It’s almost impossible to say. Many variables determine the lift of a septic system, such as usage and soil composition. The soil needs to be able to drain the wastewater, and a good mix of sand and clay in the soil is ideal.

In the Piedmont area of North Carolina, we have a lot of clay soil which tends to restrict the movement of water. The more the system is used, the shorter the lifespan could be. Factors like lawn drainage and system design can influence your tank’s lifespan as well. We usually start noticing issues in systems that are 25-30 years old, but we have seen younger systems that need to be replaced and older systems working fine.

A septic system is permitted and inspected by the county environmental health department. Most systems from around 1980 have a permit on file that is public record and can be obtained by calling that department. The permit usually has a basic map of the approximate location of the system. However, some of the older systems don’t have records, and we’ve found that some of those older maps are too basic to help. Most septic companies can locate the tank and drain field using a probe and by looking for visual clues in the yard.

The septic system is designed to trap solids in the tank and allow liquid wastewater to disseminate into the drain field. Over time, the solids that build up in the tank can cause the system to fail, so they need to be pumped out periodically. Ideally, pumping should be done every 3-5 years, depending on the age of the system and usage. We’ve seen homeowners go 30 years without pumping their tanks and experience no problems, and we have seen homeowners that have to pump every two years to keep their systems in fully working condition.

Eventually, the system will get backed up and ultimately shut down. The symptoms can start with a gurgling noise when flushing or go straight to overflow your toilet and shower. Backups usually occur only in the bathroom or laundry room that is lowest or closest to the septic tank. It always seems to happen at the worst times – Christmas dinners, family reunions, parties – so the emergency becomes even more chaotic. Also, when it backs up, we usually have to clear a clog or do some additional work somewhere, which costs the homeowner even more money. Simply pumping the tank occasionally avoids having those emergency calls.

We prefer someone to be home because we don’t want to mess with someone’s yard without them there. Sometimes we need to go into the basement or crawl space to follow the plumbing to help locate the tank. We also usually perform a test flush to make sure the system is working after we pump the tank.

However, we do understand that people have to work, and it can be inconvenient to be at the house in the middle of the day. If you are just having regular maintenance done, have no outside pets, and know approximately where the tank is located, we can work with you to come by when no one is home and collect payment over the phone.

Yes, don’t put chemicals down the drain. Only what comes out of you should go down the toilet. You should also use septic-safe toilet paper. Never put grease down the sink – it goes down in liquid form and then cools and solidifies in the tank, which causes a full slate of bigger problems. And while wipes even say they’re septic-safe, they should never be flushed. Those wipes keep us in business!