All Clear Septic and Wastewater Services knows that the most important part of septic system maintenance is regular septic system pumping. Septic pump outs ensure that your system will continue to operate correctly for many years to come. The frequency of the septic pump outs depend on a variety of factors including the size of your septic tank, the number of people in the property and your water usage, but it is generally recommended that a system should be pumped every 3-5 years. You really want to ensure that you pump your septic tank before you see any problems such as:
- Backup in the house
- Backup in the cleanout
- Water surfacing over the tank
- Water surfacing over the drainfield
The purpose of the septic tank is to separate the wastewater from the solid waste and allow only the wastewater to enter the drainfield. Heavier solids settle to the bottom of the tank and become sludge, while the lighter waste settles to the top and becomes scum. The wastewater is drawn out of the tank from the middle of the two layers. Over time these two layers thicken to the point where they come together in the middle of the tank. Once this occurs, sludge and scum leave the septic tank and enter the drainfield, which causes the soil and drainfield to clog. This is usually a slow process, and you won’t know it’s happening until your septic tank drainfield clogs to the point of failure and begins to back up. Once the solids accumulate to the point that they begin entering the drainfield, pumping out the septic tank will not reverse the process. A septic pumping should be done before solids enter the drainfield.
Some septic tanks are fitted with an alert system that will notify homeowners when the tank needs pumping. Some are fitted with alarms that will make a high-pitched noise, or sometimes they use a light on the side of the house as an indicator. If your current septic tank doesn’t have an alarm or alert system, it isn’t too difficult or expensive to have one installed and this will take away the guess work.
Today we have septic pumping scheduled for customers in Rehoboth, Swansea, Attleboro, Seekonk, Norton, and Taunton, MA.
If you need to have your septic tank pumped or if you are unsure whether your system needs septic pumping please do contact our Norton, MA office at 508-763-4431 or visit www.allclearseptic.com