How Often Should You Clean Your Septic System?
Low on the list of most homeowner's maintenance plans is the septic system, and yet, there are few things that can cause bigger issues if neglected. Having a regular schedule of septic system cleaning services may be inconvenient at the time, but it can save you thousands of dollars in repair bills down the road, not to mention prevent nasty accidents from forming in your backyard.
Determining When It's Time to Clean Your Septic System
But how often should you have septic system cleaning services completed? If this is the first time you've considered a cleaning service and you know you haven't had it cleaned in a while, there's an easy way to check your levels. Grab some protective equipment and a 10 foot dowel rod, and dip into the opening of your septic tank. If more than 33% of it is covered, you need to have it cleaned immediately.
Since every home is different, it's nearly impossible to mandate a set time to have septic system cleaning services performed. Depending on a few factors, the range can go anywhere from every month to once every thirty years.
How Many People Use the Same Tank?
The first factor in considering how often your septic system needs to be cleaned is how many people are in the same household. No matter the size of the tank, there's going to be a dramatic difference between a tank that is only handling the waste from a family of one to a family of ten. If the septic system is only serving a family of four, you should plan to have residential septic system cleaning services performed once a year, but if there are more people than that, shoot for twice a year or more.
How Big is the Tank?
The other thing to consider when putting together your septic system pumping services schedule is the size of the tank. Septic tanks can run anywhere from 500 gallons to 2500 gallons, and the bigger the tank is, the more time you can go between cleanings. Still, you have to balance this out with how many people use the tank. Keep in mind that kitchen waste (whatever goes into the disposal) also collects inside the tank.
Remember that just because you haven't experienced any issues with your septic system before doesn't mean that a problem isn't right around the corner. If you can't remember the last time you had your septic system cleaned, it's probably been too long. Schedule some septic system cleaning services ASAP to ensure you don't have a backflow problem in your home.
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