Your home’s septic tank is one of the most important parts of your entire plumbing system. Septic tanks safely manage and process all the waste water you produce. If your septic tank stops working, you need to get it repaired or replaced right away. Septic malfunctions could disrupt your whole plumbing system, damage your yard or property, or even endanger you!
Unfortunately, septic tanks don’t last forever. In all likelihood, sooner or later you’ll have to replace your home’s old septic tank with a new one. installing a new septic tank is a big deal. After all, your new tank is going to perform an essential home plumbing function for years to come. One of the most important decisions you’ll make about your new septic tank is what it’ll be made of. You have two choices: plastic or concrete. Here are the pros and cons of both.
Plastic Septic Tanks
Pros
- Cheaper: Plastic septic tanks are cheaper to buy and install than their concrete counterparts.
- Easier to move: Plastic is obviously much lighter than concrete, making plastic septic tanks easier to transport to your home.
- Easier to install: Unlike concrete septic tanks, installing plastic septic tanks does not require heavy equipment. We can also install plastic septic tanks in a wider variety of locations.
- Corrosion immunity: Plastic septic tanks are completely resistant to water-based corrosion.
- Crack resistant: Plastic is more flexible than concrete, which means plastic septic tanks don’t crack as often as concrete tanks might.
Cons
- Crushable: Plastic tanks aren’t nearly as sturdy as concrete tanks. They may be crushed beneath the weight of soil. Plastic tanks sometimes break after vehicles drive over the areas where they were buried.
- Sensitive to Environment: Plastic tanks may break or rupture in response to changes to nearby soil conditions or vibrations. By comparison, concrete tanks are far less susceptible to environmental damage.
- Susceptible to damage: Plastic tanks tend to break or warp more frequently than concrete septic tanks for other reasons, as well.
- Higher maintenance: Plastic tanks may require slightly more maintenance than their concrete counterparts.
- Lower lifespan: Though this is not necessarily the case, concrete septic tanks tend to last a little longer than concrete ones.
Concrete Septic Tanks
Pros
- Very durable: Concrete septic tanks are much more durable than their plastic counterparts.
- Long-lasting: Concrete tanks last a very long time. With proper maintenance and regular draining, a concrete septic tank could last up to 40 years.
- Environment-resistant: Concrete septic tanks aren’t usually affected by changes to their environment, such as changing soil conditions, tree roots, or other problems. Driving over the soil where a concrete tank was buried will not affect it.
- Low maintenance: Because they’re so resilient, concrete septic tanks tend not to need as much maintenance as plastic ones.
Cons
- More expensive: Concrete septic tanks cost more to purchase and install than plastic tanks.
- More difficult to install: Concrete is heavier and more unwieldy than plastic, so installation takes longer and involves using heavy equipment.
- Vulnerable to corrosion: Unlike plastic tanks, concrete tanks can eventually corrode or cracked as they get old. This is more likely if they aren’t maintained properly.
- More disruptive to repair: If your concrete septic tank is damaged, it can be complicated to repair properly, at least compared to plastic tanks.
When it comes time to choose a new septic tank, you can choose either of these varieties. Both types of tank have their advantages, so it comes down to which you think works better for your home. Concrete tanks are more durable but more expensive, while plastic tanks are cheaper but also more fragile.
If you have further questions about septic tank installation, feel free to get in touch with The Pink Plumber any time. We install both plastic and concrete septic tanks, and we can help you determine which is the right choice for you.
