Tag Archives: pumping

Three-Year Maintenance: Inspection vs. Full Pumping Service

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Have you received notice from your county that your three years are up?  Perhaps you’ve heard about companies advertising 3-year county maintenance inspections for a fraction of the cost of pumping…  There are only a few very specific situations where this would apply.  The statewide law that requires 3-year maintenance on septic systems states that the septic tank must be “less than 1/3 full of combined sludge and scum volume” in order to allow for an inspection only without pumping.  For the vast majority of our customers, this criteria is not met and so a full pumping service is performed to check the full health of the system.

Generally, a house must be vacant for the majority of those three years in order to meet this criteria, or perhaps the system is sitting unused and is currently not hooked up to any plumbing.  Any regular usage to the system will fill the septic tank with sludge and scum waste over 1/3 of the tank capacity and would therefore require pumping.  We also have seen a great benefit to emptying the tanks completely: it allows us to get a good look at the tank and entire system, ensuring all components are in place, in good condition, and doing what they should be doing.  We also clean the filter if your system has one – something not all inspectors do!  Failing to do this can result in back-up issues.

We are able to perform these inspections for the 3-year county maintenance requirement and defer the pumping when it applies.  We understand the intrigue of wanting to get by with an inspection only – give us a call to discuss if this is something that would apply to your septic system!

Do Garbage Disposals Affect a Septic System?

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While garbage disposals may be useful to have in the kitchen, misuse can create unexpected issues.  Depending on how it’s used, it can deliver large amounts of water to the system.  But even more than that, the solids delivered through the garbage disposal don’t settle properly in the septic tank.  Bone fragments and other materials that don’t break down well, like fats, can begin to plug the lines even before reaching the tank.  We recommend limited and proper usage of your garbage disposal, as well as having the septic tank pumped more frequently due to the increased solids.

Septic System vs. Holding Tank- Part 2

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As discussed in our previous post, one of the first steps to understanding the septic service world is understanding the difference between a septic system and a holding tank.

Now we will discuss the basics of septic systems…

First of all, there are different “types” of septic systems (such as conventional, mound, at-grade, in-ground pressurized) but they all function on the same fundamental process.  Waste and water from the house’s plumbing go into a tank(s) where the solid waste & toilet paper sits(natural bacteria helps to “breakdown” that waste).  The liquids from the tank exit the tank via an outlet line and go out to a drainfield in the yard.  The drainfield is constructed with multiple layers through which the liquid filters down and is cleaned.

Septic systems are therefore a little more complicated than holding tanks, where everything sits until a pumper comes to empty it.  With septic systems, they are designed for the tank where the solids sit to be operating with a somewhat “full” level.  (Of course, you don’t want that level to get too high where the solids beginning to reach the inlet or outlet lines or even get all the way up to the cover.)  To keep an eye on the condition of the system, some states require that septic systems be pumped and inspected regularly, perhaps once every few years.  However, many customers find it beneficial to have their system pumped out (having the tanks emptied) and visually inspected, including having a licensed plumber check over the drainfield.

Compared with holding tanks, septic systems are more expensive to install.  However, they generally don’t require the frequent pumping that holding tanks do.  This in itself may be easier on the budget in the long-run.  But septic systems also have more components to them — perhaps a pump, a filter, baffles, etc. — which need to be maintained and, in time, replaced.  These are all factors to consider when building or buying a new home.

If you have questions about the type of system you have, the zoning department at your local county should be able to help you.

 

A Commonly Asked Question…

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In our business, a sure sign that summer is on its way begins this time of year — homeowners start receiving notice that their septic system is due for it’s regular pumping and maintenance.  (Here in Wisconsin, each county requires systems to be pumped and visually inspected at least once every 3 years.)  That means a lot of our day is spent on the phone with our customers, scheduling their system’s pumping and answering any questions they have.

One of the most commonly-asked questions is this…  “Do I have to be home when you come to pump?”  It’s a great question that plays a big part in the scheduling process.  The short answer is: no, not usually.

Why not?  Because for this kind of service (emptying the tank(s), cleaning the filter, visually inspecting the tank(s) and drainfield, etc), the access that our technician needs is outside.  We will therefore ask for the homeowner to make sure the covers are accessible and to provide a garden hose for cleaning the filter, if applicable.  But beyond that, the technician doesn’t generally need much else from the homeowner.  When he’s done with that service, he’ll leave an invoice in the door (unless the customer specifies otherwise) and then be on his way.  This is great news for the homeowner, since he/she doesn’t need to block out part of the day to run home and wait for our technician.

That being said, we perfectly understand if a customer would like to be home when our technician arrives and we will do our best to schedule accordingly.  — And as a reminder, this is mainly just for routine maintenance.  When a homeowner calls and needs quick service due to issues with their system, we often want the homeowner to be present so the technician has access to the house if needed and to be able to answer the customer’s questions right away.

So if you are one of the many who is about to schedule a pumping for your septic system, keep these points in mind.  And don’t be afraid to bring up any questions you may have when you give your local pumper a call.