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How & Why to Inspect the Septic Tank Before Pumping and Cleaning 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, 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 Leaks in septic tanks - leaks into and leaks out of the septic tank are problems Washing the septic tank after pumping, inspecting the tank after pumping Closing the septic tank, recording the septic tank location, advising homeowners

Tank inspection before pumping, what to look for and what it means. Information visible in the septic tank before pumping it can be very diagnostic about the condition of both the septic tank and the drainfield. 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. 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." This is a chapter of Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems an online book on septic systems.

© 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

Inspecting the Septic Tank Condition Before Pumping

As the septic tank cleanout cover is lifted clear of the tank the worker keeps his back straight to avoid injury. Notice that the worker has also spread his feet and found secure footing before lifting the tank cover. Slipping at this point can lead to a serious injury or even to falling into the septic tank. Once the septic tank cover has been removed, we can observe that the level of sewage in the tank is at a normal level (Second photo at left). Low sewage level in an in-use system would indicate a leaky or damaged septic tank.

Before starting tank pumping, inspect:

• Tank Cover and Access Covers: The condition of the septic tank cover itself and the cover opening for soundness and safety.
• Area Safety: The surrounding conditions for safety: are there small children playing nearby? Is there a curious owner inclined to lean over to look into the tank? Keep people away from open septic tanks - falling in is likely to be fatal.
• Tank Baffles: The condition of the septic tank baffles. For an explanation of septic tank baffle condition and for notes on how to replace or repair septic tank baffles, see the link: "Baffles: Inspecting the Condition of Septic Tank Baffles" at "More Reading" below. When a septic tank is opened at a center cleanout port the baffles are not easily visible except indirectly by mirror or camera held inside the tank.
  
  

  However for this case we opened and inspected the septic tank inlet baffles as shown in this photo of a concrete septic tank baffle. The sewage atop the concrete tank baffle suggested that the septic tank had been flooded in the past. We located and corrected the source of water leaking into the tank. In this case the leak was at the inlet pipe to the septic tank where water was collecting by running down the hill into the sewer line trench. We sealed the entry to the septic tank with concrete as shown in the second photo of a concrete seal at the sewer line entry to the septic tank.

  
  You cannot see all of the baffles before the tank is pumped but inspect the baffle tops for evidence of corrosion, damage, total absence, or of sewage flowing over the baffle top (an indication of excessive in-tank sewage levels).
• Thickness of scum and sludge levels: Septic tank maximum scum and sludge buildup prior to pump out, and instructions for measuring the floating scum layer thickness and settled sludge layer thickness in a septic tank are available in a separate chapter at MEASURE SCUM & SLUDGE
• High sewage level may mean a blocked tank outlet or a failed leach field.
• Low sewage level may mean a tank leak. See our notes below about leaks into septic tanks and leaks out of a septic tank. See  Septic Tank Leaks for details about why septic tank leaks are a problem. .
• (See "Levels: Inspecting the Level of Accumulated Solids, Sludge and Floating Scum in Treatment Tanks" link at "More Reading" below.)

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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.

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building design, inspection, and repair, and about indoor environment testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
• The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic
• Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance- online textbook. Detailed how to inspect, maintain, repair information
• The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems
• Septic Tank Pumping Guide: When, Why, How to pump the septic tank
• Table of Required Septic & Well Clearances: Distances Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, etc.
• Pennsylvania State Fact Sheets relating to septic systems & 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.)
• ...

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• Additives & Chemicals: Septic System Maintenance - Are they even needed? Are they even legal?
• Baffles, Septic Tank septic tank baffles defects and inspection suggestions
• Buyer's Guide Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems Inspection & Testing - What to Do, Step by Step.
• Cesspool failures (MA)
• Cesspool Safety Warnings include dangers of cave-in and fatality
• Cesspools Home Buyer's or Owner's Advice
• Clearances & Distances from septic system components to other site features, property boundaries, waterways, etc.
• Clogged Drain Diagnosis - is the problem the septic system or the Building drain system?
• Don't Flush these things into a septic system: a list of what's ok and what's not ok to put into septic tanks and building drains
• Drywells Home Buyer's or Owner's Advice
• Filters for Septic Tanks & Graywater to protect septic drainfields and reduce drainfield clogging
• SEPTIC FLOOD RESPONSE what to do after a septic system has been exposed to flooding
• Garbage Grinders and garbage disposal units - effects on septic systems
• Levels: Inspecting the Level of Accumulated Solids, Sludge and Floating Scum in Treatment Tanks - Measuring the Sludge and Scum Levels in Septic Tanks
• Liquid Level in the Absorption System - drain fields, seepage pits, galleys
• OUTSIDE SEPTIC INSPECTION - - Simple Visual Site Inspection Gives Key Information About Septic System Condition
• Retention Time in Septic Tanks Septic Tank Pumping Guide discusses retention time and "net free area" in a tank (allowing for sludge and scum layers)
• Septic & Cesspool Safety - septic system, septic tank, & cesspool safety warnings for septic inspectors, septic pumpers, and homeowners.
• Septic D-BOX Inspection provides for help in finding and inspecting the septic system drainfield distribution box
• Septic Sludge & Scum Levels in Septic Tanks - Measuring the Level of Accumulated Solids, Sludge and Floating Scum in Treatment Tanks
• Septic Tank Location - How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location
• Septic Tank Pumping Frequency Guide for Septic Tanks: When, How, What to Watch For when pumping or cleaning septic tanks
• Septic Tank Inspection Procedure - How to Inspect Septic Tanks and evaluate the septic tank condition, baffles, sludge levels, damage, evidence of septic failure, etc.
• Septic Tanks, Concrete defects and inspection suggestions for concrete septic tanks
• Septic Tanks, Fiberglass or Plastic defects and inspection suggestions for fiberglass or plastic septic tanks
• Septic Tanks, Home Made defects and inspection suggestions for home made or site built septic tanks
• Septic Tanks, Steel defects and inspection suggestions for steel septic tanks
• Septic Tank Sludge and Floating Scum: what makes up the contents of residential sewage
• Sewer Gas Odors diagnosing, finding, and curing septic tank and sewer line smells
• Sewer Gas - Methane and other septic system gas explosion or asphyxiation hazards such as hydrogen sulfide
• Tank Location - How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location
• Ten Steps to Keeping a Septic System Working, suggestions from the U.S. EPA, edits and additions by DJF
• Planting Over Septic Systems: trees, shrubs, groundcover over the septic system: what can you plant over or near septic system components without causing a problem?
• SPOTTING SEPTIC BREAKOUTS - Spotting Dyed Septic Effluent Breakout Outside - Where Septic Dye is Likely to Show Up During a Septic Dye
• When Not to Pump a Septic Tank to avoid damage, unsafe conditions, or wasting money

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