Care calendar
A septic care calendar for the Gulf Coast
Septic care is mostly a handful of habits and one date every few years. Here they are, in the order they come up.
- 01
Step 1: Every month
Walk the yard. Soft ground, a bright green strip, or a smell over the tank or field is the first sign of trouble.
- 02
Step 2: Every year
Aerobic units get a service visit: air pump, alarm, spray heads and filters. Any system benefits from a look at the lids and risers.
- 03
Step 3: Every 3 to 5 years
Pump the tank. Most family tanks fall in this range; a bigger household or a garbage disposal shortens it.
- 04
Step 4: Before hurricane season
June is the time to find your lids, check the alarm panel and pump a tank that is near due. A tank pumped before the water rises has more room.
- 05
Step 5: After a flood or heavy rain
Stay off the field and keep water use low until the ground drains. Call us before pumping, because an empty tank can float in saturated ground.
- 06
Step 6: Before you buy or sell a home
A septic inspection with a written note belongs in the inspection window. The window is short, so call early.
Down the drain
What never goes in a septic system
The bacteria in the tank do the work. These things hurt them, fill the tank, or clog the field.
Wipes
Including the ones sold as flushable. They do not break down.
Grease and oil
It hardens in the tank and in the pipes to the field.
Paint, solvents and medicine
They pass through the tank and into the ground.
Cat litter and coffee grounds
They add solids faster than the tank can digest them.
Large amounts of bleach
A little is fine. A lot reaches the bacteria.
Roots and traffic
Keep trees off the field and vehicles off the tank and lines.
Questions
Care questions
How do I know when to pump?
Count the years since the last pump-out, and use the 3 to 5 year range as a start. We write a date on your care schedule after we see your tank.
Where is my tank?
The permit file for the house usually shows it. If not, we probe and mark the lids, and you keep the map.
Do aerobic units need power?
Yes. The air pump runs on electricity, and the alarm tells you when it stops. A power outage after a storm is worth a look at the panel.
Care schedule
Want a date on your calendar?
We look at the tank, write the next pump-out on a care schedule, and leave it with you.