How often do I need Septic tank pumping?

 Some general guidelines to follow on the care and maintenance of your investment. 

 Your septic system for the most part is a hidden in the ground investment, which can cost several thousands to install and if neglected can cost even more to repair the damage it can cause to the other surrounding investments you have, such as your home, lawn and even neighboring properties.

But with a little care and attention and a little help from a septic system service provider it can function for years to come.

Guidelines to follow for Septic Tank Pumping and Servicing in Years

Tank Size (Gallons)                                                                             Number of People Using Septic System

                                                                                                                        1          2          4          6          8

                                                                                                          YEARS

900                                                                                                                 11          5          2          1          1

1000                                                                                                               12          6          3          2          1

1250                                                                                                               16          8          3          2          1

1500                                                                                                               19          9          4          3          2

General guidelines to follow for Septic Tank Pumping and Servicing

Most households will fall under the three to five year area

How do I know what size Septic Tank I have?

At this time per regulations North Carolina requires that a 3 bedroom or less home have a minimum of a 900 gallon Septic Tank.

But somewhere around the late 1990's most Septic Tank manufacturers started to phase out the production of 900 gallon tanks and several counties started to design and require that contractors install 1,000 gallon tanks. 

4 bedroom homes in North Carolina are required to have a 1,000 gallon minimum size Septic Tank

5 bedroom homes in North Carolina are required to have a 1,250 gallon minimum size Septic Tank

Older homes from the 60's and earlier, can have a hand built Septic Tank constructed out of masonry and mortar. This style usually has a large multiple piece concrete top that can be very fragile, so handle with care. 

This will give you some kind of idea as to what possible size Septic Tank you may have, another way to find out is to contact your local health department in the county the home is located in and ask if they can furnish a copy of the permit that was issued for the property. This permit should also have a drawing of the septic system installation at the time of inspection, showing Tank placement and drain field layout. There are also several counties that have this information listed on the county website.

As with all things these are the minimum requirements for Septic Tank size in North Carolina, but the local counties have the authority to require that a larger size Septic Tank and/or drain field has to be installed due to varying conditions.

Hopefully this has answered some of the questions and given a little information as to what is buried underground.

As always we will be glad to help you with your Septic System needs,

give us a Call Full Service Septic at 704-224-4199, we service Salisbury and all surrounding counties

" WE DIG IT "