Whether you are a new homeowner or have had your home for forty years, it can be hard to know if you’ve gotten a good deal on septic tank service. That’s why it’s important to know and trust the company visiting your property and working on your septic system. At Miami Valley Septic Service, we are committed to providing professional, ethical services to our customers. We take pride in our work and want you to be fully satisfied with the services we provide.

With that in mind, we’ve put together a short list of items that will help you evaluate the septic service company you’ve hired to work on your system, whether it’s MVSS or one of our competitors.

Evaluating Service
A good septic service company will assess the working condition of your septic system during routine maintenance and septic tank cleaning/pump outs. They will talk to you about their observations and offer maintenance tips and best practices. Some of these items may include:

  • Maintaining safety of tank lids
  • Inspecting inlet and outlet baffles on tank
  • Identifying evidence of groundwater entering the tank and suggesting tips for prevention
  • Measuring amount of solids in tank
  • Noting and discussing items that don’t belong in a septic tank
  • Noticing anything negatively affecting the performance and lifespan of the system, such as tree roots, vehicles parked on the leach field, etc.
  • Pumping out each compartment of septic tank, not just the first compartment
  • Pumping and cleaning the aeration chamber, if applicable
  • Inspecting and cleaning effluent filters and filter media, if applicable
  • Completely emptying septic tanks via pump out

If you are present during the septic tank pump out, you can and should ask these questions about the items above, especially if the service person isn’t voluntarily informing you of them. Additionally, it’s important to know that the system should be completely emptied during the pump out. That’s what you’re paying for! If you have a standard 1500-gallon system, there will almost always be at least two septic tanks or tank compartments, each with its own lid, and both tanks should be completely pumped out. Sadly, some companies will only empty one tank but still charge for two. If you have a pump chamber, that should also be pumped out and even rinsed with a garden hose to remove residual sludge. If you have an aeration system, make sure the aeration chamber gets pumped and cleaned. The aeration system’s filter media should also be inspected and possibly cleaned.

We hope this information helps inform and prepare you for a septic tank pump out. The more you know about the process, the more assured you can be of getting the service you need when you need it.

If you have any questions about our services, contact us today!