Septic tanks.... (washer, tank, drains, loading)

[cynwldkat]

What is an "average" length of time before having to have your septic tank emptied??

[Bones]

That really depends on amount of paper products used. I've heard every 3-4 years.....

[Tesaje]

That really depends on a lot of factors. I've never had mine emptied in 17 years. But it was made for 6 people and I am one. I never put bleach or toxic things down the drain. I do not have a garbage disposal and compost all vegetable matter. I add yeast to it regularly. I use the biodegradable laundry detergents. I use baking soda and vinegar and some citric acid to clean with. Nothing goes down the drain except septic safe cleaners, soap, a little dirt, body effluence, toilet paper, and water.

A healthy septic system has a lot of water in the tank, a lot of bacteria, and a layer of solids that the bacteria eat to break down. The fluids overflow the tank and get disbursed into the field where it sinks thru gravel and earth to get naturally cleansed.

The permeability of the soil, the junk that goes into it, and the active bacteria population affect how well this system works. You need to be sure you are not putting bacteria killing stuff down your drains when you have a septic or over loading the system. When overloaded or not working right, they need to have the excess solids removed periodically.

I've never had any smells, no wet spots, no indication whatsoever in my field that there is a septic system there at all. My neighbor has had a lot of problems with his.

[rfb]

When we built our home, we were told every 4-5 years. We just had ours emptied after 5 years.

[cdelena]

In some parts of the country septic systems are being discouraged because regular inspections to maintain them are not done and some become a bio-hazard. An annual inspection is now required in some counties that will recommend when pumping is needed; sometimes as often as every year.

[Tesaje]

Originally Posted by cdelena

In some parts of the country septic systems are being discouraged because regular inspections to maintain them are not done and some become a bio-hazard. An annual inspection is now required in some counties that will recommend when pumping is needed; sometimes as often as every year.

That's largely because people refuse to adjust their habits to take care of the septic system. A well built septic system with good percolation, sited well away from the water sheds and sized properly is very safe and does not pollute. If you pour bleach down the drains and lots of food stuff, use tons of antibacterial soaps and cleaners in everything in a paranoid, futile and unhealthy attempt to live germ free, then yes, it won't work very well. If it wasn't built properly it won't work very well either. Some soils don't work well with septic systems and they ought not to be built on them or different technology needs to be applied. County building codes and inspections should be taking care of these requirements.

The sad reality is many sewer systems don't do a very good job of cleaning city water and do a tremendous amount of polluting too.

[jdhall1]

Every 2-3 years should be done in my area.

[rubytue]

Originally Posted by Tesaje

A well built septic system with good percolation, sited well away from the water sheds and sized properly is very safe and does not pollute.

The sad reality is many sewer systems don't do a very good job of cleaning city water and do a tremendous amount of polluting too.

This is very true! A well functioning septic system can actually treat better than some public sewer systems. They key is to be nice to it. This doesn't mean to change too many behaviours, and frankly, the ones that you should change should be changed on a public system anyway. For example, low-phosphate detergent should be used whether you are on septic or not. Not flushing tampons? Well, you definitely shouldn't flush them on a septic system, but really, you shouldn't flush them on public sewer either. On a public system, they can still clog things and cause problems, and someone along the line it fishing them out. The difference is on a public system, its someone you never see, when you have a septic system, its the guy your hire who laughs at the "septic mice" he finds.

When we were buying this house, I wrote a blog entry about them. I know a bit more now (they replaced the whole system before we closed), but its a good starting point. My post (note, there is no advertising on the page).

With regards to #10, it our county, we can't pump to a dry well. So we got a front-load washer to reduce laundry waste water. I wanted one anyway for the energy savings

[Cornerguy1]

Think of pumping your septic tank like changing the oil in your car.

Your car is a sizeable investment that will last a lot longer and perform more reliably if your do regular maintainence. Will your car go 15,000 miles without having the oil changed? Likely. Is it better for the longevity of your vehicle to change the oil every 5,000 miles? Of course. In fact, it would be downright silly to stretch out your oil changes to 15,000 or 20,000 miles just to save the small cost of the job.

The most important factor in deciding how often to have your septic tank pumped hould be the replacement cost of your existing system. Ripping out a plugged leach bed or cleaning out a tank that has both chambers plugged with sludge is an expen$ive undertaking filled with bureaucratic processes.

Not sure what tank pumping rates are in your area, but around here a household tank goes for about $120.

At that price, mine gets done every second autumn and I sleep considerably easier knowing it's unlikely to give problems in the middle of winter.

If you get your tank pumped regularly, are careful not to overburden it with anti-bactertials, and you keep trees and shrubs away from your tile field, your septic sytem will last a long time.

[aiangel_writer]

I've lived in my home for 23 years and have never had my septic system pumped. But, we had a system that was large enough for a family to start with, and our sloping was easy as it all goes down hill not far from the tank. Many times one runs into problems when there are trees in the yard and the roots invade the sock pipe (which is the black pipe that runs all over your yard!) and either strangles it or if you have the old clay breakable pipe, it can collapse on itself and this will back up a septic system.

Yeast is a wonderful bacteria producing enzyme which can help with a proper balance of bacteria inside your septic system. There are several types of septic systems as well, from metal to concrete to now a fiberglass/plastic type.

IF you have small yards and your home is not very old, chances are you have a treatment plant which requires cholorine additives each month and the pump runs with electricity. These type of systems are more expensive but are made for small lots and if not maintained, will not work properly.