Septic tank emptying cost/frequency?

[amsafko]

We moved into a home in 11/07 that has septic, we've never had any experience with it before. My dh is looking into getting our tank emptied, how much would you expect to pay? How often do you get yours taken care of? Oh, and one quote he got was $200 for every 1000 pounds(?) of waste, is that a good deal or would we likely spend more with him than someone who offered one flat fee? Thanks for tolerating some dumb questions...

 

[ntink]

We get ours pumped every year and it was $250 this past October. $240 for the pumping and $10 fuel surcharge. Our tank is 1,250 gallons

 

[FoodLover]

We moved into a home in 11/07 that has septic, we've never had any experience with it before. My dh is looking into getting our tank emptied, how much would you expect to pay? How often do you get yours taken care of? Oh, and one quote he got was $200 for every 1000 pounds(?) of waste, is that a good deal or would we likely spend more with him than someone who offered one flat fee? Thanks for tolerating some dumb questions...

Apparently a lot depends on the age of the system and the type of soil in your area. Newer systems seldom have to be pumped out because they process the waste very efficiently (ours was described to us as a "mini waste treatment plant"). We have a 4-year-old system that has not needed to be emptied yet! My husband keeps checking it (after consulting with a local company to find out what to look for) and it's nowhere close to full.

Mary

 

[polineedyan]

we had a septic system with a leach bed, and i can honestly remember only 2 times over 10 years that we had it emptied. Im no expert, but i would think annually would be overkill. maybe every 2?

 

[POOHDRMR]

We have an old one(still the block construction)and we have lived in the house for 6 years.We had it emptied 1 time.With ours being so old there is always a risk of it collapsing after being emptied so it is better to wait untill it is full than empty it every year.We need to replace the whole thing but it is arount 3200 to do and we plan on moving soon.It doesn't give us problems but we know that due to its age it should have been changed.The new ones are a solid round pool that can't collapse like the old ones.I will say that I will never buy another house that has a cesspool.I hate having to be worried that I am using too much water or that it could back up one day.I had always had sewers and didn't think it would be a big deal but for us it's a pain.

 

[srwarden1928]

We have lived here four years and have not had our septic tank emptied.

My aunt in KY has lived in her house since 1974 and has not had to have it emptied. It has never backed up or given her any problems.

Has someone who does not stand to profit given you a reason why yours needs to be emptied annually?

 

[PatsMom]

We've been in this house around 5 years and we had the system pumped once. The guy who did it said it was no where near full. The leech field works well so it is just the solids that build up in the tank. We'll probably plan on having it done every five years or so going forward (especially with DD leaving for college this year).

I think this is one of those things that can vary greatly depending on the size of your system and the size of your family.

 

[surfgirl]

We have to get our pumped annually - according to Township regulations. Also, it was under warranty if it was pumped annually for 7 years for the pump. If not pumped annually, the warranty was void.

It is about $300 each time. Check your Township and see if there are any regulations.

 

[mom of 3G's]

I have no idea how big ours is or how old, although I'm guessing it's 30+ years as that's how old the house is. We have ours emptied annually and I think it's probably overkill, but we have had problems with it freezing and backup so I like to think that I'm better safe than sorry.

 

[Disnydad]

Depends on the gallonage of the tank and the number of people in the household. We have a 1,000 gallon tank with 4 people here and get it pumped every other year. I found a chart online at recommended I should get it pumped every 2.6 years, so I guess I'm all set. Cost me about $200 last October.

 

[wall*e2008]

We have lived here four years and have not had our septic tank emptied.

My aunt in KY has lived in her house since 1974 and has not had to have it emptied. It has never backed up or given her any problems.

Has someone who does not stand to profit given you a reason why yours needs to be emptied annually?

Your Aunt does not have a septic system but a cesspool.


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Will I Need to Pump the Tank?

After a few years, the solids that accumulate in the septic tank should be pumped out and disposed of at an approved location. If not removed, these solids will eventually overflow, accumulate in the drainfield, and clog the pores (openings) in the soil.

This blockage severely damages the drainfield. While some clogging of soil pores slowly occurs even in a properly functioning system, excess solids from a poorly maintained tank can completely close all soil pores so that no wastewater can flow into the soil. The sewage effluent will then either back up into the house or flow across the ground surface over the drainfield. If this happens, you may need to construct a new drainfield on a different part of your lot. Pumping the septic tank after the soil drainfield has become completely clogged will not rejuvenate the system. It will provide only a few days reprieve until the tank fills up again.


How Will I Know When to Pump the Tank?

The frequency with which you will need to pump depends on three variables: the size of your tank, the volume of your wastewater, and the solids content of your wastewater. If you are unsure about when to have the tank pumped, observe the yearly rate of solids accumulation. The tank should be pumped if the sludge layer has built up to within 25 to 33 percent of the liquid capacity of the tank. Therefore, a typical 1,000 gallon tank with a 4-foot liquid capacity should be pumped when the solids are 1-foot thick in the bottom of the tank. If the tank is not easily accessible, you may wish to inspect and pump it according to the frequency guidelines in Table 1. Your local health department should be able to tell you the size of your tank. When inspecting the tank, check the sanitary tee or the outlet baffle to be sure that it has not broken off and dropped into the tank. Also, be sure to have both compartments of the tank pumped.
Table 1. Estimated Septic Tank Inspection and Pumping Frequency in Years
Tank Size
(gallons) Number of People Using the System
1 2 4 6 8
900 11 5 2 1 <1
1,000 12 6 3 2 1
1,250 16 8 3 2 1
1,500 19 9 4 3 2
Source: Adapted from "Estimated Septic Tank Pumping Frequency," by Karen Mancl, 1984. Journal of Environmental Engineering. Volume 110.

If the septic system is not used very often (as in an infrequently used vacation home with a correctly sized tank), it will probably not need to be pumped as frequently as indicated in the table. If you use a garbage disposal, the tank may need to be pumped more frequently. After a few inspections, you should be able to adjust the schedule according to the rate at which solids accumulate.

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http://www.soil.ncsu.edu/publications/Soilfacts/AG-439-13/

 

[dyna]

200.00 on a Saturday morning after being called after 5pm on Friday.

It took 30 yrs but my septic did back up into my house.

Something everyone can do to keep septic tank from filling up so fast is not put toliet paper in toliet sounds nasty I know but it really does help!!! I don't put my paper in toliet here but others in the house does an when the septic guys was here they said toliet paper was my problem.

 

[sharlon]

We paid $185 last year to have ours pumped. The tank was replaced when we moved in, so it had been 3.5 years when it was pumped and it was full. There are actually a lot of variables, like number of people in the house, size of the tank, etc.

 

[stacy2197]

We have to get ours pumped every 3 years. Costs about $120 so not bad at all.

 

[Tarheel Tink]

Wow! How interesting that I just had "Snuffy" bring the Honey Wagon (and yes, it does say honey wagon in huge letters on the side) over last week!
Last time was 12/15/05 (when we returned from a WDW trip, don't ask! ) and it was 150.00. This time it was 160.00. I don't know the tank size and DH is the one who stands out there talking to Snuffy who informs him of what he finds.
I called because the soil was looking damp (I apparently do a freakish amount of laundry for 2 humans) and the dogs were showing way too much interest in the area.

 

[clh2]

We have to get ours pumped every 3 years. Costs about $120 so not bad at all.

We are in Wisconsin too, and we have to get ours pumped every 3 years. The last time for us was $150, if I recall correctly.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I think ours was last pumped about 7 years ago when my aunt flushed a pantyliner down the toilet, but other than that, it doesn't have to be pumped very often. My mom paid about $250 to have it done. Our house was built in 1950 and I don't know if it has ever been replaced or not.

We use Ridex every month, it is a bacteria that eats away the waste so you don't have to have it pumped often.

Suzanne

 

[swilshire]

I built my house in the mid 70s and the septic tank has never been pumped. Family of six through many of those years. We do use Rid X a few times a year. The person who pumped our neighbors tank says Rid X isn't that good and sold them something more expensive to use every month. Keeping the action going in the tank is important to long life.

Sheila

 

[Kathi OD]

When we bought our house we had the sellers pump the septic tank before we took possession. They had never had it pumped in the 8 years they lived here. DH and I happened to stop at the house the day it was being pumped out. I don't know how much it cost, but the guy doing the pumping said it didn't really need to be pumped.

We've been here 3 years and have yet to have it pumped. One of the neighbors sends around a notice when he is having his pumped and anyone who wants theirs done calls him and "gets on the list." We get a "group rate" for having multiple houses on the same street pumped at the same time.

 

[aandabooks]

Had mine installed 7 years ago. Haven't had it pumped yet. When the old one went bad, I think I paid around $175. I think I would look for someone else that doesn't charge by the pound. My 1500 gal. tank if completely full would be 12,000 lbs of waste. That would come out to $2400 by the estimate that you have.