How Often Is Residential Septic Cleaning Necessary?

Many factors come into play in determining how often residential septic tank cleaning should be done. Although you should schedule a pump out every three to five years, your tank could need it much sooner. Some factors that affect the frequency of having your tank pumped out are within your and your family’s control. These factors include how you use your drains and what you put into them. Other factors are not in your control, such as the size of the septic tank and the number of people who live in your household.

There’s no way to avoid having to schedule septic tank cleanings: if you have a septic tank, it’s going to need cleaning from time to time. There are some ways to extend the period between pumping services while keeping your septic system safe and efficient. Quality Septic would like to share three helpful strategies to reduce the need for septic tank pumping and cleaning.

1. Minimize garbage disposal use

Even though most homes have garbage disposals, they’re not ideal to use heavily if you have a septic system. This isn’t to say that you can’t use your garbage disposal at all. Better idea is to set up a compost container in the backyard for as many table scraps as possible. Not only does this keep junk out of the septic system, it also provides some nice compost for the flowers and plants in your yard.

2. Watch what you put in your toilet

Don’t flush non-biodegradable items or things that take a long time to decompose. Examples include:

• Feminine products
• Anti-bacterial agents (see below)
• Oil and grease
• Paper towels
• Coffee grounds
• Cat litter

Even items labeled as “safe for septic systems” should be limited to reduce the time between residential septic cleaning services.

3. Be aware of bacteria

Try to avoid using anti-bacterial soaps and cleaning solutions that will end up in drains. These products not only kill bad bacteria, but they also kill the necessary good bacteria that must be present in your septic tank for it to do its job.

A septic system works by having plenty of bacterial organisms to “eat” the solids. If these organisms are killed off, the system will need cleaning a lot more often due to a buildup of solid waste.

We’ll help you devise a good septic tank cleaning schedule

When you work with Quality Septic, our experienced technicians will help you plan a tank-pumping schedule that works best for you. We’ll take into account the size of your household, the size of your septic tank and other factors in developing the optimal schedule.

Timely pumping will help you to avoid sewage backups, offensive odors, damp sections of wastewater in your yard and more serious problems that could be avoided. Since 1994, we’ve been serving the greater Plant City, Florida, area with septic tank cleaning, tank repairs, septic system installation, drain field repairs and much more. Reach a septic expert today at (813) 754-9891 or get in touch with our handy contact form.