Free tool
How often should you pump your septic tank?
Pick your tank size and household. You get an estimated pump-out interval and, if you know when it was last done, the year the next one is due.
Questions people ask
How accurate is this?
It is a planning estimate. It uses the Penn State Extension table that most pumping schedules are based on, adjusted for a garbage disposal or seasonal use. Water habits, what goes down the drain and the tank’s condition all change the real answer, which is why a contractor measures the sludge and scum layers at each pump-out.
Why is the answer never more than five years?
Even a lightly used tank should be opened and checked every few years: baffles and effluent filters fail, and a tank that is never looked at can send solids into the leaching bed, which is the expensive part to replace.
How do I find my tank size?
Check the septic permit or as-built drawing (your municipality’s building department may have a copy), or ask the company that last pumped it: it is usually on the invoice. Houses built under the current Ontario Building Code have at least 3,600 L.
Hamilton · Haldimand · Brant · Norfolk
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