How Often Should You Pump Your Septic Tank?

If you have a septic system you may often hear differing stories on how best to maintain the septic and prolong the life of the tank and drain field. Preventive maintenance is always your best option when it comes to avoiding emergency surcharges and/or premature failure of the septic system. Generally speaking, pumping the septic tank on a routine schedule is still much cheaper than city sewer fees, and vastly more affordable than a new septic system due to improper maintenance.

So, how often should you have your tank pumped? The short answer is every 2-5 years. This varies depending upon the size of the septic tank, the number of people in the home, and whether or not there is a garbage disposal present at home. Frequent usage of bleach or antibacterial agents (i.e. cleaner, hand soap) can also play a factor. For a more in depth explanation please visit:   https://www.watersvacuum.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/septic-plumbing-septic-cleaning.pdf

Call or email Waters Vacuum Truck Service today for more information or to schedule a septic pumping appointment.

17 replies
  1. John
    John says:

    According to the article, you should have your septic tank pumped every 2-5 years. It makes sense how it also mentions that certain factors such as frequency of use determine how often your septic system needs maintenance. I have also heard that the older your septic tank is, the more frequent your pumping and maintenance ought to be. Is that true too?

    Reply
  2. Justin
    Justin says:

    Thank you very much for your reply/inquiry. We are glad to know this information is useful to you.

    Assuming the system is in good working order with no saturation of the field, the age should have no bearing on the pumping frequency. Whether the system is 5 years old or 20, a typical septic tank should be cleaned out every 2-5 years, depending of course on factors listed above (i.e. number of people in home, presence of a garbage disposal, etc).

    Reply
  3. Bernard Clyde
    Bernard Clyde says:

    It’s good to know that every 2-5 years we should have our septic tank pumped in order to prevent overflows. If there is any question about how long it’s been since the tank was last pumped, it might be good to just have it pumped as soon as possible. You will then be able to use that time as your benchmark for when later septic tank pumping services are needed in order to truly keep your tank working as expected.

    Reply
  4. Kourtney Jensen
    Kourtney Jensen says:

    I appreciate how talked about the importance of processional maintenance, and that a tank should be pumped every 2 to 5 years. We’re looking to move and a lot of the homes are on their own septic tank. It’s good to know that this needs to be done every few years, because the last thing I’d want is to have sewage coming up our drains!

    Reply
  5. Derek Dewitt
    Derek Dewitt says:

    My wife and I just moved into a new home that has a septic tank and we’ve been wondering how to take care of it. I had no idea that the tank would have to be cleaned every 2-5 years. I’ll have to check with our landlord to see if she knows when it was lasted cleaned. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  6. Alexandria Martinez
    Alexandria Martinez says:

    It has been awhile since my fiance and I had a septic service over to pump the tank. We didn’t know that the recommended time was every 2-5 years and we are definitely due. We will look into getting someone to help us, thanks!

    Reply
  7. Harper Campbell
    Harper Campbell says:

    It’s interesting to learn that when it comes to a septic tank that we need to have it pumped about every 2-5 years. This is good to know so that we will be able to keep things taken care of to help prevent any kind of back up. I like how you mentioned that we should also use bleach to help with preventing back up in between pumpings.

    Reply
  8. Cameron Bennett
    Cameron Bennett says:

    I’m glad that you mention that it’s cheaper to make sure that you’re maintaining your septic system properly than to get a new one because it’s not being properly cared for. My husband and I just bought a fixer-upper and it’s hard to tell how long it’s been since the tank has been pumped. We’ll have to be sure that that is done and taken care of before we move into the home.

    Reply
  9. Ashley Turns
    Ashley Turns says:

    My husband and I have been having some issues with our septic tank, so we have been wondering if we should have it cleaned soon. So I appreciate you mentioning that every 2-5 years is a good timeline, depending on how many people live in your home. Since we have a few kids and we had our septic tank cleaned three years ago, we’ll definitely have a service come by soon.

    Reply
  10. Deb Pearl
    Deb Pearl says:

    My husband and I moved to a house with a septic tank, and we have never had one before. We have been wondering when we need to get our tank pumped or cleaned. Thank you for mentioning that we need to get it pumped every 2-5 years. We will have to make sure we set up the times for it to get pumped.

    Reply
  11. Arthur DeMarco
    Arthur DeMarco says:

    I didn’t know it was as often as every 2 or 3 years that you need to get your septic tank pumped, I haven’t had mine pumped for about 5, I should probably call someone. I agree with you, preventive maintenance is always best, so just because I haven’t had any problems doesn’t mean I don’t need service for my tank. Thanks for the reminder!

    Reply
  12. Burt Silver
    Burt Silver says:

    I really like how you gave a short answer of 2 – 5 years for how often you should get your tank pumped. It’s good to know that it can vary depending on the size of your tank and everything. I don’t really remember the last time my septic tank was pumped so it would be a good idea to have a septic tank service come out and check on it and probably give it a good cleaning.

    Reply
  13. Gerty Gift
    Gerty Gift says:

    Thank you for mentioning that, depending on the size and how many people are using it, the tank will need to be pumped every 2-5 years. We have been wondering when would be a good time for our system to get checked and pumped, but haven’t really figured it out. Since it’s only been around a year since we’ve gotten the tank, we should be find for at least another year. We’ll have someone check it then.

    Reply
  14. Jordan Miner
    Jordan Miner says:

    I’ve been looking for a good septic tank cleaning service, and I think that some information would be good. I’m glad you mentioned that should have your tank pumped, and I think that being able to find a septic tank cleaning company would be really nice. I’m going to have to look for a good septic tank company and see what we can find!

    Reply
  15. Heidi Bookenstock
    Heidi Bookenstock says:

    My neighbors were talking the other day about pumping their septic tanks and it made me realize, I don’t remember the last time I pumped my septic tank. I had no idea how often it is recommended to pump your septic tank. I’m very grateful for this article letting me know it should happen about every 2-5 years.

    Reply
  16. Burt Silver
    Burt Silver says:

    I really like that you mention that you should get your septic tank pumped every 2-5 years. This is really great to know because I don’t really remember the last time that I got my septic tank pumped. Hopefully, I can get a septic service out here that could inspect the tank for me and let me know how it is holding up and what I should do.

    Reply

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