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What to Check During Septic Tank Pumping 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; Septic Tank inspections while tank pumping Washing the septic tank after pumping, inspecting the tank after pumping Closing the septic tank, recording the septic tank location, advising homeowners

Key information about the drainfield status can be discovered during the actual time that the septic tank is being pumped. We explain this here. 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.

The steps in servicing a septic tank are listed here, accompanied by photographs that show each of the critical steps in pumping, cleaning, and inspecting a septic tank. 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 During Septic Tank Pumping

During Septic Tank Pumping: Noise of drainfield back-flow: if the septic tank pumper observes (or hears) septic effluent flowing back into the septic tank from the tank outlet pipe this is a sure indication that the drainfield or soil absorption system is waterlogged, and indicates a system failure needing further investigation. That's because normally effluent flows from the septic tank outlet towards the drainfield. If effluent is flowing backwards, it means there is standing water in the drainfield and it is flooded and not working. The drainfield could be flooded by local surface runoff, groundwater, or because the leach field no longer is passing effluent out rapidly enough.

• When to listen: from the beginning of the pump-down cycle to the end, but a clever pumper truck operator might stop the truck pumping (if noise is too close to the tank) when the effluent in the septic tank is just below the level of the outlet line leaving the tank. This is when we would first hear and most-likely hear back-flow from the drainfield. If we wait until the whole tank is empty, we may have waited too long, and the water or effluent that was sitting in the drainfield may have already emptied itself into the septic tank (and been pumped out to the truck).
• The photo shows a concrete septic tank during pumping. As the effluent level dropped below that of the bottom of the tank baffles, we stopped pumping briefly to listen for the sound of effluent flowing back into the tank from its outlet.

  Septic tank pumping is best performed from an access cover at the center of the tank if one is provided (as in this photo). This gives best access to the pumper to clean sludge and debris from all areas of the tank bottom.

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• 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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More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• 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.


• 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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