Another prep not mentioned very often....

[41mag]

For ruralites or other home septic tank fans....when was it last pumped? Asking for a friend.....

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[OldTengu]

For ruralites or other home septic tank fans....when was it last pumped? Asking for a friend.....

Rid x twice monthly at minimum.
Haven't pumped the one out at my moms in probably 20 years.

 

[thorborg]

Depending on proper construction, well percolated drain field, and how it was treated before you got it, changes the answer considerably. Septics are a way of life, take them serious, treat them right, feed them well, and a very long time can be had before requiring service. But treat them like you live in the city, and all life will shortly die in them, plug with solids and be no different than a portable worksite toilet needing regular pumping..

 

[41mag]

treat them like you live in the city, and all life will shortly die in them, plug with solids and be no different than a portable worksite toilet needing regular pumping..

excellent advise and accurate analogy

 

[slimmer13]

You're supposed to pump them every 5yrs. I went 7 and it was still in good shape. My parents went 20+, have a garbage disposal, frequently use bleach and have never had a problem, but spending a few hundred every few years is good insurance to prevent paying tens of thousands.

Another thing is to make sure you have a T on your outlet to prevent solids from entering your drain field.

I don't think Ridx and similar products do anything personally.

 

[arakboss]

I have owned my cabin property since 2008. I haven't had to service mine yet but it gets fairly light use one toilet and shower.

I have been thinking about checking it but everytime I think that I decide to do something else.

 

[41mag]

I have been thinking about checking it but everytime I think that I decide to do something else.

....I recognize that and recall they do have
a term for such behavior....

 

[DunRanull]

I have owned my cabin property since 2008. I haven't had to service mine yet but it gets fairly light use one toilet and shower.

I have been thinking about checking it but everytime I think that I decide to do something else.

Rid X or similar worked wonders for my folk's septic tank. I recall it was actually pumped once in 30 years. And that in a clay-loam soil. The weeds grew tall and strong over that area...

 

[dangerranger60]

Mine has not been pumped in over 30 years. We do not put many chemicals in it, use degradeable TP, and are not stingy with the water flowing through.
About 10 years ago I added a RV dump station and opened it to find only a thin layer of floating debris, and about 10 inches of solids on the bottom.
When we sell I will have to have it pumped out as part of the sale, but I don't expect it to be any different then. DR

 

[Martini_Up]

I have owned my cabin property since 2008. I haven't had to service mine yet but it gets fairly light use one toilet and shower.

I have been thinking about checking it but everytime I think that I decide to do something else.

Same, since '13.…. drag the gravel, limb up the trees, stain the deck / siding, change the oil in all the toys, have a drink with the full timer….

 

[308]

I mix up a couple tablespoons of yeast with some sugar and water and let it grow a few hours, then flush it to the tank. Its a good way to offset any cleaning products used.

 

[Stomper]

I mix up a couple tablespoons of yeast with some sugar and water and let it grow a few hours, then flush it to the tank. Its a good way to offset any cleaning products used.

Sounds like a poor man's beer brewery….

 

[DunRanull]

Sounds like a poor man's beer brewery….

Come to think of it, brewer's yeast was something else the folks flushed into the septic and leach-field. That leach-field could get nasty when the weather was hot and humid.. trees and stuff grew thick there too.

 

[41mag]

yeast with some sugar and water and let it grow a few hours,

so much for the sourdough mix

 

[308]

Sounds like a poor man's beer brewery….

I lifted the concrete lid and something is brewing down there for sure.

 

[The Heretic]

Pumped when I bought the property 10 years ago.

Previously it was pumped in '97

It is just me, myself and I, so I am not too worried about it since I plan to sell sometime soon.

 

[revjen45]

When SHTF TPTB won't have the resources to pursue people taking a dump outside.

 

[41mag]

When SHTF TPTB won't have the resources to pursue people taking a dump outside.

There's entire cities where that's SOP this very day.

 

[Dungannon]

Have lived in our house 48.5 years and pumped the septic tank three times; twice while the kids were growing up and once in the 20 years since the last one left home. County requires a check every three years. 30" below the backyard grass is round gravel [probably an ancient lateral glacial moraine] so drainage is never going to be an issue.

 

[gmerkt]

Depending on proper construction, well percolated drain field, and how it was treated before you got it, changes the answer considerably. Septics are a way of life, take them serious, treat them right, feed them well, and a very long time can be had before requiring service. But treat them like you live in the city, and all life will shortly die in them, plug with solids and be no different than a portable worksite toilet needing regular pumping..

Much wisdom here ^^.

Number of people on the system greatly influences the situation.

Yes, city people tend to use the sanitary drain in their home as a waste basket. That won't do for a septic system.

Our place is down to a regular population of two now, I have the tanks pumped every 4 to 5 years just because. It seems like good insurance. I have a filter on the outlet pipe. I'm supposed to clean that every year, I'm into my second year on that chore.

I found this interesting. In my area, septic pumpers used to take the solids to a municipal water treatment plant for dumping. That ended. Now they are buying land to store the solids on. Some ship to eastern Washington, where they pay to dump solids on large storage areas. Trips over the mountains with loads of solids have driven prices of the service up.

At one time, I thought the installation of new septic systems would decline. Around here, that hasn't been the case. Because so much new development is taking place on land farther out where there is no sewage treatment infrastructure. And likely won't be for some time, in large measure due to issues involving terrain.