In a septic tank, scum rises to the top and solid waste settles on the bottom, with the excess liquid going to a drain field. There are bacteria in the tank that break down solids but, periodically, you need a professional to perform septic tank cleaning and pumping. Then, if you take care of your septic system, it should work efficiently.
To keep your system in good working order, follow these steps:
- Conserve water. A septic tank can only handle a specific amount of water at a time. It needs time to separate the liquids and solids, and then send the liquids to the drain field.
- Check for leaky faucets and running toilets and fix them promptly.
- Consider having high-efficiency or low-flow toilets installed.
- When doing laundry, ensure you use the recommended load size – e.g. washing a small load on the ‘large’ setting wastes water.
- Instead of doing all your laundry on one day, spread it out so the septic tank can keep up.
Now, to answer the question asked at the beginning: How often is septic tank cleaning necessary? Well, it depends on the number of people in your household and on the size of the tank but, usually it’s recommended every 1 to 5 years. If there are 4 people in your household and you have a 1,000 gallon tank and no garbage disposal, the tank should be cleaned every 2 to 3 years. You could probably wait 4 to 5 years with only 2 people in the household.
Homeowners who have garbage disposals should use them sparingly because they can clog the drain fields and cause water wastage – plus, septic tank cleaning will be required more often.
If you are in need of septic tank cleaning in Lakeland FL or would simply like more information, give us a call at Lee Kirk & Sons Septic. We offer all the essential septic tank services, including septic tank cleaning, septic tank pumping, pump repair, and more. Request a free estimate today!