Questions & answers about the schedule for pumping out septic tanks:

This article describes frequently-asked questions that help explain when, how & why to pump septic tanks, cesspools, drywells and related systems.

Septic Tank Pumping & Maintenance FAQs

These questions and answers were posted originally at the home page for this topic is SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE - please see the table of recommended septic tank cleanout or pumpout intervals given there.

On 2018-11-15 by (mod) - common causes of cold water septic odors

Jim

Near the end of this page find the ARTICLE INDEX. Please take a look there you will find an article listing the common causes of cold water septic odors. Please check that out and let me know what you think.

You'll see that depending on the concentration, methane gas (in sewer gas) can be explosive.

And sewer gas may carry pathogens.

Pumping won't fix a sewer gas odor problem - look for a problem with the building plumbing vent system or signs of a clogged drain or failing septic.

On 2018-11-14 by JIm

With winter setting in the bathroom seems to have noticeable lingering fumes.

I was not aware of this issue this summer, but now that the weather is getting colder the smell can be pretty bad.
Is this a sign that our septic is vented poorly?

Does it need to be pumped?
AND
Are these fumes dangerous for adults or children?

On 2018-11-15 by (mod) - live bacteria in our drinking water

Dr kirsch

See WATER SOFTENER CLEANING & SANITIZING

Where we describe the proper procedure for sanitizing a Water Conditioner or water softener.

Amount of bleach is an arbitrary and there isn't a single correct number.

Rather it depends on the resin tank size.

Also if you don't put the bleach in correctly you can have a devil of a time getting rid of the smell. The article explains how to do that. Please take a look and let me know what you think.

On 2018-11-14 by drkirsch@yahoo.com

have septic sys. with 1000 gal. holding tank. water softener that generates about 4 to 5 days. water has live bacteria. we run about 1/4 cup chlorine thru softener, and 1/2 cup to 200 gal water heater. am i running to much disinfectant to my sys.?

On 2018-11-12 by (mod) -

A septic tank is normally always full, to the level of the bottom of the outlet pipe. Higher than fhat merits investigation for blockage. Pumping does not fix that.

On 2018-11-12 by Eileen Brieaddy

The water level in our tank is about 1/2 inch above the bottom of the round pipe that drains into the tank from the house. This pipe just comes straight into the tank. It is not like your picture of like an L shape pipe. Is This water level normal or does the tank need to be pumped?

On 2018-10-18 by (mod) -

No, Flo. Pumping a septic tank will never fix a clogged drain nor a failed septic drainfield - those are both reasons that a toilet may overflow.

On 2018-10-16 by Flo

Recently both commodes(2 bathrooms/ wall between) have refused to empty-overflows. Is this because septic tank needs pumping? Only the 2 commodes use the tank Greywater has separate system

On 2018-07-06 by (mod) -

Cindy

Unfortunatley when a septic tank has never been pumped over 51 years there's a good chance that solids have been pushed into the drainfield. That's easy to determine by noticing that effluent is not leaving the tank or not leaving at a normal rate or is at an abnormally high level. There 's a good chance the fields need replacement. Whether or not the tank is usable depends on its material, size, and condition - something to inspect when have the tank pumped.

You really don't want to pretend to abandon a septic tank by leaving it full of sewage. Search InspectApedia.com for SEPTIC TANK ABANDONMENT GUIDE - the tank gets emptied and filled-in.

On 2018-07-06 by Cindy S

Our septic tank was installed under our garage floor with one drain going to a hill in our field. It has not been pumped since the house was built 51 years ago

It is causing us lots of problems now and my husband doesn’t seem to think that if it’s working properly it doesn’t need to be pumped

Shouldn’t we have to put in a whole new septic system in this day and age because there is so much sludge in the tank that is like concrete and cannot be pumped anymore shouldn’t we have to put in a whole new septic system in this day and age because there is so much sludge in the tank that is like concrete and cannot be pumped anymore
Please advise

On 2018-04-27 by (mod) -

Richard, in Table I. Septic Tank Pumping Frequency in Years

in SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE see the first column under "number of occupants" where you'll see a "1" = 1 occupant.

Then see the septic tank size data and find your septic tank size.
That will give you the recommended pumping interval.

But if your tank has never been pumped or its condition is not known, I'd start by pumping it now.

On 2018-04-27 by Richard Maurer

How often should I have my tanks pumped. I live alone

On 2017-09-27 by Andrew

Do you need to wash with a hose or pressure washer, the inside of the tank after its emptied

On 2017-08-07 by SteveS

In the concerning question from "Bill" who has a seasonal camp and the use of his septic you computer:

Months your Camp is occupied = 4

Months in a year = 12

Portion of the year your camp is occupied = 6/12 = .5 or 50%

Shouldn't that not be 4/12 = .33 or 33% portion of the year ?

On 2017-08-03 by (mod) -

As the cops told our renter when she called the police station to tell them that she wanted them to call Amtrack to tell the train engineer to stop blowing his whistle at crossings at night because the sound bothered her, "Well that's one I've never heard before".

If the tank was pumped 4 years ago and the home has one occupant, it's true that it probably doesn't need pumping. And a seller
- doesn't want the yard dug up and left a mess in the event you don't buy the home
- might have the fantasy that something might be wrong, might be discovered during pumping, and cause ripples in the sale of the home

In the past I've told buyers to call the septic guy to ask if, when he pumped the tank he saw any signs of trouble, like broken baffles or sound of effluent flowing back into the tank during or after pumping. But some pumpers are conflicted between not annoying their present customer and hoping you'll continue doing business with them. So such reports are not a warranty of anything.

If the home and septic system are old you could have your inspector perform a septic loading and dye test - that has to be done with a full tank anyhow.

If the seller won't permit a test nor pumpout, I respect their wishes, as after all, it's their home. But I might add that those conditions give me no choice but to assume, as I estimate the true cost of the home, that I'm facing septic repair or replacement. That's not a reason not to buy a home but it would be a reason to be sure to have the sufficient funds in reserve.

It's not uncommon for new owners, moving in with 4 babies and 14 loads of wash a week to quickly find that an old, marginal septic system that gave no trouble to a clean, rarely-bathing little old lady was actually already in failure. I tell you that from first hand experience.

A septic tank should not be left empty ** IF ** the tank is a lightweight plastic or fiberglass AND the tank was not properly anchored in the ground when installed - otherwise in wet conditions it might float up out of the soil. Otherwise, an empty tank isn't harmed by cold weather. It's not as if an idle but full septic tank is better protected against freezing.

Watch out: however if the "septic tank" is really a home-made one, perhaps of stacked up concrete blocks, or maybe it's not even really a septic tank but more a home-built cesspool, then absolutely yes: the thing needs to remain filled as frost can push it in leading to a collapse.

I add that such systems are marginal, probably have no predictable forward life, and are dangerous to walk over or even close-to before we know that there is a safe cover - if someone falls-in that's often fatal.

SO see if you can find out

- the age of the system

- what is installed

- what your onsite inspector can see and test

On 2017-08-03 by Maidem

I've been told a house I just bought doesn't want to empty the Septic tank because its bad to have it empty for winter. True or false?
Older single lady, pumped 4 years ago, says it won't need it anyway.

On 2017-06-04 by (mod) -

Jim,

The frequency of recommended septic tank pumping depends on principally two factors when a conventional septic design is installed. One factor is the number of people in the household, and the second factor is the size of the septic tank.

Since there are two people in your household you know half of the answer. The other half is going to depend on the size of your septic tank. Please take a look at the table

in SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE where you will see a column under household size with a 2 in it that's your case then read down the column to find the size of your septic tank that's the recommended pumping frequency for full-time occupancy.

If your occupancy is half-time you could double that interval.

On 2017-06-03 by Jim

If two seniors utilize their septic system for six months each year, how often should we pump out the tank

On 2017-03-02 by (mod) -

See the table at SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE - you need to know the tank size.

On 2017-03-01 by suzanne anastasi

how often should a tank be pumped for a family of four

On 2016-09-21 by (mod) - How often do you change the average septic tank

See SEPTIC LIFE EXPECTANCY

We don't "change out" septic tanks. If a steel septic tank rusts out or if a concrete or plastic tank suffers mechanical damage then those vessels probably need replacement.

Even considering just steel septic tanks that are more exposed to deterioration than concrete, plastic, fiberglass, the rate at which a steel tank corrodes and fails is very dependent on the soil chemistry and might range from 10 to 30 years.

On 2016-09-21 by Anonymous

How often do you change the average septic tank

On 2016-04-16 by (mod) - septic has never been pumped since she lived there.

Ron,

Watch out: I'd assume, for planning purposes, that you need a septic system. Without regular pumping to keep from sending solids to the drainfield, even if the system is not currently in "failure", we can't be confident of its future life when the system has gone un-maintained for so long.

In addition, often on sale, the level of use of a septic system changes. For example changing from a single elderly occupant to a family of four dramatically increases the daily wastewater flow. So an old septic system may have been able to limp along because of very low inflow rates but it may show up as a failure as soon as the inflow rate of wastewater is increased.

Worse, because of the cold climate in Northern Minnesota, septic drainfield trenches are often buried quite deeply in the soil. So a failing septic system may not show up as sewage on the yard surface. Instead it shows up as algae growing in the lake along the lakefront edge of your property, or it shows up as wastewater back-flowing into the septic tank when the tank is pumped, or worst, it shows up as a sewage backup into the home.

Check lot and zoning to be sure repair or replacement will be permitted under current zoning regulations. For example, in some Minnesota communities, an old septic system may have been installed closer to the lakeshore than current codes will permit. Your local building department might or might not consider the old septic system "grandfathered" and permit repair, but they are less likely to permit expansions or any new installations too close to the lakefront.

Often an engineered system, above ground, is needed where the shorelines are rocky, such as along much of Lake Superior. On the North Shore I've seen peat mound systems approved and I suspect that more conventional raised-bed or mound septics may be approved too as long as they're sufficiently distant from both the lakefront and any nearby wells, streams, rivers.

On 2016-04-09 by Ron

I'm looking at cabin to purchase on a lakefront in norther Minnesota. The owner has lived in the cabin fulltime for about 25 years.

She says the septic has never been pumped since she lived there. Just guessing, but isn't this a red flag for me, a potential purchaser? I am trying to avoid too much excess in expenses just fixing up the cabin and having to add (potentially) a new septic system is disconcerting for me. Can you tell me if big bucks are on the horizon or maybe not???
Thanx

...

Continue reading  at SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE based on time, occupancy, usage, tank size based on objective data or measurements, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• DISTANCE TO SEPTIC TANK
• SEPTIC COMPONENT LOCATIONS
• SEPTIC FAILURE SIGNS
• SEPTIC SYSTEM AGE
• SEPTIC TANKS FLOATING UP
• SEPTIC TANK INSPECTION PROCEDURE
• SEPTIC TANK PUMPING MISTAKES
• SEPTIC TANK PUMPING PROCEDURE
• SEPTIC TANK PUMPING REASONS
• SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE
• SEPTIC TANK SAFETY
• SEPTIC TANK LEVELS of SEWAGE
• WHEN to CLEAN THE SEPTIC TANK
• WHEN NOT TO PUMP A SEPTIC TANK

Suggested citation for this web page

SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE FAQs-2 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to SEPTIC SYSTEMS

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