Your septic system is an invisible utility in your home. Every time you flush a toilet, drain a bathtub, or run a load of dishes in your automated dishwasher, you're adding both liquid and solid matter to your septic system. It's easy to forget about that large, steel vessel tucked underground until the day it bubbles up, causing your plumbing to cease functioning and creating a serious emergency in your home.
Consistent, routine maintenance is the solution. It saves you the headache of a home-based emergency and lots of money.
What Is Routine Maintenance?
- Pumping
Regular pumping of your septic tank is the number-one action you can take to begin maintaining your system on a routine basis. You simply need to make a phone call to your plumber and schedule it. They do all the rest of the work.
Every residence has a different suggested septic pumping timeline. Your plumber has a basic formula to advise you how often you need to schedule a pumping. It's important you know when the last time it was pumped, the size of the tank, and how many people will be using the system. This includes any renters or long-term guests.
If you neglect to schedule regular pumping you run the risk of your tank overflowing into the yard, or worse, backing up into your home.
- Tank Inspections
When you bought the home, the paperwork should have noted the size of the tank, the material it's made of, and held a copy of the last time it was inspected. Give this information to your plumber and they'll use it to continue annual tank inspections. They don't need to unearth the tank to test its integrity. They have all the right tools to do this at the same time they pump, as long as the access has been dug out properly.
If a tank remains uninspected for a long period of time, you run the risk of leaks forming. This can cause all manner of very costly problems, even if it doesn't directly affect your home. Environmental damage is hazardous and can occur very quickly when you have a leaky tank. It's easy to tell based on the liquid level when your plumber opens up the access hatch.
How Much Does Routine Maintenance Cost?
- The average pumping service costs between $250 and $400 depending on where you live.
- The average cost of a tank inspection is between $100 and $200 depending on where you live.
There are ways to save even more money. Dig out the tank access yourself and save. The tank-pumper will happily do this, but for a fee.
Have your service company do both the inspection and the pumping at the same time. Even if you hire them to dig out the access, they only have to do it once, saving you money.
Typical Emergency Services
This number varies significantly based on the exact nature of your septic emergency. However, all the average emergency costs are much higher than the annual cost of preventative maintenance.
- Materials - Companies hike the cost based on your immediate need for the service.
The average cost for an emergency inspection is $350 or more.
The average cost for an emergency pumping is $500 or more.
The average cost for a leach field replacement is $5,000 or more.
The average cost for a septic tank replacement is $1,400 or more.
- Labor
If the service you require is a long-term job including excavating and manpower it adds up quickly. The numbers are terrifying in comparison to the few-hundred-dollars to have your tank pumped and inspected once-a-year.
Be a responsible homeowner and landlord. Make a phone call to The Pink Plumber to have your septic system put on a routine maintenance plan and never worry again.
