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Your septic tank is installed for more than 20-25 years. You should clean it multiple times within this period as it holds the wastewater of your house. Typically, cleaning a septic tank doesn’t mean washing it with water or something like this.
In the case of a septic tank, cleaning means pumping out the sludge and scum from it to make sure that it continues receiving your wastewater again. Typically, depending on a few factors, your septic tank should have a cleaning schedule. Also, some signs allow you to understand that your septic tank needs cleaning.
In this article, I’ll be talking about a few things about cleaning the septic tank. So, let’s start.
How To Clean Septic Tank?
I’ve said that cleaning the septic tank means taking out all the waste from it. The easiest way to do this is by seeking help from a septic tank services company.
When you ask septic service providers to clean the tank, they come with a sludge truck and install a pipe with the container of the truck. Then they send another side of the pipe into the tank to pick up the waste and store those in the container. After the tank is empty, they carry the waste to the treatment plant treating it further.
In this case, you don’t have to do anything else. But you’ll have to spend some bucks for the service they provide. Depending on the service provider and the size of your tank, it may cost you around 300 to 600 bucks.
You can do the cleaning by yourself too. But it is not recommended at all for several reasons. Firstly, this is an extremely laborious job. Secondly, you’ll have to arrange some equipment. Thirdly, doing this by yourself takes a lot of time. Fourthly, there is a chance of damaging the tank or any part of this. Fifthly, disposing of the waste can be a huge issue for you.
And lastly, this may cause serious health hazards if you don’t stay careful while cleaning the tank. Also, it may cause health issues to your family members too as there is a chance of spreading the waste due to faulty transferring.
So, it is highly suggested to take help from professional septic services to clean the tank.
Why Should You Clean the Septic Tank?
You have to clean the septic tank for several reasons. The most important reason is to stop the overflow of waste and wastewater.
The waste that gets accumulated in the septic tank is seriously harmful to your health. If the tank is not cleaned regularly, the waste comes out because of overflow and causes serious health damage.
Also, the health of the tank and septic system is another reason you should clean the tank. If the tank is full, the system has to take the pressure of extra waste and wastewater. This damages the system.
When overflow happens, you may have to face penalties by the appropriate authority. This causes you to spend a huge amount of bucks. So, to save money, you have to clean the tank regularly.
Also, overflowed water is harmful to your property. It makes the soil damp. This has a severe impact on the condition of your house. Also, a damp lawn doesn’t allow you to ensure a healthy and enjoyable environment.
How Frequently Should You Clean the Tank?
The septic tank cleaning frequency depends on several factors. The size of the tank and the number of people in the house directly influences the frequency of cleaning the tank. If there are 2-4 people in your house and you have a big septic tank, cleaning it once every 5-6 years is enough. On the other hand, in a house with 5-6 people and a small or moderate tank, the cleaning frequency should be once every 2-3 years.
The amount of solid waste thrown in the tank is another thing that influences the frequency of septic tank cleaning. The tank is for only human waste. If you throw solid waste in it regularly, you’ll have to pump it frequently. Solid waste doesn’t get decomposed in the tank. Thus those fill the tank quickly.
Also, if you throw chemicals in the tank, the pumping frequency increases. Chemicals kill the bacteria that decompose the waste and turn those into sludge. Thus the decomposing process slows down and the tank gets full quickly.
With time, you’ll understand the frequency of cleaning the tank. I suggest not throwing chemicals and solid waste in the tank.
Signs Suggesting To Clean the Tank
Sometimes, you’ll see some signs that ask you to clean the tank. Ignoring those will make you suffer more in the long run. So, you should make sure that you know those signs so that you can take the necessary steps as soon as possible.
If you see that the septic tank line is clogged, it might be a sign of a full septic tank. If the tank is full, it can’t receive more waste. That’s why the waste you flush takes a long time to go to the tank. If you see anything like this, check the tank.
Also, backing up of the waste is another sign that says the tank is full. When the tank can’t receive the waste anymore, it sends waste back. So, you’ll see that human waste is floating in your toilet. In this case, go quickly to check the tank.
Water gurgling is another sign. If you hear a gurgling sound coming through your toilet, stay careful. Gurgling sounds are not unusual in a toilet. But frequent gurgling sound asks you to check the tank. It happens when the tank is full holds a lot of gas and is almost full.
With gurgling, gas comes out from the tank and spreads in your toilet. The gas from the septic tank comes with a really bad smell. So, if you find such odor in your toilet or house, please check the septic system and tank.
Standing water on the lawn says you that the septic tank is full. When the tank is full, it spreads wastewater through some leak or anything. So, if there were no rain but your lawn has some standing water, check the septic tank.
Too green grass in a part of your lawn is another sign of a full septic tank. A full tank spreads the waste in it if there is any leak. The waste of the tank is a perfect fertilizer for grasses. Thus the grass in that area becomes greener compared to the rest. So, instead of being happy, you should take the necessary steps in such a case.
Final Verdict
To ensure a healthy and well-maintained septic tank, there is no alternative to cleaning it regularly. In this article, I’ve suggested ways to clean the septic tank. It is not necessary to do this by yourself. To stay away from potential issues, you should let a professional service provider do this for you.
I’ve also talked about how frequently you should get the cleaning done. The signs I’ve discussed here are important. So, keep these in your mind, and don’t ignore them if you see any of these signs. If you wish to stay safe from potential issues, keep your eyes and ears open.
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