Regular inspection, cleaning and pumping by septic service professionals is key to maintaining the health of your septic tank system. While it’s recommended that your system is cleaned every 2-4 years, alternative systems with electrical components may need to be inspected and serviced more often — about once a year.
Other factors to determine the frequency of pumping includes household size, total wastewater generated, volume of solids, and septic tank size. You’ll know it’s time for a cleaning when the bottom of the scum layer is within 3-6″ of the bottom of the outlet and the top of the sludge layer is within 12″ of the bottom of the outlet pipe.