How often should I have my raised mound pumped? This is a question that has plagued homeowners across America. Exhilaration filled you as you watched the final details of your home installed. Your yard was nearly done. All it was missing was the landscaping and it would already be your dream home. The septic expert was still installing your raised mound when you dropped by. You decided to spend the weekend in your home to start having some of the furniture and appliances already. You wanted to have a house warming party after two or three weeks. The rooms were ready to be occupied. The air conditioning and heating units were fully functional. It was a wise decision for you to start moving in. It really felt so good to finally sleep in a room that you won’t be renting again.
Before the septic expert left, you asked him a very valuable question that not every homeowner is able to ask immediately… How often should I have my raised mound pumped?
Your septic expert admired you for asking him that question head on. Usually, he just answered that question after replacing a failed raised mound. Caring for the raised mound seemed to be deleted from the list of a homeowner’s priorities. No one really asks for a septic expert’s guidance until the raised mound stops functioning, until the house is flooded with sewage, until the yard is saturated with wastewater, and until the household members get sick. Why would anyone wait until the very last minute to ask such a question when the answer is meant to save the household and the environment from detrimental issues such as diseases and pollution?
The septic expert explained to you that the frequency of your raised mound’s pump out depends on the number of people who make up your household. Your raised mound is specifically designed and installed according to your household’s needs. It is only appropriate that the household maintains the number of people who produce waste. If the amount of waste exceeds the capacity of the raised mound then problems will arise. If your household has 2 members, then the pump out should be every three years. A household that has a maximum of 5 members, the pump out should be every two years. If you have 6 or more people in your home, you should have the raised mound pumped out on a yearly basis. It is only natural to have this frequency or schedule set up for your raise mound. This is to make sure that the system will be able to last and be of service for years to come.
But even if homeowners are given this kind of information, they still forget the reminders most of the time. There are homes that have raised mounds for only a maximum of three people but the number of household members increase up to almost 10 without replacing or enhancing the small raised mound system. After a few months or a few years, the raised mound suddenly malfunctions or fails because of the fact that the raised mound couldn’t handle the amount of wastewater produced by all those people. If you have plans of increasing the size of your household, then the septic system should have the same treatment. An additional tank or additional tanks should be installed. A dry well should also be placed in the property. It is much better to discuss the situation with your septic expert so that it will be clear.
Since the raised mound is responsible for your household’s health and sanitation, you should make sure that you set aside a budget for pumping it out regularly. Contrary to some homeowners’ beliefs, pumping out the raised mound is actually very affordable. You just have to prepare an amount between 75-300 USD to have it done. Again, it depends on the set schedule for your raised mound. You should discuss it with your credible septic expert because a proper inspection should be done before the actual pump out.
When your septic expert left, you were given a great start in being a good homeowner. You just have to make sure that you don’t forget your duties to your raised mound system. We hope that we helped you answer the age old question of how often should I have my raised mound pumped? It is very important to service septic systems on a regular basis.
