How Often to Maintain Septic Tank – 2024 Guide

What happens when you do not maintain your things? They get damaged and then you have to replace them. However, replacing septic tanks is not an easy thing. You will have to pay around 3 to 7 thousand dollars. Isn’t it better to maintain it properly then? Proper care will make it last longer in working condition. Furthermore, you won’t be spending too much on its maintenance.

And its maintenance is not that big of a deal. So if you are not too busy you can do it by yourself. If you want to know more about how often to maintain septic tank head over to fullserviceseptic.com. They are a team of licensed and insured professionals with prompt and reliable service. So if you need professional guidance, you can contact them.

But wait,

Do you know how often to maintain a septic tank?

It’s 1 to 3 years. Yes, you do not have to check it too often, not even in months. Therefore, an annual inspection would be enough for its long working life. If you check it annually, you will find any problem (if present). Thus, you will be able to take timely measures. This will prevent any major problems in the system.

There are different parts of the septic tanks and all of them need a proper inspection. If you are not aware of these things, you should get help from professionals. Make sure to stay with them while they do their work. This will let you know the details of the different parts. Moreover, you can also ask them questions. This will make you able to inspect on your own. Thus, you won’t need to call for professionals just for regular inspection. This will also save you a lot of money.

Things involved in the inspection

The different checks that professionals ensure in the inspection include;

1. Reviewing the permit of your system. They check the age of your system, its installation records, and its design. If you have been living in the place and you have installed the system, you will be well aware of these facts. So you won’t need to check the records during the inspection.
2. Afterward, they check the maintenance records of the whole system and especially pumping. You need to pump your septic tanks every 3 to 5 years.
3. Then they will open the tanks and inspect them. This includes the septic tank, pumping tank and distribution box. This is something that you can do by yourself.
4. Evaluation of the scum and sludge levels is the next step of maintenance. The worker will evaluate the level and determine whether it needs to be pumped or not. You can check the criteria and analyze the situation by yourself.
5. Evaluating the effluent filter. If you have installed the effluent filter in your septic tank, the worker will also inspect its condition. This is also something that is possible for you to check.
6. Any possible leakage? They need to check if there are any signs of leakage. They do so by checking the water level in the tanks. So you can also do it without professional help.
7. If there are any stains in the tank around the outlet pipe, it requires backup. Again, this is something that you can look at by yourself.

   

8. To check if there is any corrosion. The whole septic system deals with water therefore, there is always a possibility of corrosion. That is why the worker will check the inlet and outlet pipes.
9. He will also check the condition of electrical connections. If there is any problem with the electrical connectivity, it won’t only negatively affect the septic system but will also pose a hazard to your safety. Therefore, the worker will check the connections of pumps, their controls, and all the wiring.
10. Checking for any possible blockages. It is possible to have the pipe collapsed or any other sort of blockage. However, this is not something which is common nor you can do it yourself. The professional workers will check this blockage through a camera.
11. Checking for unequal drainage. If there is unequal drainage or there is standing water, it means that the drain field is damaged. Thus, they will take appropriate measures accordingly. Therefore, if you are inspecting on your own, you should call for professional assistance in such a situation.
12. Excavating the parts of a drain field. Now they have analyzed a problem with the drain field, so they need to check the different parts. Thus, they will check if there is any part that is causing the problem or if the groundwater is having an impact.
13. The structural integrity of the distribution box. This is the place where there are drain lines. So you need to check if all the drain lines are getting equal flow. If not, there might be some blockage or other issues.
14. The professional inspectors also need to check the records for water use. They need to make sure that the whole system is working with the local regulations.

What happens when you don’t do this?

Surely, this inspection might seem like too much to do on your own. However, you should still manage to deal with it. Either do it yourself or call for professionals.

Why? Because if you have a failing septic tank, it will cause a lot of problems.

One of the biggest problems is the release of E. coli bacteria. It results in various gastric problems. So if your septic tank is not working properly, you are releasing polluted wastewater into the ground. This will increase the level of E. coli and eventually, affect the whole community.

Anyone who gets exposed to this polluted water will have the risk of getting an illness. Furthermore, if there is any reservoir of drinking water near the discharge area, it will eventually get polluted. Thus, very little carelessness on your side might cause a bigger problem in society.