Making sure you have your septic tank pumped often enough is essential for ensuring your plumbing system works as it should. It also helps avoid issues like the tank overflowing or solid waste flowing out of it and potentially ruining the drain field. In terms of whether it’s possible to get your septic tank pumped during the winter, the answer is usually yes. However, it’s generally something you should try to avoid since winter weather can present some issues that make the job more difficult. That’s why it’s ideal to be proactive and schedule a septic inspection before winter so you know if the tank is starting to fill up and may soon need to be pumped out.
Why Pumping a Septic Tank During Winter Isn’t Ideal
One reason some people believe you can’t pump a septic tank during winter is that its contents will be frozen. This is normally not the case since, if you live in an area with cold winters, your septic tank should be buried deep enough that it can’t freeze. Continually using your plumbing and adding more water to the tank also helps prevent it from freezing.
A septic tank can sometimes still freeze, but it most commonly happens when the building is unoccupied throughout the winter and the septic system is never used. Driving over a septic tank also makes it more likely to freeze since it compacts the soil and allows frost to penetrate deeper below ground. If your tank were to freeze, you’d realize fairly quickly since it would start backing up and causing sewage to flow out of some of your drains. A frozen septic tank is an extremely serious problem as it means your plumbing system will be fully out of order and unusable until the tank finally thaws in the spring.
The real reason why it’s best to avoid needing to pump your septic tank during winter is just that the job is usually more difficult and may cost you more. Frozen soil makes it much harder to dig the ground and access the septic tank. That means the septic company may need to bring in heavy machinery to break through the ground. If there is lots of snow and ice on the ground, it may not even be possible for a company to pump the tank as a result of them not being able to get the pump truck close enough.
While you may be able to have your septic tank pumped during the winter, it’s definitely not advisable if you won’t be using your septic system the rest of the winter. The reason is that the ground can end up damaging your septic tank or even causing it to collapse. This is because the ground expands as it freezes and exerts additional pressure on the septic tank. While this expansion isn’t an issue if the tank is full of water, it absolutely can be if the tank is empty.
How to Know When You Need to Have Your Septic Tank Pumped
One sign that always indicates that either your septic tank is full or there’s some other issue with your septic system is sewage backing up inside the building. This is the main reason why you should never go more than a year or two at the most without having your septic system professionally inspected. You often won’t need to have the tank pumped more than once every three to five years. Nonetheless, it’s better to be safe and have it inspected more often so you can hopefully avoid any serious issues.
The only way to know if a septic tank is starting to get too full with sludge is to measure the depth of the sludge layer with a pole. That means the septic service first needs to do some digging to access the covers. Septic pumping is always necessary once the sludge layer fills up one-third or more of the tank. If you let this layer get any higher, you can soon end up with solids flowing out through the outlet baffle and clogging the perforated pipes that make up the drain field. A clogged drain field is an extremely serious problem since it prevents water from draining, resulting in the septic tank starting to back up. When dealing with a clogged drain field, you usually have no other option but to hire a septic service to dig it up and replace all of the pipes.
If you’re dealing with a septic system emergency or you just need to have your tank inspected or pumped, turn to the pros at Salina Septic Service. We have years of experience providing reliable septic services in Salina, KS and the surrounding areas. Whether it’s a new septic installation, repairs or anything else, give us a call to get the best service and support available.
