# Septic Tank Pumped



## hiawassee1 (Feb 13, 2018)

What is the recommendations for having your septic tank pumped?  We have lived in our house for 13 years and never had it done.  We are currently not having any issues that I am aware off.  Just curious, I really didn't think you had to have them pumped unless there was issues.  I know if I contact a company, they are certainly going to recommend it, but just looking for other opinions.


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## PappyHoel (Feb 13, 2018)

I was told by the geniuses on this forum that they never need to be pumped.  I disagree with their genius advice and have mine pumped every 6 years.  That's just my personal preference and it runs about $350-$400.  It's also good to have them inspect it.  This April will be 12 years so I'm due for another.


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## rayjay (Feb 13, 2018)

I just had mine done at 20 and now consider it pretty stupid. No problems but....... Next time will do it at 6 or so. It's just 2 of us so that does make a difference.  If you let the drain field get messed up you start spending thousands pretty rapidly. I would recommend 3 to 5 years if there are kids in the house.


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## DannyW (Feb 13, 2018)

As a former owner of a home with a septic tank, the first time you flush your toilet and see it come back up at you, you will wish you had paid $350 to have it pumped every 6 years or so....

Now that was with an older serrated pipe type of drain line like the standard ones used in the 70's and 80's...you quite possibly can go longer with the newer systems. I am sure there is someone on here that can intelligently give you better information on those.


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## seeker (Feb 13, 2018)

Just had mine pumped after ten years and the technician recommended that I have it done every five years for a household of two people.


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## T-N-T (Feb 13, 2018)

Crakajak said:


> A monthly dose of activated bakers yeast will keep your septic tank bacteria growing and eating the solids.



More important than pumping


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## Artfuldodger (Feb 13, 2018)

I guess the purpose is to remove the crust from the surface.


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## NE GA Pappy (Feb 13, 2018)

Crakajak said:


> A monthly dose of activated bakers yeast will keep your septic tank bacteria growing and eating the solids.



it depends on how the house is plumbed and the detergents  used for dishes and washing machine.  If you are plumbed for all gray/black water to go to the septic system, you may be killing off any bacteria faster than it can grow with your detergents and such.


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## notnksnemor (Feb 13, 2018)

NE GA Pappy said:


> it depends on how the house is plumbed and the detergents  used for dishes and washing machine.  If you are plumbed for all gray/black water to go to the septic system, you may be killing off any bacteria faster than it can grow with your detergents and such.



^^^^^ for sure.
No antibacterial soaps or bleach should ever go into you septic tank.

I prefer 2 gallons of cultured buttermilk down the pipe annually instead of commercial yeasts.


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## Cmp1 (Feb 13, 2018)

NE GA Pappy said:


> it depends on how the house is plumbed and the detergents  used for dishes and washing machine.  If you are plumbed for all gray/black water to go to the septic system, you may be killing off any bacteria faster than it can grow with your detergents and such.



This right here,,,, we have a dry well,,,, for the Grey water,,,,


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## NE GA Pappy (Feb 13, 2018)

Crakajak said:


> I call it cheap insurance.Sort of like drinking organic vinegar as a probiotic.



yep.

but it can also be wasted time and money if you are pumping antibacterial soap down the drain.  And most of the pump type hand soap dispensers, that is what you are doing.


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## king killer delete (Feb 13, 2018)

I have lived in my home for 21 years and had mine pumped twice. Where I live it is only twenty to thirty feet above sea level. Each time we had very wet weather. The tank would not drain.Last time it cost 300 bucks. If it dont need pumping leave it alone.


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## notnksnemor (Feb 13, 2018)

Bottom line...
A septic tank requires a layer of bacteria to operate efficiently.
If you put anything down the drown that kills bacteria, you are defeating the purpose.
Then you have a holding tank that needs to be pumped.


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## GoldDot40 (Feb 13, 2018)

I lived in the 3 bedroom, 2 bath house I sold, for 15 years...I bought it new. Realtor wanted it pumped before we put it on the market. The guy that pumped it said it was barely 1/2 full. Family of 1 male and 3 females....fwiw.


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## groundhawg (Feb 13, 2018)

NE GA Pappy said:


> it depends on how the house is plumbed and the detergents  used for dishes and washing machine.  If you are plumbed for all gray/black water to go to the septic system, you may be killing off any bacteria faster than it can grow with your detergents and such.



Second this information.  The boxed bugs will help but it is a good idea to have the system pumped before you need it rather than after.


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## Miguel Cervantes (Feb 13, 2018)

PappyHoel said:


> I was told by the geniuses on this forum that they never need to be pumped.  I disagree with their genius advice and have mine pumped every 6 years.  That's just my personal preference and it runs about $350-$400.  It's also good to have them inspect it.  This April will be 12 years so I'm due for another.



Yep, every 6 or 7 years is the rule of thumb.


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## WayneB (Feb 13, 2018)

Hmm, I maybe just found part of the reason we have had to pump off annually; anti-bacterial soaps..
 That and 100% is going to tank, I reconfigured in '08 to carry all grey and black to tank and drain field. I may have to re-reconfigure and go back to the dry well for the grey water.

We've also had a particularly wet couple years and that can't be helping.


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## Miguel Cervantes (Feb 13, 2018)

WayneB said:


> Hmm, I maybe just found part of the reason we have had to pump off annually; anti-bacterial soaps..
> That and 100% is going to tank, I reconfigured in '08 to carry all grey and black to tank and drain field. I may have to re-reconfigure and go back to the dry well for the grey water.
> 
> We've also had a particularly wet couple years and that can't be helping.



We use Ridex regularly to keep bugs in it, but we're still due to have it pumped this year. You just can't trust them bugs anymore.


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## Chestnut (Feb 13, 2018)

*tanks*

need pumping about ever 5-6 years 
 will save in the long run 
 we had ours done after the girls left for collage  
 make sure they pull the cover pump and clean  and recover 
  no back hoe need 
 A1- NATIONAL  in Buford was good to us 
 good luck 
 chestnut


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## BeerThirty (Feb 13, 2018)

Our family of 5 just moved into a house with 4.5 bath on a septic.  We are constantly running the dishwasher and washing clothes due having 3 boys.  We were advised to pump every two years.


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## Milkman (Feb 13, 2018)

One thing that contributes to field line saturation is washing clothes improperly. It does not require that the washer to be set on super size load to wash three shirts that you don’t need cleaned for another week. 
That’s 80 gallons of water into your field lines unnecessarily. 

I was told I could take over the laundry any time I wanted.


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## bany (Feb 14, 2018)

Mine went about 30 years and I had it pumped for the heck of it.
Tech said it was perfect, Worry more about the drain field.


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## Artfuldodger (Feb 14, 2018)

I think they say the scum on top can build up so thick over time that it can cover the bottom of the tee leaving the tank and somehow get into your drain field. Pumping removes this top layer of scum and the sludge in the bottom.

I can see pumping it for preventive maintenance but it usually doesn't help to pump it if your house isn't draining. Many times one has his tank pumped only to have it fill right back up and the stoppage shows back up.
If you have flow into your tank but not out of your tank it's usually the drain field that isn't working properly or the pipe leaving the tank to the drain field. 
Modern designs have a distribution box in the drain field design. I'm not too familiar with them or if any maintenance is required.

Back when I made my own beer I always poured the yeasty dreggs down the toilet. Now I wonder if yeast helps the bacteria in a septic tank. Maybe a live bacteria you could add once a year.
I know they make drain enzymes that eat grease. I can see where bleach could kill of some of the bacteria.
We disconnected our washing machine from the septic tank. Mainly because my wife was washing a lot of diapers. It was filling up the drain field in a really bad wet season. Had the septic tank pumped. The tank was fine. Never had to redo the drain field either.

I have noticed that those little packs of yeast are expensive. I'm not sure what Ridx cost. Six years of Ridx might work out to what a pumping cost.

Back in the day my Dad had about 20 rental houses. I've helped him hand dip a few septic tanks. We hand-dipped the one at the home place a few times as well. Used a paint can screwed to a pole and a wheelbarrow. Put the stuff in the garden. Grew nice tomatoes.
We mainly removed the crust to check the inlet and outlet tees. We needed the level down to do so. It usually pointed us in the direction of the drain field being stopped up. 

I don't remember any of these tanks ever having over about 6" of scum on top. I'm sure we didn't clean the sludge out form the bottom. Pumping would take care of this sludge.

It never looked like the contents of the tank messed up the drain field. The scum never blocked the inlet or outlet. It turned out to be a lot of manual labor necessary only to verify flow. Liquid was the only thing leaving the tanks.

It usually always required drain field work or replacement. I'm kinda mixed on how well pumping actually does. It's not that big of an investment to pump it every 6 years though. Maybe add some type of bacteria to it after you pump it and disconnect the washing machine as others have pointed out.

Drain fields not working? I guess as time passes they just don't drain as well. Sediment, settling, etc. Roots can sometimes be a problem. Maybe some aren't installed properly. They used to use short clay pipes with gaps between the pipes. Then they used corrugated plastic pipes full of holes. Rocks poured under and on top of the pipes. Now they have pipes wrapped in foam pieces. That looks like a good idea.


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## specialk (Feb 14, 2018)

we re pump every 10.....we do have a ''relief" cap about half way to the tank we can pop off if it backs up.....


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## notnksnemor (Feb 14, 2018)

A lot of good septic tank info in this thread.
One thing I will add that I haven't seen mentioned:

The only thing worse on a septic tank than teenage females is a garbage disposal.
Never use a garbage disposal if you are on a septic system.


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## PappyHoel (Feb 14, 2018)

Guess whos septic tank is acting up...  I think i have a clog, no flooded drain field but hoping it only needs a tweak.  Calling the guys in the morning.  I see $$$$ leaving my pocket soon.


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## swamp hunter (Feb 14, 2018)

You in the Country ?
Rent a Trash pump and 100 ft' of hose. Good Strawberry patch next year....


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## Artfuldodger (Feb 14, 2018)

I've read that drain field preventive maintenance is more important than septic tank maintenance. Aerobic bacteria that live in the drain field has to be maintained. They make porosity restorers, activator treatments, and maintainers just for the drain field. I'm not sure how you get them in your drain field unless you install a clean-out.
Maybe you put them in your house drain and they migrate all the way to the drain field.

I also read that grease can make its way into the drain field.


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## Artfuldodger (Feb 14, 2018)

PappyHoel said:


> Guess whos septic tank is acting up...  I think i have a clog, no flooded drain field but hoping it only needs a tweak.  Calling the guys in the morning.  I see $$$$ leaving my pocket soon.



Oh no, that's weird. Hopefully just $$.


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## Duckhawk05 (Feb 15, 2018)

I am a Septic installer, i despise pumpers. Most seem to be after a quick $ and will sell you a doom and gloom story right off the bat. Then the homeowner will be concerned and might may more than they need. 

I honestly don't suggest pumping frequently, there is a filter on the outlet side of the tank, women and children can and do send items down the pipe that can clog it , but that filter is also protected by a "T"

The drain field is the biggest factor, alot depends on the perc rate of the soil and the linear footage of the system

Traditional septic systems what people know as gravel and pipe were installed with a minset of 100lf per bedroom! 

In the early 2000's infiltrator became easy amd popular its "High capacity" abilities allowed us to do a 50% reduction on that 100lf... Well they were wrong. So alot of those systems can and do give problems. So now we get a 35% reduction and some cases no reduction depending on soils and perc rates. 

Dont ever do a repair without a permit. The county has all the info on your plot. That work has already been completed and paid for. Use it


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## PappyHoel (Feb 15, 2018)

My current situation is not helped by 3 girls in the house that use a whole roll of toilet paper when the use the bathroom.


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## Artfuldodger (Feb 15, 2018)

PappyHoel said:


> My current situation is not helped by 3 girls in the house that use a whole roll of toilet paper when the use the bathroom.



Have you showed them the trick with using only one sheet of toilet paper?


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## PappyHoel (Feb 15, 2018)

Artfuldodger said:


> Have you showed them the trick with using only one sheet of toilet paper?



You obviously don't have experience with 3 women and 1 male in the house.  Or you do and they actually listen to you


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## king killer delete (Feb 15, 2018)

Had a plumber tell me throw fresh read meat it the tank to start thr process and follow up with yeast.


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## WayneB (Feb 15, 2018)

PappyHoel said:


> My current situation is not helped by 3 girls in the house that use a whole roll of toilet paper when the use the bathroom.



I got ya beat, had 4 girl chillen, monster-in-law AND wife for years without issues. After they moved out or moved on, the trouble started.


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## swamp hunter (Feb 15, 2018)

Just me and the Bride..Never pumped anything , 28 years now.
Mound system with a Trash pump pushing it.
Pulled the lid on the 900 gal. tank about 10 years ago and scooped out the floating hard stuff..We're good.
Bet just us 2 only use 1 /5 of the drain field cause I dug it up and we don't make a dent in the drain field.
Lot's of dry grass and one green spot bought as big as a truck..pipes are fine, guess 2 people don't use much.


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## ClemsonRangers (Feb 15, 2018)

i would leave it alone


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## Artfuldodger (Feb 15, 2018)

swamp hunter said:


> Just me and the Bride..Never pumped anything , 28 years now.
> Mound system with a Trash pump pushing it.
> Pulled the lid on the 900 gal. tank about 10 years ago and scooped out the floating hard stuff..We're good.
> Bet just us 2 only use 1 /5 of the drain field cause I dug it up and we don't make a dent in the drain field.
> Lot's of dry grass and one green spot bought as big as a truck..pipes are fine, guess 2 people don't use much.



I've seen those mound drain fields on the gulf coast. I've never seen them in Georgia. They have them in some northern and western states where the ground is too rocky or the waste water doesn't permeated the ground that well. 
Sometimes they freeze. Sometimes their septic tanks freeze or or their pumps freeze. At least you don't have those problems.
What about the pump. I'm familiar with lift stations and chopper pumps. They seem to require a bit of maintenance. I guess one for a house isn't too bad. Does it have an alarm to let you know if it isn't working?


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## PappyHoel (Feb 16, 2018)

$325, problem solved.  Had a talk with a 46, 8, 6 year old to stop putting wet wipes in the toilet.


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## Twiggbuster (Feb 16, 2018)

My input- Me and 3 females in the household.
You guessed it , female products. Plus when the oldest one came for the weekend and used baby wipes. Backed up for sho.
Mr Rooter pulled the cover , removed debris, cleaned it out with pressure washer, included drain lines. Like new.
He said if the girls hadn't flushed em down, probably would have never had a problem. They work better when full of liquid- not plastic. Long talk , never again!!


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## swamp hunter (Feb 17, 2018)

Artfuldodger said:


> I've seen those mound drain fields on the gulf coast. I've never seen them in Georgia. They have them in some northern and western states where the ground is too rocky or the waste water doesn't permeated the ground that well.
> Sometimes they freeze. Sometimes their septic tanks freeze or or their pumps freeze. At least you don't have those problems.
> What about the pump. I'm familiar with lift stations and chopper pumps. They seem to require a bit of maintenance. I guess one for a house isn't too bad. Does it have an alarm to let you know if it isn't working?



I have a 30 gal plastic drum with the pump inside , came as a Kit. No alarm but it,s outside and I'd know if it quit working real quick. Even if it doe's I just hook up 100 ft' of pipe and let it run off into the Palmettos for a day till I get a new pump. Been going on 15 years now and not a bit of a problem.


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## georgia357 (Feb 23, 2020)

Lots of good information in this old thread.  My septic tank backed up last night and cheapest I could find was $600 to get it pumped.


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## westcobbdog (Feb 23, 2020)

its about $350 to pump and get a letter from the septic tank co.

Many buyers agents are writing stuff like "Seller agrees to have septic tanked pumped and inspected and provide receipt within 5 days of closing" so any work a consumer does on the ir tank is a good thing, buying selling or not. 

taking a 3HR CE class on all things septic tanks in a few weeks, looking forward to it.


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## mguthrie (Feb 23, 2020)

georgia357 said:


> Lots of good information in this old thread.  My septic tank backed up last night and cheapest I could find was $600 to get it pumped.


That's high. The problem is probably a saturated drain field. Pumping will be a temporary fix unless this rain quits


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## Milkman (Feb 23, 2020)

The last 2-3 we had pumped out were $550. We are a commercial customer but the tanks were only 1000 gallon. Athens area.


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## georgia357 (Feb 24, 2020)

Milkman said:


> The last 2-3 we had pumped out were $550. We are a commercial customer but the tanks were only 1000 gallon. Athens area.



We hired Steven Carithers out of Madison Co. for $600.  After watching what all they had to do and considering that it was two people with a pump truck and back hoe it didn't seem too bad.  The owner was pretty good but his helper went the extra mile to get the most out of the tank.  Didn't get his name but would like to tip my hat to him.


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## westcobbdog (Feb 24, 2020)

My Daughter just paid a co $350 in NE Paulding Co.


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## bfriendly (Feb 24, 2020)

I’ve had mine pumped twice. First time it was backed up by a sock loaded with a tennis ball. This was when we bought it. Garbage disposal was also removed 

Second time was about 10 years later as it backed up. WE USE WIPES AND LOTS OF THEM....BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD! But that comes with a price! There was an amazing thick crusty layer on top that I didn’t know they’d get through. I think $350 was a good price and I treat mine regularly. I also had a leak as roots grew into the tank around the intake pipe......the concrete I used to seal the intake hole bunched up a little at the end of the pipe causing another back up. The snake would not bust through so I pulled the lid myself before calling the plumber again. I broke off the concrete and cleared the line without having to get my checkbook out....a little DIY!


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## LTZ25 (Feb 24, 2020)

Do they always take the lid off to pump out tank , I don’t know where mine is .


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## Milkman (Feb 24, 2020)

LTZ25 said:


> Do they always take the lid off to pump out tank , I don’t know where mine is .



You can get a drawing of the installation details from your County Environmental Health office. That is assuming it was installed since the 70’s.


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## oops1 (Feb 24, 2020)

LTZ25 said:


> Do they always take the lid off to pump out tank , I don’t know where mine is .



If they do it right they do..that loaf has to be broken up and sucked out.nasty stuff.


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## Horns (Feb 24, 2020)

LTZ25 said:


> Do they always take the lid off to pump out tank , I don’t know where mine is .


A lot of tanks that have been pumped in the past have a riser installed so you don’t have to dig it up. But you really don’t know how well you get it clean through the riser


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## XD40CHRIS (Feb 25, 2020)

I have to leave the cap loose as well, don't want the mess I had one time before in the downstairs bathroom.


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## westcobbdog (Feb 25, 2020)

LTZ25 said:


> Do they always take the lid off to pump out tank , I don’t know where mine is .


Yes and your local county health depot should have a diagram on file.


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## Lukikus2 (Feb 25, 2020)

bfriendly said:


> I’ve had mine pumped twice. First time it was backed up by a sock loaded with a tennis ball. This was when we bought it. Garbage disposal was also removed
> 
> Second time was about 10 years later as it backed up. WE USE WIPES AND LOTS OF THEM....BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD! But that comes with a price! There was an amazing thick crusty layer on top that I didn’t know they’d get through. I think $350 was a good price and I treat mine regularly. I also had a leak as roots grew into the tank around the intake pipe......the concrete I used to seal the intake hole bunched up a little at the end of the pipe causing another back up. The snake would not bust through so I pulled the lid myself before calling the plumber again. I broke off the concrete and cleared the line without having to get my checkbook out....a little DIY!
> 
> View attachment 1004133



Holy cow. Most tanks have a plug above each chamber. Not half of the lid. That's crazy.


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## LTZ25 (Feb 26, 2020)

westcobbdog said:


> Yes and your local county health depot should have a diagram on file.


Thanks , I think I have this drawing in a file and will look next time I'm down there .


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## bfriendly (Feb 27, 2020)

Lukikus2 said:


> Holy cow. Most tanks have a plug above each chamber. Not half of the lid. That's crazy.


Believe my house was built in’78 ...
also, my plat map shows the tank location as well as the drain field.....at least where it’s supposed to be. Worst thing about mine is that it is level at best coming from the house to the tank. my plumbing is overhead in the basement so access is convenient. Popping off a cap with full lines was something else! Glad is was washing machine water


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## bfriendly (Feb 27, 2020)

LT you may find it online looking at your county’s tax assessor link......follow that. Most are user friendly and FREE! If a link wants $its a service, not he official site, if that makes sense.


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## lonewolf247 (Feb 27, 2020)

My advice would be to pump it, when you have problems, or it fills up with solids....


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## NCHillbilly (Feb 27, 2020)

lonewolf247 said:


> My advice would be to pump it, when you have problems, or it fills up with solids....


Yep. The one at my Mom's was installed about 1972. It has never been pumped. It still works fine after nearly 50 years.


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## mallardsx2 (Feb 27, 2020)

Pump ours every 5 and I pour a half gallon of buttermilk down the toilet every month.


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## lonewolf247 (Feb 27, 2020)

NCHillbilly said:


> Yep. The one at my Mom's was installed about 1972. It has never been pumped. It still works fine after nearly 50 years.


If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Spend your money elsewhere!

Most problems I have seen with septic tanks are related to the tail line plugged, or field bed issues. Other than that, inlet line plugged preventing waste from entering the tank.  Usually it’s not that the tank is full.


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## Geno67 (Feb 27, 2020)

It really depends. I've designed and installed on site systems in the distant past. For me - no pumping needed. No grease/food/non-degradable material goes down the drain and grey water goes into it's own set of lines.

For a household that dumps grease/food down the drain the grease will often turn into a solid that will have to be cleaned out when it gets thick enough to block the tee(s). The outlets going to the field lines will get clogged with this stuff too and require cleaning. Worst case - grease gets in the lines and slowly clogs them from the top down (it floats so it coats the top first). Then new lines in an alternate area will need to be installed.


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## LTZ25 (Feb 27, 2020)

NCHillbilly said:


> Yep. The one at my Mom's was installed about 1972. It has never been pumped. It still works fine after nearly 50 years.


Agree 100 percent .


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## swamp hunter (Feb 27, 2020)

Bunch of  Nervous Nancys here.
Take 2 ..at the most Hours and find the Lid for your tank , Clean off the top of grass and sand , Get a big bar and slide it hru the 2 Hoops on the lid and lift it up.
Look inside and see what's going on. Ain't hard.
I scooped out 6 inches of Crust and fertilized part pf my yard. Been using the Tank and Field for 25 years and all I've got is free Fertilizer..


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## Lukikus2 (Feb 27, 2020)

swamp hunter said:


> Bunch of  Nervous Nancys here.
> Take 2 ..at the most Hours and find the Lid for your tank , Clean off the top of grass and sand , Get a big bar and slide it hru the 2 Hoops on the lid and lift it up.
> Look inside and see what's going on. Ain't hard.
> I scooped out 6 inches of Crust and fertilized part pf my yard. Been using the Tank and Field for 25 years and all I've got is free Fertilizer..



Yeah. That would be considered good maintenance. I may consider doing that right before the next hurricane.


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## LTZ25 (Feb 27, 2020)

swamp hunter said:


> Bunch of  Nervous Nancys here.
> Take 2 ..at the most Hours and find the Lid for your tank , Clean off the top of grass and sand , Get a big bar and slide it hru the 2 Hoops on the lid and lift it up.
> Look inside and see what's going on. Ain't hard.
> I scooped out 6 inches of Crust and fertilized part pf my yard. Been using the Tank and Field for 25 years and all I've got is free Fertilizer..


You also have ticked off neighbors , unless you live in the sticks .


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## swamp hunter (Feb 28, 2020)

LTZ25 said:


> You also have ticked off neighbors , unless you live in the sticks .



What Neighbors..Don,t have any , I don,t like Neighbors


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## bany (Feb 28, 2020)

My moms backed up around New Years. Had it pumped and “checked”.
waiting for a guy to dig up the line from exit to gravel pit or less to clear the line. The gravel pit was dry. and once upon a time a big old magnolia tree was 10’? from the line and it was pumped twice before ma and pa got the place. I’m betting the line was never repaired just the tree cut down and probably no exit baffle, And just maybe mom is afraid to use much water!


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## westcobbdog (Mar 5, 2020)

just took a 3hr CE class on this topic. For everyone critical of being pro active, well you are lucky your tank has not acted up yet. When there are problems it seems the drain field is typically more of a problem than the tank itself. Make sure your gutters and down spouts are not directing water towards the drain field. Overall septic tanks are your own little sewage treatment plant and work well. According to the class presenter, don't put any sort of man wipes down the drain and really no over the counter products needed to keep your tank working, either. Few people in the class commented they had been told that certain kinds of super duty TP can cause issues,too. So dont use 12 ply TP.


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## Lukikus2 (Mar 5, 2020)

bany said:


> My moms backed up around New Years. Had it pumped and “checked”.
> waiting for a guy to dig up the line from exit to gravel pit or less to clear the line. The gravel pit was dry. and once upon a time a big old magnolia tree was 10’? from the line and it was pumped twice before ma and pa got the place. I’m betting the line was never repaired just the tree cut down and probably no exit baffle, And just maybe mom is afraid to use much water!



If the drain field was dry water is not making it there. Some tanks have filters on the outlet that can stop up. Sometimes a whole house stoppage could be the problem. Sometimes the septic guy didn't clean out both sides of the tank because he was lazy. 

One of the worst things on a septic tank is leaking faucets. The tank or field drain can't handle the water load forever.

And flushable wipes. Yep. They will flush ?


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## Lukikus2 (Mar 5, 2020)

Just found my cleanout a year ago. All the neighbors are having their field drains replaced. Mine runs down hill. Fingers crossed. 

Did fill up a trash can with a mat of stuff the septic guy left behind that was blocking the outlet. I bet he got his money back.


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## Hillbilly stalker (Mar 5, 2020)

Powdered laundry soap will clog your lines over time if you have your washing machine going to your tank. Looks like lumps of cottage cheese. We use liquid only. Found out the hard way.


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## westcobbdog (Mar 6, 2020)

Lukikus2 said:


> If the drain field was dry water is not making it there. Some tanks have filters on the outlet that can stop up. Sometimes a whole house stoppage could be the problem. Sometimes the septic guy didn't clean out both sides of the tank because he was lazy.
> 
> One of the worst things on a septic tank is leaking faucets. The tank or field drain can't handle the water load forever.
> 
> And flushable wipes. Yep. They will flush ?


And a running toilet can cause issues, too.


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## swamp hunter (Mar 6, 2020)

Not enough water can cause problems as well.
You need a Flow..


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## 4HAND (Mar 6, 2020)

My tank has 2 lids. The back lid accesses a removable filter. The filter is in the tank where waste flows into drain field. 
I have to remove lid, remove filter, clean it (spray it out) & then reinsert it about every 2 years. 
Good times.......


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## westcobbdog (Mar 6, 2020)

Circa 2000 and newer tanks have 2 chambers, anything older is a single chamber, like mine.


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## bany (Mar 7, 2020)

The fellas got there Monday before our weekly 2-4” of rain. The 10’ clay or cement exit pipe and baffle were disintegrated. The cover on that side was cracked too. All clear after that!   $900.00 and done


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