John in OH
Well-known member
My county in VA requires a septic system inspection every 5 years .... no specification on pumping intervals. County in OH has no requirements at all once the final installation inspection is complete.
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How often do you have your spetic tank pumped?
- Thread starter daddycreswell
- Start date
Radix2
Well-known member
I was also told that a properly functioning septic tank never needs pumped. There are natural enzymes and bacteria that break down the solids into liquids and flow out the leach, it doesn't stay poo forever. The problem now a days is that it is hard for a septic tank to stay properly functioning. All the dishwashing and clothes washing chemicals and grease go down the drain and kill off those natural enzymes and bacteria, thats when the solids start to accumulate. Continually adding RID X helps replace those killed off enzymes with new ones but how often do we forget to add that regularly? That's why it is a good idea to pump, more than likely people haven't been good about adding new enzymes and bacteria to keep their septic functioning properly. That said, family of 5 going on 11 years without pumping. I will soon, but its only because I know that i haven't been good about adding new bacteria on a regular basis.
The need to add bacteria is mostly marketing nonsense. Every time you take a **** or wash dirt off, there is a whole load of new bacteria going in. The disrupters to the bacteria in the tank are loads of antibiotics or bleach or other strong chemicals dumped down the drain - unless something like this happens, there should be plenty in there.
In any case, just as there is ash left after a fire, there is still some fraction of waste (and plain old sand and dirt) that is not broken down by the bacteria (which basically oxidizes the organics is just like a fire burns them up) that accumulate over time.
At some point, this accumulation will cause the waste to be pushed out to the drain field which can clog and damage it.
Without pumping and or inspecting, you simply have no idea how close you are to damage occurring. Once you have a problem that is noticeable in the drainfield, it is too late.
It is simply untrue that even under ideal conditions that a tank does not need pumping. It may last a darn long time, but without at least getting a stick in there and seeing how deep the sediment is, it is a **** shoot.
Professur
Well-known member
1) How is this by-law enforced, meaning how does the municipal know if you're keeping the 2 year schedule?
2) In Pa. if you have your own septic its illegal to install a garbage disposal.
3) Never use colored TP, it does not break down easily.
4) If or when you do open up the holding tank and bugs come out, its working properly
5) Some of our laws are illogical regarding septic i.e. Inside shower must drain to septic, outside shower can drain to ground.
A copy of the paid bill has to be forwarded to the town hall. Holding tanks like mine they send someone around every few years to pour a dye into it. Some weeks later they return to look for any evidence of leakage. I'm told it will rise to the surface if it makes it out of the tank. Dunno how that might work, as the entire yard is nothing but sand. But they caught a neighbour some years back with the same tank as me. The seal around the top of the concrete tank had failed. And since these tanks are no longer accepted as code, he couldn't repair it. Had to have the whole shooting match pulled and replaced with some hugely expensive new system that's full of peat moss.
tweidman
Well-known member
One thing I did not see anyone mention, is inspecting the tank. I like to have mine pumped every few years and inspected. If the baffles are off or not functioning then even if the tank is empty of solids, the affluent can mess up the field.
If you have a tank or baffle issue, it most likely won't take years and years to mess up your drain field.
IMHO, it is very cheap insurance to have it pumped every two or three years, vs. paying 20 or 30k for replacing a septic.
If you have a tank or baffle issue, it most likely won't take years and years to mess up your drain field.
IMHO, it is very cheap insurance to have it pumped every two or three years, vs. paying 20 or 30k for replacing a septic.
pmiranda
Well-known member
Even if you don't get it pumped, I'd get it inspected every few years. In some places, you can't replace the drain field, you have to dig a whole new one.
Thats one thing I'm not looking forward to at our new lot. I've been on city sewer for 30 years and it's nice.
Thats one thing I'm not looking forward to at our new lot. I've been on city sewer for 30 years and it's nice.
ForceFed70
Well-known member
Modern Septic systems are designed to be pumped.
Yes, bacteria breaks down *MOST* of the solids, but there's some that just doesn't break down.
We have a 600gallon tank, family of 4 (2 small boys). Last interval was 4 years and septic guy said it was just getting due - could maybe have squeezed in another year. Realtor told us every year, but septic guy was like "I don't want to turn away business, but it was a waste to pump your tank. Recommend you want longer next time"
Good company to deal with, but at $375 a visit they're not cheap!
Yes, bacteria breaks down *MOST* of the solids, but there's some that just doesn't break down.
We have a 600gallon tank, family of 4 (2 small boys). Last interval was 4 years and septic guy said it was just getting due - could maybe have squeezed in another year. Realtor told us every year, but septic guy was like "I don't want to turn away business, but it was a waste to pump your tank. Recommend you want longer next time"
Good company to deal with, but at $375 a visit they're not cheap!
CJ7VFR
Well-known member
....Last interval was 4 years and septic guy said it was just getting due - could maybe have squeezed in another year. Realtor told us every year, but septic guy was like "I don't want to turn away business, but it was a waste to pump your tank. Recommend you want longer next time"....
That is a very honest business man right there!
Mine was the same when we bought our house. They gave us their card with the amount of people/size of tank(s) on it that is used to determine suggested pumping intervals.
My pumping interval showed a 7-8 year cycle. The guy was honest with me and said if we want, he can come out and inspect it about a year before we think we might want it pumped out, and he could tell us when it would be ready to pump. He said every household is different, and the pumping interval was a suggested interval, and we could go longer or require pumping sooner depending on how the septic system was functioning. The inspection was a pretty reasonable charge.
I thought that was a good idea.
Jim
Crazyjake8493
Well-known member
Mine was put in new 15 years ago, and I've been here 5 years. Never been pumped. Only one person lived here it's first 10 years, then I lived here alone for 4 years. Now it's two of us here, but we're hardly ever home, so that probably helps.
CJ7VFR
Well-known member
Mine was put in new 15 years ago, and I've been here 5 years. Never been pumped. Only one person lived here it's first 10 years, then I lived here alone for 4 years. Now it's two of us here, but we're hardly ever home, so that probably helps.
Did you have to have the septic system pumped as a condition of you purchasing the house?
In New Jersey, that is a condition of the sale if the home has a septic system. The township that you live in has to have paperwork showing the septic system was pumped, inspected, and working properly before they will issue a new COO to the new owners.
Jim
I imagine where I'm from a lot of people still straight pipe to the creek....
i see that all the time way out in the county, people pipe to daylight and leave it on the ground
Once you know how much a new system costs, $40 a year for a pump out every 3 years is a pretty awesome insurance policy.
^^^ On what planet will they pump out a septic tank for $40? Did you forget a decimal point?
coldh2o
Well-known member
The need to add bacteria is mostly marketing nonsense. Every time you take a **** or wash dirt off, there is a whole load of new bacteria going in. The disrupters to the bacteria in the tank are loads of antibiotics or bleach or other strong chemicals dumped down the drain - unless something like this happens, there should be plenty in there.
In any case, just as there is ash left after a fire, there is still some fraction of waste (and plain old sand and dirt) that is not broken down by the bacteria (which basically oxidizes the organics is just like a fire burns them up) that accumulate over time.
At some point, this accumulation will cause the waste to be pushed out to the drain field which can clog and damage it.
Without pumping and or inspecting, you simply have no idea how close you are to damage occurring. Once you have a problem that is noticeable in the drainfield, it is too late.
It is simply untrue that even under ideal conditions that a tank does not need pumping. It may last a darn long time, but without at least getting a stick in there and seeing how deep the sediment is, it is a **** shoot.
+1, best advice yet.
rustyjames
Well-known member
Did you have to have the septic system pumped as a condition of you purchasing the house?
In New Jersey, that is a condition of the sale if the home has a septic system. The township that you live in has to have paperwork showing the septic system was pumped, inspected, and working properly before they will issue a new COO to the new owners.
Jim
I didn't have to have mine pumped 5 years ago when I made a purchase. But, I did when I bought a property about 30 years ago in the same township.
rburke65
Well-known member
Just my wife and I, and we both worked, so in the 38 years we have been here, I have had it pumps out twice.
Jeepster04
Well-known member
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Did your parents place have a septic tank/leeching field, or did they have a cesspool system?
Where I grew up we had a cesspool system, which is different than a traditional septic system. I don't ever remember my dad having our cesspool pumped out until all the houses on our street were switched over to the newly installed city water and sewer system.
Everyone who had a cesspool or a more modern septic system had to have their systems pumped out, the cesspools filled in and the septic system tanks removed and the holes filled in.
I think that a "traditional" septic system, if working properly, would not need to have any type of product with yeast in it added to it if it was a perfectly working system. But as others have said, with all the things that get flushed or put down the drain that are not meant to be there, over time, even if the "****" was eaten away by the good bacteria, the other things that are not biodegradable would remain, and need to be pumped out before they got loose and made their way into the leeching field pipes and clogged everything up. That would be very expensive to replace versus pumping out your septic tank(s) every so often.
I look at it just like I do any type of insurance you have on your car or house or your own health insurance.
You may never need it, but when you do, it's a lot cheaper on your wallet than if you didn't have it.
Jim
It was just a tank with a drain field. As simple as it gets, didn't even have a partition wall in the tank.
Suppose its true that you cant control what everyone puts down the drain. We were always very cautious what we put down the drain.
TractorJeff
Well-known member
My guy charges around $120 and I'm on a 3 year schedule which is $40 a year payout. Cheap Insurance in my opinion!
Plus he does the neighbors tank at the same time from my driveway so we both make out on the deal!
Plus he does the neighbors tank at the same time from my driveway so we both make out on the deal!
BADSIX
Well-known member
^^^are you sure its not 120.00 a visit. 40.00 doesn't seem right he couldn't afford to drive the truck for that much, then they have to get rid of the stuff.
Jay D.
Jay D.
CJ7VFR
Well-known member
^^^are you sure its not 120.00 a visit. 40.00 doesn't seem right he couldn't afford to drive the truck for that much, then they have to get rid of the stuff.
Jay D.
He said it was $120 to pump it out for each visit. He is on a 3 year cycle, which means he gets his septic system pumped out once every three years. He is dividing that $120 by 3 which works out to $40 a year:
My guy charges around $120 and I'm on a 3 year schedule which is $40 a year payout....
Or, think of it this way. He puts $40 a year in an envelope labeled "Septic System Pump Out", and in three years he has $120. Then he calls the septic guy to come and pump his tank and pays him the $120. Then he starts the cycle of saving the $40 a year all over again for 3 more years until his next pumping is due, and costs $120.
I will say that even at $120, that is dirt cheap compared to what it costs to pump out septic tanks around where I live in NJ.
Jim
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Outlander
Well-known member
1200g holding tank at the cottage pumped every 2 years whether it needs it or not .. municipal by-law.
Exactly this. Cost me $170 (taxes in) this year
Outlander
Well-known member
1200g holding tank at the cottage pumped every 2 years whether it needs it or not .. municipal by-law.
Exactly this. Cost me $170 (taxes in) this year
mikhett
Well-known member
Im in southern NJ.I built my house myself serving as subcontractor.The septic install was 15,000 in 1997.the framer charged me 7000 for a 2600 sq ft house.I always pump out my septic every 4 yrs.1000 gallon tank.Just me and my wife and occasionally my 5 grand kids.CHEAP INSURANCE!
cactiki
Well-known member
"Some people" rig up their washing machines to dump water out to the yard. It's called grey water, and believe it or not it is actually legal in Crazyforni@. Probably because of our droughts. "Some people" even do this with their showers. Saves hundreds of gallons per week from going into the septic system.
Pluribus
Well-known member
One person, no garbage disposal, gray-water laundry, modern ABS(?) tank, gravity drainfield with infiltrators...will likely shoot for once every 7'ish years for pumping.
As of about 5 years ago, it was running $300 or $350 for a 1,000 gallon tank.
I don't believe in the additive hype. In the words of a highly recommended septic company owner, "If it makes you feel better to put something in your septic system, put baking soda in it. It won't help, but it won't hurt anything either. Everything your septic needs comes out of you."
As of about 5 years ago, it was running $300 or $350 for a 1,000 gallon tank.
I don't believe in the additive hype. In the words of a highly recommended septic company owner, "If it makes you feel better to put something in your septic system, put baking soda in it. It won't help, but it won't hurt anything either. Everything your septic needs comes out of you."
djbmw
Well-known member
Its been many many years since ours was pumped (we've lived here for 5 and the previous owner didnt remember ever having it done). We have a dual compartment septic tank and leachfield. I check the tank compartments every summer with my depth stick to see how thick the scum and sludge layers are. I dont see the need to get it pumped as long as those levels are well within normal spec.