When pumping through a manhole cover, the maintainer can move the hose around and do a much better job of removing the scum and sludge layer from your tank. As well as do a visual inspection of the baffles and overall tank integrity. Through the inspection pipe, a maintainer cannot guarantee what’s left for solids in the tank and this method is not recommended. We do recommend, once you have dug up the manhole cover, that you put a riser and a lid on your tank to make it easily accessible, and to also avoiding having to dig up your tank every time you have it serviced.

This will vary as each manufacturer has different placement, but typically the covers are in the center, or under the inlet side of your tank. To find the location to dig up the manhole cover, you would either ask a plumber/maintainer, or you can call the installer or county for the system information about your septic.

An alarm on your tank is for your lift station, which pumps effluent to your drain-field. When your light or buzzer sounds, this means your pump isn’t working. Some causes are no power, float switch malfunction, or your pump motor is no longer working.

The answer is that all depends on the amount of usage your system gets and if its seasonal or a year round home. If a seasonal cabin that gets used a couple of weekends thru the winter, then you can use it as a holding tank. If you live here year round than I would recommend covering your tank with hay or straw or a construction blanket, you may also use a heater and there are many types of them to use. Call us for information on these types of heaters.

Any research we have read indicates and shows they do not work and can actually cause the opposite affect by creating more solids.

This depends on the usage and number of people in the home. As well as things like laundry loads, dishwashers, & showers that are done in your home. The average water usage is 75 gallons per day, per person.

Your average tank should be pumped every 2 to 3 years. Every home is used differently. The number of people in the home and age of people, frequency of company, garbage disposal and laundry use all affect how often tanks should be pumped. Homes with garbage disposals should be pumped yearly.

Liquid soap will break down better and not add in the mass of soilds that will build up in a tank. Where powder, can and will, clump up and get hard in a tank and will make maintaining the tank harder to clean.