[Koldhammer]

I need to ask a question about having a septic tank "cleaned out". Is there a difference between "cleaned out" and "pumped out"? I'm asking because every year I have the truck come and empty my tank. Most of my neighbors get theirs done every year too. Maybe that's a bit often, but it's the way we've all been doing it for years. Anyway, every year my tank gets emptied, which helps to give the drainfield a chance to dry out for a few weeks. This year I called the same company that I always call. I just arrived home to find an invoice for $105, the usual price, stuck in my door. On the bill it says "cleaned out septic tank". I always put the screws back in the lid after the tank is emptied. I lifted the lid and to my surprise, shock actually, the tank is still full of water.:surprise:

I can't see that they did anything. So, I am wondering if it is possible to "clean out" a septic tank without removing any of the water? Do they pump out the water, filter it and put it back in the septic tank? Has anybody on here ever heard of such a thing or did they just drive into my yard, stick a bill for $105 in my door and drive away again?

So before I call them up and :vs_mad:, I need to know.

Thank you in advance

 

[griz]

I know of septic tanks that have not been pumped for 25 years and they are working just fine.

Cleaned out, only thing being cleaned out is your wallet.

You have also ruined all the micro organisms in the tank.

Someone is selling you a bill of goods on the yearly cleanout, unless your tank is a 55 gal drum.

The leach field does not need to dry out.

Google "Flush It", put it in monthly, best thing you can do for your septic system.

 

[jimn]

You need to have to it pumped out every few years. Unless you abuse it 4 to 5 is appropriate . When done properly they don't empty the tank. The principal is you remove a percentage of the sludge at the bottom and the scum at the top. You don't completely remove all of the contents . Every year is way to often unless you have a problem system or use your garbage disposal .

 

[gma2rjc]

If they pumped the tank, there shouldn't be much water at all left in it. Every time we've had the tanks (2 800-gallon tanks) "cleaned", "pumped out" or "emptied", they remove as much as they can. They don't scrape the bottom of the tanks down to where they look clean, but they move the hose around until there's just not much more to take. One of us stands out there to watch and we talk to the guy.

How many people live in your house and how big is/are your tank/s?

We have 2 adults living here and I do daycare, which means there are about 6 kids here all day. Our septic company tells us to have the tanks cleaned out every 2 to 3 years, just to be on the safe side. If I recall correctly, they charge $320 each time they come out. If we didn't have daycare here, I think they said we could go 5 years or so. My neighbor just had theirs pumped out because it had been 15 years since the last time. They weren't having any trouble with it.

I think you're right about your company charging you without actually doing the work. Maybe they thought that nobody at your house would bother taking a look into the tank. Most people probably don't. If the company remembers cleaning it out last year, they'll know that it didn't need to be done again this year.... but they still charged you for it.

Just my 2¢

 

[Tom738]

Call and ask them whether it's been emptied. Don't tell them you've looked. If they say it's emptied (and you clarify it's not just of sludge) and it's clearly full, they're lying. If they say "it's been cleaned" or something ambiguous, ask them what they mean.

You may also have an effluent filter or some component that formally should be checked once a year. Silly, but possible.

Every year is more often than you need 99% of the time. Look up one of the charts online for your household and tank size.

 

[gregzoll]

If your neighbors are having their systems pumped out every year, they may either be having way too many parties or people living there. Or they are trying to disguise the fact that their Septic system is failing and all they are doing is making the local pump truck owner a very rich person.

As the joke goes. The only thing that you are paying for, when you are paying someone more than you should. You are just paying off their kids college fees, paying off their boat, motor home, vacation home.

 

[TOOL82]

I know of septic tanks that have not been pumped for 25 years and they are working just fine.

Cleaned out, only thing being cleaned out is your wallet.

You have also ruined all the micro organisms in the tank.

Someone is selling you a bill of goods on the yearly cleanout, unless your tank is a 55 gal drum.

The leach field does not need to dry out.

Google "Flush It", put it in monthly, best thing you can do for your septic system.

Septic system additives are a waste of money & they do not help your septic system. Just name one that is NSF certified.

The septic systems that are still working after 25 years of not having the tank pumped are:
1) Being under used for the system installed
2) Drainfield is on top of rock which is other problem
3) Or the drainpipe runs to daylight.

When most people say their septic system is working they mean they can flush their toilet. There is a lot more involved in determining whether a septic system is working properly.

Septic tanks need to be pumped out every 2 - 5 years depending on use.

If they billed you & the tank is still full of water don't pay it until they come out & pump it out. Also it is time to find another pumper. I know pumpers that do this & they are nothing but crooks.

 

[SeniorSitizen]

Septic system additives are a waste of money & they do not help your septic system. Just name one that is NSF certified.

The septic systems that are still working after 25 years of not having the tank pumped are:
1) Being under used for the system installed
2) Drainfield is on top of rock which is other problem
3) Or the drainpipe runs to daylight.

When most people say their septic system is working they mean they can flush their toilet. There is a lot more involved in determining whether a septic system is working properly.

Septic tanks need to be pumped out every 2 - 5 years depending on use.

If they billed you & the tank is still full of water don't pay it until they come out & pump it out. Also it is time to find another pumper. I know pumpers that do this & they are nothing but crooks.

Tell us more, other than having the tank pumped every 2-5 years if

QUOTE: " There is a lot more involved in determining whether a septic system is working properly ".

 

[griz]

Septic system additives are a waste of money & they do not help your septic system. Just name one that is NSF certified.

NSF certified??? I'm talking about additive to a septic tank not building a commercial kitchen...

The pro septic tank guys say to use them because they work and they do.

The septic systems that are still working after 25 years of not having the tank pumped are:
1) Being under used for the system installed
2) Drainfield is on top of rock which is other problem
3) Or the drainpipe runs to daylight.

5 schools on septic systems. None have been pumped in 15 years.
I replaced one 12 years ago and it does not need pumping.
Yea, these are under used systems....

#2 & #3 AHJ's would not permit this. Geo Tech would catch other issues.

When most people say their septic system is working they mean they can flush their toilet. There is a lot more involved in determining whether a septic system is working properly.

Septic tanks need to be pumped out every 2 - 5 years depending on use.

I know of several residential systems that are 15 years plus w/o pumping and all the residences have families living in them.

If they billed you & the tank is still full of water don't pay it until they come out & pump it out. Also it is time to find another pumper. I know pumpers that do this & they are nothing but crooks.

Perhaps if you had a properly designed & professionally installed system you too could save on pumping costs.

 

[Tom738]

Do not use additives

Pump it out every few years and check that the baffles are on right. (Use an online chart to be sure of frequency). Otherwise don't spent money on it, don't drive over it, and don't worry about it.

The chemicals are a waste. Most studies show no measurable change; one study on 12 septic tanks showed a reduction of scum level by 30%, but no reduction in sludge.

 

[rjniles]

A tank filled with water shortly after pumping is not an issue of the pumper not doing his job. If the water table is high, water can run back from the leach field and fill the tank. The tank is always full during normal operation.

 

[AllanJ]

If much water runs from the leach field back to the septic tank then the septic tank is going to back up into the house.

It is almost impossible for the septic system to be working correctly and the septic tank to be more than half full within 48 hours of being emptied.

No matter what the drain field looks like or where the septic tank outlet goes, sludge will accumulate in the septic tank and the rate of accumulation depends on the quantity and composition of sewage coming into the septic tank.

 

[TOOL82]

Perhaps if you had a properly designed & professionally installed system you too could save on pumping costs.

Actually my system is a over designed innovative system & professionally installed & still needs to be pumped.

Originally Posted by TOOL82 View Post
Septic system additives are a waste of money & they do not help your septic system. Just name one that is NSF certified.

NSF certified??? I'm talking about additive to a septic tank not building a commercial kitchen...
NSF certifies residential septic system components also.

The pro septic tank guys say to use them because they work and they do.

I am sure there are a few that do, but if you would to poll the members of NOWRA I am sure 90% would tell you no.

The septic systems that are still working after 25 years of not having the tank pumped are:
1) Being under used for the system installed
2) Drainfield is on top of rock which is other problem
3) Or the drainpipe runs to daylight.

5 schools on septic systems. None have been pumped in 15 years.
I replaced one 12 years ago and it does not need pumping.
Yea, these are under used systems....

#2 & #3 AHJ's would not permit this. Geo Tech would catch other issues.

#2 was allowed in my area 25 years ago & is still allowed in some parts of the country.

#3 is still allowed in a lot places in the country. Not to mention the ones that are doing it illegally.

When most people say their septic system is working they mean they can flush their toilet. There is a lot more involved in determining whether a septic system is working properly.

Septic tanks need to be pumped out every 2 - 5 years depending on use.

I know of several residential systems that are 15 years plus w/o pumping and all the residences have families living in them.

I am sure you do & I make a lot of money off people who don't. I install systems, but I do not pump. Think of your dispersal system as a filter, The more dirt you put in it the faster it will fail. Pumping your tank at proper intervals will reduce the amount of TSS's leaving your tank there by increasing the service life of your system.

If they billed you & the tank is still full of water don't pay it until they come out & pump it out. Also it is time to find another pumper. I know pumpers that do this & they are nothing but crooks.

 

[Hoek]

One thing I did not see mentioned here is that it really is supposed to be standard practice to fill a tank with water (like from a garden hose) after it is pumped because otherwise there is a chance it can float and break things if the water table is high before it fills up from usage. So maybe the company did that instead.

If they did suck the sludge off the bottom and the scum off the top and left the mid layer and filled it back up that would be OK also.

I am with the people here in the preceding that state that it needs to be pumped periodically as regular maintenance but yearly seems like an awful frequent interval.

 

[AllanJ]

Actually my system is a over designed innovative system & professionally installed & still needs to be pumped.

All septic tanks need to be pumped sooner or later. The purpose of the septic tank is to allow sewage to accumulate for a long enough time so more of it liquifies due to bacterial decomposition. But some of the material will never liquify so it remains in the tank.

Figuring out when to pump the tank is guesswork. You can make an educated guess given the number of people living in the house, the pattern of previous tank pumpings, and the recommendation of the company that just pumped out the tank.

Grease is also supposed to be held back in the septic tank. Fortunately the grease floats on the water based material and the outlet pipe is positioned so little or no grease escapes, unless too much grease had accumulated. (Another need to pump the tank periodically.)

The liquid exiting the tank is supposed to be of a character that an indefinite amount can be absorbed over the years by the leach field and eventually become a part of the ground water and specifically not leaving behind at the leach field lines materials (such as grease and fine particulate matter i.e. sludge) that will slow the absorption of additional such liquid.

 

[John1961]

A sludge judge may be used to determine the depth of the sludge in a septic tank. Septic tanks are designed to have a level of sludge, level of effluent, and a level of scum. The manufacturer can tell you the levels for their tank. Using the sludge judge will take the guess work out of when to have the tank pumped. If you want to keep the scum level to a minimum stop using your garbage disposal or use it minimally. Compost your vegetable scraps instead.
No I do not sell sludge judges.