If you have a septic tank you may wonder, why septic tank pumping is so expensive every time you have to hire someone to do it. While it is obvious that the physical labor, machinery required, and disposal fees all make the cost go up, you may wonder what they are actually doing. Here is a short walkthrough of how septic tank pumping works.

  • Sludge Removal: When you imagine septic tank pumping you most likely imagine the sludge removal step. This means finding the septic tank opening, uncovering and opening it, and then pumping it out. This usually means using a muck rake to break up and mix solid pieces which can then be sucked up by the pump. This part is somewhat gross but can help the septic tank pumper to understand the health of the septic tank. As they mix and pump the sludge, they can take breaks to see how the tank is reacting and see if any leaks are happening.
  • Cleaning Filters: Filters get gross and need to be cleaned. These need to be sprayed down to get clean, which will allow them to continue to filter the septic tank.
  • Drain-Field Cleaning: Drain fields are where the wastewater from the septic tank is able to be broken down by organic processes. More or less, the waste gets brought up to a field, and the waste is attacked by bacteria and used to help the soil. Not everything gets broken down, and sometimes more solid pieces end up in the field which need to be cleaned.

While septic tank pumping can be a complex process, it really only has a few steps. There is no need to be intimidated by a septic tank, because they are fairly simple. And if you have any more questions about the septic tank pumping process, call your local septic tank company today.