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SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME
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WHEN NOT TO PUMP A SEPTIC TANK
SEPTIC TANK PUMPING PROCEDURE
  Safety Warnings
  When to Pump
  Find the Septic Tank
  How to Open Septic Tanks
  Open the Septic Tank
  Inspect Before Pumping
  Pumper Truck Operation
  Pumping the Septic Tank
  Inspect During Pumping
  Washing Septic Tank Sides/Bottom
  Inspect After Pumping
  Close the Septic Tank
  Record Septic Tank Location
  Advising Owners
SEPTIC TANK INSPECTION PROCEDURE
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Photo of septic tank sludge and scum layer being broken up prior to septic tank cleanout.

How to Open a Septic Tank: Step by Step Guide
InspectAPedia®  -    

  • How to pump out / clean a septic tank, step by step photo-illustrated guide
  • Before starting, some safety warnings for septic pumpers and homeowners
  • When to pump, how to find the septic tank,
  • Steps in Opening a Septic Tank: inspect before opening the tank; removing the tank cover
  • How the pumper truck or vacuum truck is operated
  • Tank inspection before pumping; Actually pumping out the septic tank; inspections while pumping
  • Washing the septic tank after pumping, inspecting the tank after pumping
  • Closing the septic tank, recording the septic tank location, advising homeowners
Our site offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/appointment.htm.

How to open the septic tank. This document provides a step by step, photo-illustrated guide to opening, pumping, and inspecting septic tanks, how a conventional septic tank is located, opened, pumped out, cleaned, and inspected. This guideline is intended for septic pumping tank truck operators and as general information for homeowners or septic service companies concerned with septic system care. This is a chapter of Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems an online book on septic systems.

Citation of this article by reference to this website and brief quotation for the sole purpose of review are permitted. Use of this information at other websites, in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved to the author. Technical reviewers are welcome and are listed at "References."

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

A Photographic Guide to Pumping a Septic Tank

Inspection Points Before Opening the Septic Tank

  • Subsidence (depressions or low areas in the soil) at the septic tank location - may risk dangerous, potentially fatal collapse
  • Evidence of recent work which may need to be investigated to understand the condition of the septic system
  • Evidence of backup or effluent breakout at the surface in the septic tank area
  • PHOTO of an unsafe septic tank cover placed over collpasing concrete blocks Septic Tank Cover Safety: here a round tank cover was found over a collapsing home-made collection of concrete blocks which had been stacked by the owner to form a septic tank access well.

    There was a dangerous collapse risk forming a fatal hazard because the masonry blocks were askew and loose, and because the tank opening into was larger than the cover.

    We covered the area with plywood, roped it off, and told the occupants and owner of this condition immediately orally and also in writing.

Opening the Septic Tank Pumping Access Port

PHOTO of the septic tank cleanout cover having been exposed by excavation The septic tank should be cleaned from a cleanout port - usually located in the center of the tank. Pumping the septic tank through a small access opening such as over the intake or outlet baffle does not provide enough space to adequately reach and remove sludge from the septic tank bottom, and it risks future clogging of the tank inlet or outlet by incompletely-removed floating scum.

In this example we knew from prior work, the measurements to the exact location of the septic tank cleanout cover.

The photo shows the septic tank cleanout port which we found and excavated to prepare for opening the septic tank. The cover is about to be removed using a wrecking bar.

Note that we excavated far enough back from the tank opening itself that when we remove the cover we won't have a lot of dirt falling into the septic tank.

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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

  • Special thanks to M & O Sanitation, Dutchess County NY (845) 471-0308 for permitting us to photograph steps during septic system service at our demonstration property.

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Pennsylvania State Fact Sheets relating to domestic wastewater treatment systems include
  • Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-161, Septic System Failure: Diagnosis and Treatment
  • Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-162, The Soil Media and the Percolation Test
  • Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-l64, Mound Systems for Wastewater Treatment
  • Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-165, Septic Tank-Soil Absorption Systems
  • Document Sources used for this web page include but are not limited to: Agricultural Fact Sheet #SW-161 "Septic Tank Pumping," by Paul D. Robillard and Kelli S. Martin. Penn State College of Agriculture - Cooperative Extension, edited and annotated by Dan Friedman (Thanks: to Bob Mackey for proofreading the original source material.)
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    05/13/2009 - 12/21/2006 - InspectAPedia.com/septic/SepticTankOpen.htm - © 2009 - 1988 Copyright Daniel Friedman All Rights Reserved - InspectAPedia® is a Registered U.S. Trademark