Septic Pumping

Your septic tank should be pumped every 3-5 years. The more people that are using the septic system the more often you should have it pumped.

Regularly scheduled pumping and maintenance will extend the life of your septic system and keep it functioning properly. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and there’s nothing you’d rather cure less than a backed up, malfunctioning septic system. Over time, solid waste accumulates in your septic tank, clogging the inlet and outlet pipes and preventing drainage. Regular pumping removes this waste before it accumulates too much, preventing a host of problems and premature equipment failure. Sharpe’s Septic Tank and Well Drilling Service provides septic pumping for residential and commercial properties in Columbia, South Carolina and surrounding areas. With more than 50 years of experience and a skilled team of professionals, it is no wonder that we are the number one choice in the Midlands for pumping, inspections, repairs and other septic services.

THE IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR SEPTIC PUMPING

The septic tank itself is where heavy solids and scum will be separated from wastewater. Although it may be easy to say, “out of sight, out of mind,” when it comes to your septic tank, it is important to have regularly scheduled maintenance and pumping to remove solid waste from the tank. Home and business owners should be prepared to have their septic tank serviced every 3 to 5 years and keep a detailed record of services when they are performed. A lack of regular maintenance will cause even the most well-designed and installed septic system to fail.

The longer you go without pumping your septic tank, the greater the risk of:

• Sewage Smells- If your septic tank can’t drain solid waste effectively, it will quickly start to emit a foul smell. In some cases, the plumbing vents can be blocked causing a sewage odor in your bathrooms. An experienced technician will be able to determine what the cause may be and recommend a solution.
• Backups & Overflows- No one wants to clean up sewage that has backed up and overflowed into their home. Sewage overflowing can cause water damage to floors, subfloors, walls, and can pool underneath the home or building. At times, it can be too much for one person to clean, a professional cleaning company has to be hired. These emergency situations can be avoided with proper maintenance and regularly scheduled pumping.
• Environmental Health Threat- Raw sewage pooling on a property is a danger to the life and health of humans and animals. Children or animals mistaking it for a water puddle can become very sick. It can, also, become a breeding ground for mosquitos and other insects.

Regular septic pumping, can help keep all these issues at bay. However, keep in mind if you pump your septic tank regularly, there is still a risk that waste will build up more quickly than usual and cause blockage.

Here are some signs of malfunction to keep an eye out for:

• Sewage Smells- One of the first signs that waste is gathering in your septic tank is a rancid odor, which will grow stronger over time.
• Drainage Problems- The more waste gathers in your septic system, the harder it will be for drains in your house to work. If your toilet, sink, shower or other drains frequently get clogged or are slow draining and you can’t solve the problem through ordinary plunging or other at home methods, odds are there is an issue with the septic system that is affecting drains.
• Gurgling Sounds- Using one fixture may cause sounds to some from another fixture. Example: Flushing the toilet you hear gurgling in the tub/shower.
• Standing Water- A blocked septic tank can often cause standing water to gather in your yard.

As soon as you notice these signs, contact the experts at Sharpe’s Septic Tank and Well. For more information on our affordable, expedient pumping or other septic services, contact us today.