We’ve said it once, and we will say it again: pumping your septic tank is an essential part of septic system maintenance. Not only will it prolong your system, but it may also help your wallet down the road, saving you money from avoided septic repairs.
However, some still are not convinced.
So, we thought we would try a different tactic. Here is a look at how your systems feel when you don’t pump your septic tank.
Your Septic Tank is a Waste Holding Tank
While some waste and wastewater treatment happens in your septic tank, it mainly acts as a place to separate solid wastes from liquid wastes.
And the bacteria can only decompose so much waste, and that’s if they are healthy. That leaves solid waste and sludge building up in your septic tank, holding it until your next septic pump-out.
As that solid waste and sludge begin to build, the need for a pump-out becomes more and more dire. So, what happens if you ignore that need?
What Happens When You Stop Pumping Your Septic Tank
As sludge and solid waste begins building up in your septic tank, some things start to happen throughout your entire system.
Backups from Not Pumping Your Septic
With no space to pump in more waste and wastewater, you will begin experiencing backups in your home. After all, the waste has nowhere to go — your septic tank is too full.
It could be slow drains or your kitchen sink not draining, or it could be worse. You may find yourself with an overflowing toilet, fumes backing up into your home, and costly repairs.
Overloaded Drainfields
Your drainfield offers the final treatment of wastewater before allowing it back into the ground and, eventually, the water table. It relies on a slow stream of wastewater from your septic tank to properly filter the remaining contaminants out through the soil.
So, what happens when wastewater gets pushed into the drainfield before the first round of decontamination? Or too much water bypasses the septic tank at once?
You end up with an overloaded drainfield that cannot filter out the remaining contaminates. Left unchecked, you could risk contaminating your community’s water. All from not pumping your septic tank.
Flooded and Smelly Yard
As the septic tank continues to be overflowing and your drain field can’t keep up, all that water and waste has to go somewhere — your yard.
While contaminating the water supply is the worse thing that can happen, other issues could be going on in your yard.
Mainly flooding. And not with just water, but with wastewater that hasn’t been adequately treated. This makes for a very smelly and contaminated flood. While your grass may look greener and healthier, you and your pets will not be.
Schedule Your Septic Tank Pump-Out Today
With so many reasons to stop avoiding pumping your septic tank, what are you waiting for? At Advanced Septic Services, we make pumping your septic tank a painless process, getting you and your septic tank back on your way quickly.
Give us a call at 352-242-6100 today to schedule your pump-out appointment (before you find yourself scheduling a repair instead).