Frequently Asked Questions for Septic Cleaning & Inspection Work

An average family of four should have it cleaned every 1-2 years, depending on the size of the tank.

The septic tank has a scum layer on top and a sludge layer in the bottom. You need to remove the scum and sludge layer so that you have the cleanest water going to the septic field. We use backflushing to get the maximum amount of sludge out of the tank.

Backflushing is a sludge removal process. After we pump the scum layer on top and the liquid in the middle, we get to the heavy sludge layer on the bottom. The best way to remove the sludge is to backflush the liquid we previously pumped back into the tank, break up the sludge on the bottom, and then pump the sludge out.

If your house was built before 1975, you will have anything up to 1,000 gallons. If your home was built after 1975, your tank is determined by bedroom count: a three-bedroom would have a 1250-gallon dual-compartment tank, and a four-bedroom would have a 1500-gallon dual-compartment tank. If you have a sewage ejector pump in the basement, you may have 2 tanks. All duel compartment tanks should have both sides pumped every time.

The first compartment is designed to hold back the heavy solids, and the second compartment should be much cleaner than the first. Sludge does get to the second compartment, and your outlet, which is designed to hold back the scum layer, is in the second compartment. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OUTLET AT EVERY PUMPING. By pumping both sides, your drain field will work properly for many additional years.

An outlet is designed to hold back the scum layer from drifting into your drain field. If your outlet falls off or deteriorates, it can cause your drain field to fail prematurely. If you don't open the second compartment, you're not truly checking your outlet. This is why you always open and pump both sides of a duel compartment tank.