Why is it Necessary to Maintain your Septic Tank

Would you by an expensive car and never change the oil? NO. The same principal can be applied to your septic tank. Over time, solids build up in the tank. How many people are in the home, their lifestyles, garbage disposals, laundry entering the system, and multiple other factors determine how frequently a tank should be cleaned. When sludge builds up in the bottom of the tank and it reaches a level where it will be taken out incrementally into the absorption field, it begins to plug the soil. The level of sludge can be determined by an inspection. When the solids are more than one third of the total liquid level, it is time for the tank to be cleaned.

Periodic removal of scum and sludge will prolong the life of your system. The solids cannot be removed from the tank through a 4-inch inspection port. The manholes and/or lids need to be removed and a thorough cleaning take place.

Most systems in our area have no access manholes to the surface, they have to be uncovered. They can have from 12 inches to 6 feet of soil over them. A lot of the yards here are landscaped with decorator rock and gravel. American Septic Service found that digging by hand in Arizona is not cost-effective to our customers or to us. We use a "Bobcat" Excavator to expose the top of the tank and lift the manhole lids. A lot of the homes in our area have walls around the back of the yard. We have the ability to pass through a gate as small as 39 inches with our Bobcat.