How often should I have my sand mound pumped out is a common question among septic tank owners. This article will try an address when a septic sand mound should be pumped out and what is involved in the process.
Since the day you had your new home finished, there were so many things that went through your head. It was only expected from someone who just acquired a new home for the very first time. It was the perfect place for you. For years, you have searched for the right area to build your house on. And when you finally found it and bought it, it was only then that you found out that its water table was too high. If this was the case, the septic expert told you that the septic system that would be appropriate was a sand mound system.
The sand mound is a type of septic system that is raised or elevated. It is not like the conventional septic system that is built and installed underground. The heat produced inside a sand mound system should be confined inside with the help a construction fabric that is laid over the system before the thin topsoil is placed. The sand mound also has a tank that should be pumped out on a regular basis. The tank is very similar to the conventional septic system. It also receives, stores, and treats the wastewater that comes from the household. It should be pumped out regularly because the sludge should be eliminated so as not to clog the entire system or contaminate the entire area.
You waited patiently as you waited for the septic expert finish installing your sand mound system. You were apprehensive at asking the septic expert after he was finished with his work. He looked very tired after working almost half a day. He wanted to leave early because he had to attend his son’s party. The question that echoed in your head was… How often should I have my sand mound pumped? The septic expert seemed to have read your mind. The septic expert gave you a small manual about the sand mound that he installed. It was the same manual that he always gave the homeowners every time he finished his work in installing their sand mounds.
A septic system like the sand mound should be pumped out on a regular basis to eliminate the sludge. If the sludge is just left there to accumulate, then the possibility of an overflow and system clogging and failure could happen. If the sand mound overflows or clogs, there will be a backing up of the sewage and eventually, the sand mound will fail.
The sand mound’s pump out schedule depends on the number of people that live in your home. If you have a couple of people in your household, the sand mound should be pumped out every three years. For a home that has a maximum of 5 people, the sand mound should be pumped out every 2 years. The sand mound should be pumped out annually if the household has 6 or more members. You should talk to your septic expert in detail to discuss your living situation with your septic expert so that the proper schedule will be given.
A REAL septic expert should be contracted to do the pump out service so that the proper procedure will be performed. The septic expert should perform a thorough and correct assessment of the entire sand mound system. The soil absorption system will be checked for heavy footprints or vehicle tracks because these could have already caused damage to the components in the soil absorption system. The contents of the sand mound tank should be inspected as well to see if there are traces of harsh chemicals that may have already started killing off the resident bacteria. After the sand mound is pumped out, the septic expert should give recommendations on how to maintain the system and prevent failure.
Just aside 75-300 USD per pump out scheduled. It doesn’t have to be a very stressful, financial obligation to have your sand mound pumped out. You just have to set aside a small amount every month or every year until your scheduled pump out day comes. I hope we have helped answer the question of how often should I have my sand mound pumped?