Zionsville Indiana Septic Tank Cleaning

If you live in or near Zionsville and you have a septic tank, do you know when was the last time you had it serviced? It’s not something that needs to happen very often, so it’s easy to lose track of it. But if your tank gets too full, your plumbing could back up, and trust us when we say that is not something you want to experience.

Septic tank cleaning and septic tank pumping, by the way, are basically the same thing. We don’t actually “clean” the tank the way you clean other things around the house. That would be pointless considering what goes into your septic tank. But the buildup of solid waste in the tank is something that absolutely has to be removed on a regular basis to keep your system flowing in the right direction, which is into the tank for all waste. The solid waste settles in the bottom of the tank and stays there, and the liquid waste continues on through the tank and into your leach field, also called a septic drain field.

Max Haas Septic has been servicing homeowners in and around Zionsville and greater Indianapolis since 1923. Our professional septic tank and septic system services will keep your waste where it belongs, which is out of sight and out of mind. And a free quote for our services is only a phone call away at 317-647-5042. With nearly a century of experience under our belt, we know how to keep septic systems in good working order.

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Septic Tank Pumping is Essential

You’d be surprised how many people move into a home with a septic system without realizing it needs regular service. If they’ve never lived on a septic system before, this is understandable. Unfortunately, they could be in for a rude awakening if their system backs up because the septic tank hasn’t been pumped out when it needs it.

How often your septic tank needs to be pumped out depends on two main factors: How much waste is sent into the septic system and the size of your septic tank. How much waste goes into the system depends on how many people live in your house and whether or not you use a garbage disposal to grind up food scraps and send them down the drain of your kitchen sink. Why would a garbage disposal make a difference? The reason is simple: Families that actively use a garbage disposal for food scraps can end up sending twice as much solid waste into their septic tank than if they were put food scraps into the garbage or compost them. Doubling the amount of solid waste means pumping out the septic tank twice as frequently! The table below can serve as a rough guideline on how often (in years) to have your septic tank pumped based on tank size and household size – but remember to cut the interval in half if you actively use a garbage disposal.

How Often to Pump a Septic Tank

Tank size 1 person 2 people 3 people 4 people 5 people 6 people
500 gal. 6 2.5 1.5 1 1 .5
750 gal. 9 4 2.5 2 1 1
900 gal. 11 5 3.5 2.5 2 1.5
1000 gal. 12 6 4 3 2 1.5
1250 gal. 16 8 5 3.5 3 2
1500 gal. 19 9 6 4 3.5 3

Figuring out what size tank you have is tricky...

…if you don’t have any records from when it was installed. If you at least have the name of the company that installed it, you can contact them to see if they have records showing the size of the tank. The company that most recently pumped out the tank might also know its size. Finally, your county health department might have a record of what size tank was installed. If none of those work, you can only hope that the “typical” size of tank was installed based on the size of your home as follows:

  • 1-2 bedroom house = 750-gallon tank
  • 3 bedroom house = 1000-gallon tank
  • 4-5 bedroom house = 1250-gallon tank
  • 6 bedroom house = 1500-gallon tank

But the above are just what’s typical, and you may or may not have a typical-sized tank!

What About Additives? Turns Out They’re a Load of Crap

Some homeowners hope to increase the interval between pumping by adding a product that promises to break down the waste better. These products – and there are more than 100 of them available – typically have various bacteria, enzymes, yeasts, fungi and who knows what other kinds of microorganisms they claim will get the job done. But as it turns out, they not only don’t work, but they can actually cause serious problems to your septic system!

The first thing to realize is that your septic has developed a colony of bacteria that does what they’re supposed to do. They’re hearty and work away diligently. The bacteria already present in your tank far outnumber anything you might be able to add with one of these products. One study found that a particular biological additive caused the sludge at the bottom of a septic tank to decompose so rapidly it created excessive gas that then forced some of the solids up high enough that they went out into the leach field and clogged it up. Other additives caused solids to remain suspended in the liquid waste, again sending them out to clog up the leach field. No one wants to smell sewage in their back yard.

Now, you might think to yourself, of course a septic company is going to argue against these additives, right? After all, we are in the business of pumping out septic tanks. But this information isn’t coming from us. It is based on research that has been conducted by the University of Minnesota and by Kansas State University Extension. In fact, the state of Washington has banned the sale and use of septic tank additives since 1993. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also recommends against using additives. You can read a great summary of all this in Mother Earth News, but the simple takeaway message is clear: Septic system additives are literally a load of crap.

Septic system technology has been around for a long time, and it works as intended, which includes pumping out the tank every few years. And Zionsville homeowners can’t do better than a company that’s been working in this field for nearly a century. Call Max Haas Septic at 317-647-5042 or fill out the Contact Us form on our website.

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today with any questions regarding your septic system. Our friendly professional staff is standing by and ready to help.