A septic system works by sending your home’s waste to a tank, where solids settle to the bottom and liquids float at the top. Once the tank fills up, a septic tank cleaning company will have to pump it to prevent overflow. Know when to have your tank pumped and why timely pumping is so important by consulting the guide below.

A Guide to Scheduling Septic Tank Cleaning

Signs It’s Full

When your tank has gone too long without septic tank cleaning, you’ll start to see some red flags. The drains will become slow throughout the entire house, as the waste cannot be drained as efficiently. The sewage gases will have nowhere to go, so they will begin to come back out of the drains, resulting in a foul stench coming from toilets, sinks, or tubs.

The full tank will begin to leach nutrient-rich sewage liquids into the soil around it, so you’ll notice an unusually lush growth in the grass surrounding the tank.

What Happens When It’s Not Pumped

If you ignore these red flags, your drains will stop working altogether. Rather than moving slowly, sewage will back up out of your drains. The solid waste will be forced into the plumbing lines that run to the drain field, clogging them up. This destroys the drain field’s system for filtering the liquid waste, so dangerous unfiltered waste will be released into the environment. At this point, you will need to replace the drain field.

When to Pump It

Generally, septic pumping should be done every three to five years. Your contractors can help you determine the ideal schedule for your system depending on its size, the size of your household, and how much waste your home produces. Stick to this schedule, unless you see any of the signs of a full tank, in which you should schedule immediate cleaning. Never attempt to pump it yourself, as you could accidentally spill dangerous sewage on your lawn or break crucial components along the way, such as cracking a pipe.

The plumbers at American Rooter offer septic tank cleaning and inspections to keep your system working smoothly. They are based in Watertown, CT, and travel to properties throughout Connecticut and Rhode Island. Their drain service is also available around the clock to clean any clogged pipes in your system. Learn more on their website and call (888) 863-4638 to schedule an appointment.