sewage enters the septic tank, its speed of flow is reduced so that the smaller solids descend to the bottom creating a sludge and larger solids rise to the surface. These solids are retained in the tank, and the clarified effluent with suspended and dissolved solids is discharged.

o Bacterial Action. The solids in the tank are partly degenerated by bacteria and other natural methods. These bacteria are called anaerobic because they thrive in the absence of free oxygen. This decomposition of sewage under anaerobic conditions is termed “septic.”

o Sludge and scum storage. Sludge is the buildup of solids that have broken down and reside at the bottom of the tank, while scum is a somewhat submerged mat of larger floating solids that may form at or close the surface. Space must be present in the tank to store these residues during the interims between pumping. If there is no existing space, the effluent or sewage that has been treated in the septic tank, will ultimately be scoured from the tank and will clog the drainfield and receiving soil.

There are several types of septic tanks:

• Concrete (Precast); the most common

• Fiberglass; used often in “hard to get to” locations because they are easy to carry

• Polyethylene/Plastic Tanks; like fiberglass tanks, these are light, one-piece tanks that can be carried to “hard to get to” locations

• Metal; these were installed around the 1950s.

• Homemade; built on site many years ago.