frequently asked questions
Generalized Do’s and Don’ts
- Peninsula Pumping recommends at least a septic pump every two years. We even remind you with a phone call or an email.
- Know where your pipes are. Never cut your pipes to ground level. If you must cut them to ground, mark them, especially in event of winter pumping.
- FLUSHABLE only means you can flush it down the toilet. But these products are oftentimes bad for your system.
- Never flush baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, or any high cotton materials.
- Condoms, kitty litter, cooking grease, paint, coffee grounds, diapers, dental floss are also very bad for the system – these do not break down.
- Never drive over your leach field or store equipment / vehicles, etc. on the leach field.
- Do not remove the caps from your pipes; all that rain and snow will fill up your system unnecessarily.
Signs you might need to be pumped
- Waste material is backing up into the lowest point of your home; your basement toilet or shower, washer.
Bathtubs are draining slow; toilets are gurgling.
Do you really need a pump, or is it just a clog ?
Your system is slowing down and it has been a while since you’ve been pumped. You can check yourself to determine do you need pump or is there another issue (such as a clog).
There are several pipes to your septic system. Pipe closest to your home is your cleanout (always keep accessible, don’t hide it under the deck). The next pipe is the solid side to your septic tank and the next is the liquid side. These pipes are generally black or aquamarine. Further out from these pipes are the white leachfield pipes.
Using a screwdriver (and your hand over your nose), open your cleanout pipe first. Use a flashlight to look down into the pipe. This cleanout pipe should never have material in it. If you see material, it may be time to pump the septic tank.
If the pipe has material, check the next two pipes. If those pipes do not have material in them, but the clean out does, the issue may just be a clog, in which case you may want to call a line clearing specialist. Peninsula Pumping recommends Roto Rooter and Steam on Wheels).
What to expect when we show up
Our trucks weigh up to 30,000 pounds empty, are easily 14 feet in height, and 9 feet across. Because of this, Peninsula Pumping trucks do not leave the driveway; do not drive on your lawn. Even if you say it’s okay, our operators will not drive on your lawn. Peninsula Pumping operators have final decision on accessing your driveway, especially during breakup. Our operators will not enter homes, garages, or drag hoses through your home to reach pipes. We will not hang our hoses on fences or decks.
We ask that you keep the area clear from where we park the truck, to where to your tank is, and then some. This includes vehicles, BBQ, animals, and such.
Our hoses are between 20 ft. to 30 ft. in length. Our operator will walk the area, determine how many hoses may be necessary and clamp them together. Once pumping begins, the hoses are under a lot of pressure and move. Any obstacles in the way, could potentially be damaged.
Our operator will start with the 2nd pipe (the “solid” side) of your tank, then move to the liquid side, once the system is empty, the operator will backflush your tank to ensure all waste is removed from the tank. Backflushing is where the operator goes back to the truck, neutralizes the pump, allowing liquid to flow back into your tank, dislodging stubborn solid material and then suck it back out. Once the pumping is completed, the operator will put the hose down the cleanout and remove any residual material left in the line from the house to the tank. This is standard procedure for all our septic pumping.
When the pump is completed, the operator will add bacteria to the tank, replace all the caps, return the hoses to the truck, and let you know he has completed the pumping.
Our operator will ask you to run water and flush toilets. When everything runs properly, we’ve done our job.
If you have a lift station, Peninsula Pumping will pump out the contents. However, we will not remove out pumps, floats, or any piping in that lift station.
Our operators are trained and knowledgeable. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask or to call the office.
Contents of tank thick or sludgy ?
You can check the consistency of the material in your tank by using a 8-10 foot wooden dowel (about ½ inch wide) down into the tank via the stand pipe. If force is needed to push this wooden dowel through the material in the tank, a pumping is highly recommended. Solid material in your tank is continually “eaten” by bacteria. (We have bugs!) When the tank is inundated with bleach products or powdered detergents, the bacteria is killed. When the bacteria is dead, solids join up and become thick and sludgy. Peninsula Pumping has bacteria packets (also known as bugs!) that you put into your toilet, it dissolves, you flush, and bacteria is active. These bacteria packets are best used monthly, and once your tank has been pumped.
Alternative products to use would be liquid or gel pack detergents (dishwasher and laundry), and non-chlorinated bleach alternatives, such as Oxy-Clean.
Just pumped – why do I smell sewage in the house ?
When we pump your septic, occasionally the p-traps under your sinks/tubs/toilets will have the water pulled out of them. These p-traps are designed to block the smell from your tank from getting back into your house. This is not a bad situation, as it confirms your lines from the house to the tank are clear, but it can leave an unpleasant odor in the house. If this happens, run water down every drain in your house (not much, just a few seconds of water will do) and these p-traps will fill with water and block the smell from coming back into your house.
I'm a homeowner so I have a septic system, right ?
No, septic systems are used only when city sewer systems are not available in your area. Owning a home does not mean you have a septic system.
I just had my tank pumped, why is it full again ?
Your leachfield may be saturated and overwhelmed. This often happens during seasonal breakup and after several days of rain. You have checked and your tank doesn’t need pumped. We recommend you “help” your leachfield out.
Using a trash pump (available at Trustworthy Hardware, Home Depot, AIH) and a garden hose can help. Place the pump on the ground near the liquid side of the septic tank, connect a hose to the in-flow part of the pump, put that hose down the liquid side of the tank, connect another garden hose to the out-flow side of the pump and position that hose so the discharge flows out away from the tank and the leach field. This will help get rid of excess gray water until the leach field has a chance to dry out.
Can my tank be pumped in the winter ?
Yes! Peninsula Pumping provides year-round service, but we do ask our customers to clear a path from where the truck can park, to the pipes of your system (about 2 feet wide and cleared down to hard parked ground will do it). Pipes need to be visible to our Operator. And the driveway – it does need to be plowed.
This U.S. Environmental Protection Agency video is part of a series of SepticSmart Week Quick Tip