Most people don’t want to think about their septic tanks too much, but you should make sure you get your tank cleaned every one to three years. This keeps your equipment in good working order and prevents any major problems, like waste leaking into the drain field. If you’ve never had a septic tank cleaning before, here’s what to expect.

How a Septic Tank Cleaning Works

Opening the Lid

It can be a little difficult to find your septic tank and its lid. If you know where it is, or you can easily find it, you can dig up the lid yourself before the professionals arrive. If not, they’ll be happy to locate it and do the heavy lifting for you. In some occasions, the lid will be too deep and special equipment will be needed to requested by the homeowner expense.

Sometimes it’s difficult to pry the lid off the tank. If it’s corroded, the tank cleaners might have to break it to get it free. If this is the case, they’ll have extra lids on hand to replace yours.

Pumping & Cleaning

Before the cleaner starts pumping the tank, ask them to measure the depth of the waste. Write it down. With some simple math, you can figure out when your tank will need to be cleaned again based on when it was cleaned last time.

Next, the septic tank cleaning company will lower a large vacuum hose into the tank to pump it. The liquid and solid waste travel from your tank to their truck. After this, they’ll pump clean water into the tank to rinse it and get the most waste out as possible. 

Inspecting

Once the tank is clean, the crew will inspect your septic tank for any issues. They’ll look for structural damage, like cracks, damaged baffles, or a leaking mid seam. They’ll also keep an eye out for roots or corrosion. If there are any issues, they’ll recommend repairs. Finally, they’ll close the lid and recover it, leaving things just how they found them.

Dugger's Septic Tank Cleaning in Corbin, KY, provides routine septic tank cleaning for residential and commercial customers. They’ve been cleaning and maintaining septic tanks in the area for over 56 years. Visit their website to learn more or call (606) 528-3893 to set up an appointment.