Avoiding issues with your septic tank and the rest of your septic system is essential for ensuring your plumbing system works as it should. In terms of avoiding septic issues, the most important things are to have your septic tank pumped out once every few years and hire a professional to inspect the entire system regularly. In this article, we’ll explain what it means when a septic tank is full of water along with everything else you need to know to ensure you have your septic tank pumped often enough.
An Overview of How Septic Systems Work
The first thing you should know about your septic tank is that it should always be full of water. If it’s not full, it indicates your septic tank is leaking. Whenever you flush the toilet or wash things down the drain, all of the solids immediately fall to the bottom of the septic tank. The bacteria in the tank then begin feeding on the solid waste and breaking it down into a thick sludge. The result is that there ends up being four separate layers inside the tank. The top layer is the scum layer that floats on top of the water and is made up of things like fat, grease, oil and soap residues. Below the water is a layer of solid waste that has yet to be broken down and is resting on top of all of the sludge.
The reason that a septic tank is always full of water is that any time water and waste flow into the tank, it results in an equal volume of water being displaced and flowing out of the tank through its outlet baffle. The partially treated water that flows out of the tank then drains into the leach field and gets fully treated by bacteria within the soil.
Why a Septic Tank Needs to Be Full of Water
The only time a septic tank shouldn’t be almost completely full of water is right after it’s been pumped out. Even then, it usually doesn’t take more than a few days for the tank to again fill up to the point that some of the water starts draining back out into the leach field.
The outlet baffle in a septic tank is located at least a few inches below the water level. This is important since it ensures only water drains out of the tank and all of the scum floating on top of the water remains trapped within the tank.
The issue if a septic tank isn’t full of water is that it usually results in much of the scum flowing out of the outlet baffle and into the leach field. This is a serious concern since the scum can clog up the perforations in the leach field pipes. When that happens, water can’t drain out into the leach field properly and the septic system eventually starts backing up. That means you’ll have sewage flowing back out into your home, the septic tank overflowing or both.
How to Know If You Need to Have Your Septic Tank Pumped
The concern if you wait too long to have your septic tank pumped is that the sludge can get so thick that some of it ends up getting forced out of the tank and potentially ruining the leach field. The best way to keep this from happening is to have a professional measure the amount of sludge in your septic tank at least once every few years or even yearly if your septic system gets lots of use. Just opening the lid on the tank and looking inside doesn’t do you any good since it’s impossible to see through the wastewater and determine the thickness of the sludge layer.
Most septic tanks need to be pumped out once every three to five years. However, it really depends on how much use the plumbing system gets and whether you have a separate system that collects all of the graywater from your showers, sinks and dishwasher. That means you could need to have your tank pumped every year or two or possibly go 10+ years between pumpings.
Luckily, it is usually fairly easy to tell when a septic tank is too full since it typically results in issues like slow drains and gurgling sounds from drains and toilets. The most obvious sign that your septic tank is full or the system has some other issue is when sewage starts backing up out of your drains. Letting it get this far, however, is not advised, and increases the chances you need septic system repairs.
Our Experts Can Help
If you need to have your septic tank pumped or are experiencing any issues with your septic system, Hutchinson Septic Service is ready to help. Our company has decades of experience serving the Hutchinson, KS, area and can professionally handle all of your pumping, inspection, repair and installation needs. Contact us today to schedule a service call and learn what makes us the area’s most trusted septic service.
