I have a septic system and a leach field. The house was new in 1989. There are four of us living in a four bedroom home. Every time the service pumps out my tank, they tell me I really dodn't have to do it so frequently. We started out doing it annually and not are at four years between pumps. The guy said the same thing this year -- didn't need to do it so soon.

It's pretty inexpensive to pump out a tank (vs replace a leach field). How frequently should I be pumping my tank?

We don't put anything in the toilets or the sinks except toilet paper, human waste, and cleaning agents (soap, shampoo, dish detergent). We have never taken care to use 'septic friendly' toilet paper. We do not add anything like Rid-X. I have put toilet paper in a container with water to see how it breaks down, so I know the difference between brands. What I am not sure about is whether these products are good for my septic system. Is it better to let the toilet paper settle to the bottom of the tank and pump it out or to break it down and send it out to the leach field?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Most septic systems are private and knowledge of operation will vary among users. Successful septic systems are loaded with bacteria that breaks down the waste. When a system loses the necessary bacteria, the distribution fields are affected. At one time, we had a private septic system that was never emptied in 20 plus years. I know of some who have their tanks pumped once a year. Conditions and standards vary greatly.

Best Wishes

People don't really understand the septic systems very well.

We try to avoid failure modes which is usually failure of the leach field, not the septic tank. The leach field fails when it will not absorb any water. This absorption ability varies by the type of soil conditions (Sandy soils absorb well where clay fields absorb slowly) that you have and how the leach field was constructed (perforated pipe vs Chambers) and (gravity vs pressurized fields) . Some leach fields have a "valve" where every 6 months or so you can turn off part of the leach field to "rest and relax" while directing the effluent to another portion of the leach field.

At this stage when you have a septic system already constructed all you can do is protect your leach field by proper care of the septic tank. You may be able to add a filter to the septic tank outflow or a valve to the leach field to alternate portions of the leach field but other repairs are difficult to do.

Solids really are not "decomposed" in the tank but rather sink to the bottom. This is what is pumped out. The purpose of pumping the tank is to prevent the solids from entering the leach field. They only need to be pumped when the solids are accumulating as they can be pushed into the field if they accumulate too much. (usually every 3 years depending on usage). Ridex and other similar products don't really do much to dissolve the solids and they are somewhat deceptively marketing this product IMHO.

Certain substances can pass through the septic tank and enter the leach field. If this happens they will plug up the pores in the leach field. This is why we are worried about cottony toilet paper which does not dissolve in the water nearly as well as brands like Scott. Newer septic tanks have a effluent filter at the tank exit to prevent particulate matter from going into the leach field. This filter should be cleaned semi-annually or when accumulating clogging material. Another way to prevent some particles is to place a lint filter on ur washing machine have as almost all new washing machines automatically drain the lint into the drainage and lint can pass thru the septic tank easily. A garbage disposal this can damage the septic tank as all the vegetables are non decomposable cellulose which will fill up the solid portion in the tank quickly. Never drain greases as greasy substances don't fall to the bottom of the tank and can pass thru plugging the leach field.

The leach field can also be damaged by dissolved substances in the water. Some feel that fabric softeners can pass thru the septic tank and going into the leach field clog the "pores" of the field. If you let a cup of Downey out to air it will dry out leaving a "waxy" residue which is what can plug the soil. I recommend not using these liquid softeners.

When the tank is "checked" what should happen is the lid pulled and a stick placed in the tank to see the depth of the accumulated solids. They should also check the outflow T which prevents solids from passing to the leach field. The "T" can break off or not even be installed in the tank. Inspection time is an ideal time to clean the effluent filter also. Watch how they do this and you can easily clean the filter yourself.

Hope this helps.



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Your septic will pass the inspection if the sludge only occupies a third of the septic tank or less, and the water flows naturally inside the septic tank.

Sludge: It is the solid waste that settles to the bottom of the tank. A routine septic tank pumping will not allow it to pile up and cause clogging or flow into the leach field.

Scum: It is the oil, grease and fats that float to the top of the water. If the scum is sticking around in the tank, addressing this issue is important.

Flow: The flow within the septic tank should be normal without any disruptions. Disruptions can lead to sewage backups and clogs in the system.

Other tips to ensure your septic passes inspection:

Pump out your septic tank every 2-3 years
Use low-water consuming toilets and showerheads
Only flush things that are septic-friendly
Grow trees far from your septic system
Don't drive or park over the septic system
Don't overload your septic tank (expanding the house).



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