Septic Tanks & Systems Residential or Commercial

Why is it necessary to pump a septic tank?

The importance of maintaining your septic system can be compared to the importance of maintaining your car's engine. The responsible automobile owner knows that the car's oil should be changed every few thousand miles. If you do not change your car's oil periodically, your car's engine will eventually fail. The same holds true for your septic system. Pumping your septic tank is the most important aspect of maintaining your septic system. Most septic systems should be pumped out every 2 or 3 years depending on the size of the tank and the number of people using the system. (In some cases when a large number of people are using a small tank, the tank needs to be pumped annually or semiannually.) If the septic tank is neglected, solid waste will escape from the septic tank into the drainage system.

The solids will plug up the following:

• The perforations in the leach lines
• The gravel in the trenches
• Eventually, the soil itself. Once the drainage system is contaminated with solids, it will fail.

When can you pump my tank? Does someone need to be home?

We schedule septic tank pumping appointments from 8AM to 5PM Monday through Friday. We can usually narrow it down to a 2-hour appointment window, but it is difficult to give an exact time because we never know exactly how long the truck will be at a particular stop. We completely understand how busy everyone is these days and we appreciate how valuable your time is. We can perform standard pumping maintenance when no one is home; particularly if your tank is dug up or we have been to your home before and have measurements to the cover(s). If you are experiencing a backup situation in your toilets or other drains, someone should be home so that we can have you flush the toilets after we are done to make sure that everything is flowing properly.

What about payment?

We need to collect payment at the time of the pumping service. If someone is home, our drivers can be paid with cash, check, or credit card. If no one will be home, customers will sometimes leave a check in an agreed upon location and we will leave an invoice in its place when we are done. For your convenience, we can also process your payment with a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover card over the phone.

Was my tank full?

This is a difficult question to answer. It is like asking the mechanic who changes the oil in our car "was the oil dirty?", or when you empty the vacuum cleaner bag in your home "was it full?". Most of the time the answer is "Yes". The absolute best way to know when to have your tank pumped is by how long it has been since it was last pumped. NO SEPTIC TANK SHOULD GO LONGER THAN THREE YEARS BETWEEN CLEANINGS!!

I know someone who hasn't had their tank pumped in 10 years!?

There is no law mandating that every homeowner with a septic system get his or her tank pumped every 2-3 years (although the subject has been broached on many occasions for environmental reasons). Just as it is your responsibility to change the oil in your car, change your vacuum cleaner bag, mow your lawn, etc.; it is your responsibility to get your tank pumped every 2-3 years. If you do not get your tank pumped every 2-3 years, you are headed for disaster. People who neglect to have the tank pumped on a regular basis are usually the people who call when they have a major problem. And getting your tank pumped when you have a failure in your leaching system is like getting your oil changed after your car's engine starts making a loud knocking noise... Too late! There is no way to avoid costly, inconvenient repairs at that point. AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE! The homeowner who neglected to pump his tank always wishes that they could turn back the clock and get that done when they are faced with an extensive, expensive replacement situation. Also, the type of system you will need in the case of a leaching failure may be more elaborate and expensive than the system you currently have. If you contact your local County Public Health Department, they will tell you that the septic tank should be pumped every 2-3 years.

What does it mean if I have a "high H2O level" in my septic tank?

A high H2O level in the septic tank means that the water level is up over the normal operating level, which is the invert (bottom) of the outlet pipe. This means that the effluent is not getting out of the tank as well as it should and you have a leaching problem. The first question at this point should be: has there been some unusual spike in the water usage in your home? We sometimes find that a drain may be running in the house. The biggest culprit here is the toilet. If you have a toilet running unnecessarily it can send an enormous amount of water into the septic system unnecessarily. This can easily overload the system and lead to premature failure. If your toilets are running, this must be fixed immediately. If the water usage in your home is normal, your problem is beyond the septic tank. You may have a problem with the outlet pipe, the distribution box, or the leach lines themselves. You can hire us to do some trouble-shooting and advise you about what is needed.

I have soft, wet spots, or even black puddles over my leaching area. What does this mean?

Whenever you have effluent surfacing over the leach field, you have a significant leaching problem. Sometimes there is something prohibiting the effluent from being distributed to all the leach lines evenly. Sometimes this situation can be rectified fairly easily in the distribution box or drop boxes. Some sites present the option of installing a curtain drain around the leaching area to divert ground water, which may be interfering with the wastewater drainage. Other times these symptoms indicate a leach field failure that can only be resolved by replacing the leaching system.

When it is rainy outside or the wind is blowing a certain way we notice a septic odor in our home. Do you have any suggestions?

Odor problems can be very difficult to diagnose properly and to correct. Odor problems are sometimes like "chasing a ghost". Some places to start: Sometimes simply getting your septic tank pumped will eliminate the odor problem. If not: All the drains in your home enter the main soil pipe, which runs to your septic tank. The septic tanks, as well as the pipes, have gasses in them, which have an odor. The only way that odor should be able to enter your home is through an opening in a pipe. All your fixtures (sinks, tubs, toilets, etc.) have a trap under them. This trap always stays full of water and it is this water in the trap that stops the odor from entering your home. Sometimes if a drain in your home is not used regularly (such as a sink, shower, or tub in part of your home that goes unused for periods of time), the water in the trap can dry up (evaporate). Sometimes the traps are too close to a pipe carrying water under pressure (such as a dishwasher or clothes washer) and the water can actually be siphoned out of the trap as the water rushes by. Any open (dry) trap will allow odors to enter your home, so run some water in all traps to make sure they are full. If the traps are all OK, you should visually inspect any wastewater plumbing that you can see, looking for holes in the piping. Sometimes old copper or iron pipes can corrode and holes can develop. Unfortunately, sometimes these pipes are inside walls, floors, or ceilings. Next you should inspect your venting system. Sometimes birds or bees can make nests in the vent pipe, which usually extends through the roof. We have even seen situations where squirrels, chipmunks, birds, etc. get stuck in vent piping, causing a blockage, which doesn't allow gasses to be vented properly.

Does your company offer any discounts?

We currently offer two types of discounts that cannot be combined. First, we offer a military discount of $10 off your septic tank pumping for all active duty and/or retired military personnel. Second, we offer a “good neighbor discount”. Basically, if you have a neighbor less than a mile away that is willing to get their tank pump on the same day & time as you, we offer $25 off each septic tank pumping; that means $25 off go you & $25 off for your neighbor!