Septic Poop Tales! - 254 Poop

Bad advice, wrong information, old wives tales, and other odd things to steer away from!

“You never have to clean/pump out your septic tank unless you’re having a problem”

Unfortunately for homeowners, this is the most common misconception out there regarding maintenance of your septic system. The sludge that breaks down in the septic tank does not just disappear! It accumulates and accumulates until the tank can’t filter it properly anymore. At that point, day by day more & more of it goes directly into your drainfield and clogs up the pipes & soil! Then you have serious problems that won’t be cheap to fix.

Along these lines… watch out for the infamous “Pump & Run” strategy of pumping down your septic tank!!
“Pump & Run” Strategy: Quantity, not quality is king. These companies charge rock bottom prices and have to make up the difference in volume. This is fine, except that the homeowner loses in this case.

Be wary of the company that sends out a guy to pump down your septic tank and does the following: 
Septic tank gets located and vacuum hose gets dumped into tank

“Technician” uses this opportunity to get a smoke, make a phone call, take a water break, etc. When the vacuum truck starts “hopping” (hopping means his truck is sucking in air now which makes his truck shake up & down.in the driveway) the “technician” takes his cue & removes the hose from your septic tank & collects your money

This technique leaves the solids in your tank which is exactly what you are paying to have removed! The main purpose of having your septic tank pumped out is to remove as much sludge as possible! This avoids unnecessary sludge entering your drainfield & clogging up the pipes and soil. You pay a little less & get almost nothing in return as far as service goes!

“I’ve been told to put a cake of yeast in my septic tank to break down the solids”
Yeast only breaks down starches which represent only a small percentage of the waste found in your septic tank. If you are going to use an additive, you need one specifically made for septic tank use to tackle all of the various types of waste. The ever popular: “I’ve been told to throw a dead animal in my septic tank to boost bacteria” Believe it or not, some people actually believe in doing this! Just ask our poor service technicians that have to deal with the mess. This is not only untrue, but it will most likely cost you more to get the tank cleaned out due to “parts” clogging up our truck hose!

“A company called me on the phone and said if I use their product I don’t have to pump the tank down for 10 yrs…20 yrs…..etc”
BEWARE of “miracle” products sold over the phone or by direct mail that make wild claims such as those! Nothing replaces maintenance septic tank pumping. Like we mentioned earlier, broken down sludge cannot just disappear — it accumulates in the tank until it is cleaned out. The money you THINK you saved on septic pump down over those years, you will spend double in getting a new septic field installed because it prematurely failed due to sludge flowing out into the drainfield!

Remember your Septic Tank is a Filter!

Just like the Oil Filter in your car it needs cleaned periodically to keep the car working. If you wait until your car starts making a noise before you clean (Or Replace) it your going to need a new engine. If you wait until you hear something or see something in your house your going to need a new soil absorption system. Get it Cleaned Before you have a Problem!