Is your memory good? Are you able to remember important dates such as birthdays and anniversaries easily? Are you able to keep your weekly schedule in your head or on paper? The big question is: Do you remember when your septic tank was last pumped?

Although this last question might not be as crucial for your daily life, it is important to ensure your household's plumbing system runs smoothly. Although having a septic system is better than being part of the municipal sewer system, there are still some maintenance tasks to be done.

This article will discuss how often your septic tank should be pumped.

Why is a septic tank necessary to be pumped?

The wastewater from flushing a toilet or dumping food scraps down a garbage disposal leads down the drain and through underground pipes to the septic tank. The majority of the water is released to the ground, while the rest is kept in the tank. The tank will eventually fill up with sewer solids. It can reach its maximum capacity, and overflow can cause bad smells, a messy yard, and plumbing problems inside your home. There is an easy solution: have your septic tank pumped.

Tank maintenance frequency

The frequency you need to pump your septic tank depends on how big it is, how many people live in it, and other factors such as whether you have a water softener or garbage disposal system and how often you wash clothes or dump non-septic-friendly items into the drain.

Here are some guidelines:

• Families of 2 with 500-gallon tank - Pump every 2.5 years
• Family of 3 with 1000-gallon tank: Pump every 4 years
• Families of 5 with 1000-gallon tank: Pump every 2 years
• Family of 5 with 1500-gallon tank: Pump every 3.5 Years

You can see that the average frequency of having your tank pumped is every 3-4 years. If you see signs of a backup in your septic system, it is important to have your tank pumped immediately. Slow drains throughout the house and gurgling sounds from the toilet after flushing are two signs to watch out for.

Scheduling septic tank pumping service

It's easy to forget about septic tank maintenance. We can do the dirty and unpleasant work of pumping. After the tank has been cleaned, it can be used for a few more years.