by Alicia Slansky

Created on: February 17, 2009

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />Septic systems can be a royal pain, but if you have a plan for getting it cleaned, and keep your eyes out for signs of a septic issue, you can manage a tank with little trouble.

Know the Last Cleaning Date

If you have owned your home for a while, you likely know when your tank was cleaned or pumped out last. If you are new to the home, you may have been given information regarding the septic systems last overhaul, or you may not. Without any knowledge of the cleaning schedule from years past, you will have to keep your eyes out for signs of trouble. You can also pull out the phone book and call a few local pump service to see if they have any record of cleaning out the tank at your address.

Scheduling a Septic Cleaning

The time required in between tank cleanings depends on several factors. You need to keep in mind how large your tank is, how many people are in your home, and how you dispose of food waste.

If you have a garbage disposal and send food into the sink, you need to be aware that the food also goes into the septic tank and will fill it up much faster than disposing of food into the garbage.

The size of your tank is a very important thing to know. Large families will generate more waste than smaller ones. If you have 3 people in your home, you will clean your tank less frequently than a family of 6 if the tanks are similarly sized. Even small families will have to pump their tanks more often if the tank is small.

There are charts available on the internet to help you plan your septic cleaning schedule based on the tank and family size. One can be found at http://www.inspect-ny.com/septic/tankpump.htm.

Sympto ms of Septic Issue

If you have neglected to keep track of septic cleanings or you just have no idea when it was last pumped because you are a new owner, keep your eyes out for the tell tale signs of a septic emergency.

Outdoor signs
Soft, soggy yard over tank
Foul odor in close proximity to home
Animals paying unusual amount attention to your yard
Visible sludge

Indoor signs
Slow drains
Water backup
Clogging toilets

If you have waited to the point of noticing the indoor signs, you need to make a phone call right away. If you can catch it from noticing the soft yard, you will likely be able to get through the next cleaning with a normal tank pumping. Much after that, you may be looking at some repairs and extreme cleaning to recover the yard and house from the septic backup.

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