Septic Tank

[kymom99]

Our first house had no access to pump the septic tank, so we never pumped it in the 11 years we lived there. The previous owners had purchased the house in 1941 and I'm certain they hadn't pumped it either. Not sure when the septic was actually installed (house was 3500sqft built in 1886).

We never experienced any issues, but it was always a bit of a worry for me in the back of my mind. (What if this system fails, especially during the winter when we get 12feet of snow?!) We are a fairly environmentally-conscious family so I think that helped because we just didn't happen to do any of the things that would cause a potential problem.


Yes, I think most of the issues people have are from the different behaviors families tend to have now vs in the past. These things are all problematic for septic systems, but the majority of people today find these normal activities: dumping food in the garbage disposal/toilet, flushing feminine products or wipes, paper that doesn't break down, heavy-duty or antibacterial cleaners, and simply using too much water (daily laundry, long or multiple daily showers, etc).

Right, he said charmin is nice on your tushy but it’s bad for your septic tank.

 

[goofyernmost]

The general rule is every 3-5 years, varying based on how many people live in the home. We are a family of 4 and do it every 3 year to avoid any potential problems, and it’s usually $300-$400.

We do not use rid-x.

I never thought I would use it and did out of desperation. The leach field would have cost thousands of dollars to be rejuvenated so Rid-x was suggested to get the chemical working in the leach field itself and it did, finally. For the cost of the product it was a real money saver for me. Had I known about it from the beginning I might never had the problem that I did.

 

[Cadiewampus]

Our county requires us to pump every 3 years. It costs about $75.

Wow that is cheap. Does the county do it?