5 Things you didn't know about Septic Tanks

You may not have thought about it recently, or you have and that is why you’re reading this! It is not the most glamorous of jobs, but it needs to be done. Here we are going to tell you everything you need to know about septic tanks and the necessary job of hiring a professional to empty them. Let us answer some of the most common questions regarding septic tanks, which will tell you if you need to make a booking and what the process involves.

Here are 5 things you may not of know about septic tanks:

1. A septic tank is an underground chamber made of concrete, fibre glass, or plastic through which domestic wastewater flows for basic sewage treatment.

2. Your septic tank needs to be emptied on a regular basis. How do you know if your septic tank is full and needs to be emptied? Here are the signs to look out for - you have trouble flushing your toilet;, your pipes make a gurgling sound; pooling of water in areas; your garden is suddenly growing lush, green grass; your home or garden smells like sewage!

3. You can not empty it yourself - any professional will strongly advise against septic tank emptying yourself. Why? As it is a challenging and labour intensive process. If done incorrectly you risk damaging your tank, improperly disposing of waste or failing to remove all the waste from the tank.

4. Probably the most common question is how often should a septic tank be emptied? This answer can vary depending on the tank size, number of people in the household, habits of water use and the amount of solids accumulated in the tank. However you are best to have your tank inspected every 1-3 years, and pumped every 3-5 years.

5. We’ll answer the second most common question next, and you’re probably asking yourself this now, how much does it cost? The price varies based on the amount of waste inside the tank. The standard price to empty a 4 tonne tank is €410 - this may change depending on the size and location of the tank.

So to complete this ultimate guide on septic tanks, let’s look at where the waste that accumulates in the tank comes from in your household? All drains in your home converge to a single pipe that leads to the septic tank under the ground outside. When the waste from your toilet, shower, sinks and washing machine leave your house it is combined and goes directly to your septic tank where it is then separated again.

So there you have it, everything you need to know about septic tanks. At this stage you should know if your septic tank is due an inspection and/or needs to be emptied. If you would like to place a booking with us simply click here and it will bring you directly to our septic tanks booking page, or give us a call on 01 685 9092 for more information. We hope this was helpful!