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How Often Should You Pump Your Septic Tank?

When you have a septic tank, you have a little more to worry about than the average homeowner. Calling someone out to clear out the septic tank is a big job that will cost you and use up time. But it’s certainly better than the alternative. By all costs, you want to avoid the very real possibility of a sewage leak that can result from poor septic tank maintenance.

We actually have two answers to the question, “How often should you pump your septic tank?” For more information, have a professional plumbing and drain specialist check out your septic system in order to evaluate how often it may need to be pumped out.

Every Three Years

The first answer we can offer is that it’s typically a good idea to clean out your septic tank every three years. Waiting any longer than this increases the risk of a sewage leak. However, this simply is not a complete answer. For some homes, pumping a septic tank is required much more often. Some septic tanks can be okay with less frequent pumping.

It Depends

That leads us to our second answer to the question of how often a septic tank should be pumped: it depends. How often you pump your septic tank depends largely on how large the tank is, how many people are in the home, and whether you have a garbage disposal.

The more people are in the home, the more often you’ll need to pump a septic tank. The larger a tank is, the less often you’ll need to pump it. And, it often surprises people to hear, having a garbage disposal may mean you have to empty the tank more often.

We recommend annual inspections to help determine whether or not your septic tank is in need of pumping. Technicians will measure the layers of scum and sludge to determine whether they are high enough to warrant tank pumping.

If you’re in the Hailey, ID area, call Evans Plumbing Inc for your drain and septic needs.

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