Septic tank cleaning: the full clean-out, not just the liquid off the top

Cleaning versus pumping

People use the two words interchangeably, and in our shop they usually mean the same visit. The distinction that matters is how thorough the job is. A quick pump that pulls liquid and leaves the compacted sludge on the tank floor gets you back on the schedule within a year. A proper clean-out breaks up and removes the settled solids, backflushes as needed, and leaves the tank ready to work the way it was designed to.

That difference is invisible from the driveway, which is why we tell you what came out and what the tank looked like when we were done.

Signs your tank needs cleaning now

• Slow drains across the whole house, not just one fixture
• Gurgling from toilets or tubs when another fixture drains
• Sewage odor near the tank, the lid or the drainfield
• Water pooling or grass growing unusually fast over the field
• Sewage backing up into the lowest drain in the house

What we check while the tank is open

An open, empty tank is the only honest look you get at the system, so we use it. We check the inlet and outlet baffles, the condition of the concrete, the lid and risers, and whether roots have found the inlet line. On properties where the field sits uphill of the tank, we check the effluent pump and floats at the same time.

If something is wrong we tell you then, with the tank open, rather than scheduling a second visit to find out.

Where the waste goes

Everything we pump is hauled and disposed of at a permitted facility under Arizona rules. Ask any septic company where the load ends up — it is a fair question and the answer should be immediate.