On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 18:33:06 +0000 (UTC), Andrew Burgess
wrote:

===I hope you will see my post about the need to pump the tank every year
===(or so) to keep the overflow from ruining the drain field.
===
===I would say inspect regularly, pump when needed. Adjust inspection
===rate based on how fast the sediment and scum accumulate. I inspected
===mine about every 5 years and just pumped at 19 years. Pump requirements
===vary with the load on the system. You can inspect it yourself, get a book.

Oh, I checked mine and it was nothing to worry about. Hardly any load
on it and we are pretty darn concientous on what gets put down a
drain. Any solids like whats left from preparing food goes in the
compost pile, other than human waste and associated paper, and bath
water thats about all that goes into my septic system. For quite a
few years now the wash water goes separate from the rest of the waste
water. Why put good grey water in a septic tank when it can be used
for nourishing plants etc, and cut down on a water bill in the prcess.

I would think if you had to pump your tank every year its not being
utilized properly, or it was improperly installed to begin with, or
your soil does not perk to good. There should not be any need to pump
a septic tank yearly. A drain field is just that, a means to allow
liquid or so called cleaned waters free of solids to drain or leach
out into. Its when you get solids pushing into the drain fields that
cause them to clog up.........


I can agree with the inspect and pump when needed concept, and my
frequency on checking now is about every 5 years or so.......
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