How often do you have your septic tank pumped?

[ruffdog]

I hope the people that keep saying "xx many years and never needed pumping" realize that when you say NEED....it is already too late and the damage has been done.

 

[California]

Some do use the toilet and sink for trash cans...What can I say... with tenants it's a crap shoot.

!!! When I rented out the little guest cabin at the ranch so someone would be the all the time I specified only graduating Seniors from the nearby university. This was so I would get back the cabin for my own adult kids and guests during each summer. One year the tenant was a rather mousy nerdy girl. Move-in day her parents showed up and nearly talked her out of it, 'too dangerous to live alone in the country', 'needs motion-detector lighting all around' (which they actually installed without my permission), asked me many times if my wife would always be with me when we came out from the city, etc etc. Poor kid was nearly in tears by the time they left. She apologized to us after they left. Next spring the septic plugged up. Pumped it out. Plugged with condoms. Her boyfriend must have been there continually - and busy - when we weren't around.

 

[ruffdog]

Laying pipe?

 

[Oldpath05]

Only water I seperated years ago was the washing machine, at the time thought it would be better if all that went somewheres else, but since 2010 I now have one of those so called low water use front loader washing machines, so probably that water usage is cut in half now anyways.

I also think it's strange that some here say they never had the septic pumped and the house was built in the 50s 60s, than the next guy says every 3-4 years, like it's one extreme to the other, aren't we all on the same planet.............

 

[Doofy]

We are not on the same planet. I live in the Boonies and have no rules and regulations to follow. Commercial buildings and schools have to be built to code but not residential homes in the area.

You normally know what works and strive to do things properly but no one is forcing you to.

 

[bunyip]

Septics were banned in our area some 15-16 years ago so we have our own sewerage treatment plant which is not much bigger than a septic system and has the same foibles, we clean it out about every 5-6 years just so nothing jams and burns out, I say we, I mean we pay someone else to revel in the sanitary delights of the tanks while we stay well away.

 

[check]

I tell you what, I sure wish we could have a separate gray water system and I am almost tempted to do something after the fact if I could easily separate out some of the drain lines down in my crawl space. The amount of times my wife runs the washing machine and dishwasher in our household is insane. No reason all that discharge needs to run through the septic tank and drain field.

Oh, yes there is! Where do you think all that discharge from the washing machine and dishwasher goes? Into the water table.

 

[goeduck]

Laying pipe?

Must have been a lot of pipe if the end caps plugged up the septic tank

 

[goeduck]

Septics were banned in our area some 15-16 years ago so we have our own sewerage treatment plant which is not much bigger than a septic system and has the same foibles, we clean it out about every 5-6 years just so nothing jams and burns out, I say we, I mean we pay someone else to revel in the sanitary delights of the tanks while we stay well away.

You have to respect the people that climb down into those tanks to check the outflow. Just don’t shake their hand when they leave. And bring your own pen when you need to sign for the service.

 

[Doofy]

Spent 30 years in school maintenance and spent lots of time working in and around all types of septic systems. All I know for sure is, that work always made me hungry. Go figure!