InspectAPedia ^TM

Septic System Care: Septic Tank Pumping Procedure - Septic Pumper Truck Operation SepticAPedia © Enter your search terms Submit search form   Search This Website - InspectAPedia.com

• How to pump out / clean a septic tank, step by step photo-illustrated guide
• Before starting, some safety warnings for septic pumpers and homeowners
• When to pump, how to find the septic tank, inspect before opening the tank; removing the tank cover
• How the pumper truck or vacuum truck is operated
• Tank inspection before pumping; Actually pumping out the septic tank; inspections while pumping
• Washing the septic tank after pumping, inspecting the tank after pumping
• Closing the septic tank, recording the septic tank location, advising homeowners

This document describes the steps in septic pumper truck operation during septic tank cleaning and service. This is a chapter of "Septic Tank Pumping Procedure" which provides a step by step, photo-illustrated guide to opening, pumping, and inspecting septic tanks, how a conventional septic tank is located, opened, pumped out, cleaned, and inspected. This guideline is intended for septic pumping tank truck operators and as general information for homeowners or septic service companies concerned with septic system care. The steps in servicing a septic tank are listed below, accompanied by photographs that show each of the critical steps in pumping, cleaning, and inspecting a septic tank. Readers should see Septic Tank Pumping Frequency Guide for a table explaining when to schedule a septic cleanout. Citation of this article by reference to this website and brief quotation for the sole purpose of review are permitted. Use of this information at other websites, in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved to the author. Technical reviewers are welcome and are listed at "References." This is a chapter of Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems an online book on septic systems. © Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use the links at page left to navigate this document or to go to Other Website Topics. Green links at left show where you are in our document & website.

A Photographic Step by Step Guide to Pumping or Cleaning a Septic Tank

Septic Tank Pumper Truck Operation Procedures

Septic pumping trucks are specialized vehicles which combine a powerful vacuum pump with a holding tank for sewage and wastewater. The vacuum pump is activated, suction confirmed, the pumper is connected to a 4" or larger vacuum line, and the operator uses the line to empty the septic tank.>

Before placing the septic tank pumping lines or performing any other steps with the septic pumping truck the operator locates the septic tank and removes its cover (discussed above.) With the septic tank opened the operator performs an initial action to begin breaking up the septic tank floating scum layer and settled sludge layer as shown in the photo here.

The septic pumper operator lays out the pumping vacuum lines from the tank to the septic tank. The vacuum lines are not yet connected to the pumper truck nor has the vacuum pump been turned on.

These photographs show the septic pumper truck's vacuum pump assembly. The second photo of the vacuum pump gauge indicates that the pump is running at about -6" of mercury. In preparing to connect the pumper hose to the truck's transport tank, the operator must first turn on the vacuum pump. You will only forget to do this once, as opening the valve at the bottom of the pumper tank without first turning on the vacuum pump can permit sewage to flow back out of the tank onto the operator!

The operator listens to the truck's vacuum pump motor to assure that the vacuum pump is operating correctly. If the pump is blocked or jammed it will need to be cleared or repaired.

Once the vacuum pump is operating satisfactorily we're ready to remove the pumper truck tank valve cover and to attach the vacuum line to the pumper truck. In the first photo at left the operator is holding a bucket under the tank valve to catch the small amount of effluent that may fall out of the valve body when the valve cap is removed in order to attach the pumping hose. The second photo shows the operator attaching the first length of septic tank pumping hose to the tank truck.

With the pumper truck's vacuum pump operating properly and the septic pumping hoses laid in place, and with the first hose section already connected to the pumper truck, the operator connects the remaining sections of the vacuum line.

Where to Buy Septic Pumper Trucks, Vaccuum Pumping Trucks, other Septic System Service & Installation Equipment & Supplies

• KeevAC, run by Kevin Keegan, 866-789-9440, is a producer of new vacuum service trucks for servicing septic systems or portable toilets. The company also provides vacuum pumps, hoses, and other sanitation accessories.
• Sanitation Journal is an industry publication that lists portable restroom and septic pumper trucks for sale. Vacuum trucks and portable toilet/restroom service trucks are listed and described.
• SewerShopper.com website lists septic pumper trucks for sale under "Vacuum Equipment Septic" as well as vacuum excavators, jetters, and portable toilet service equipment.
• Wastequip provides vacuum trucks and vacuum equipment as well as hydro trenchers and portable toilet trucks.
• Check your local telephone listings of other septic service companies to see if they have equipment to sell.
• Add your listing of septic pumping vacuum trucks and equipment; no fees are charged for listings we accept for this page

The Septic Systems Online Book - Where Are We?

Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Technical Reviewers

Particular thanks are due to experts and also consumers who read these articles and suggest corrections, changes, and additions to the material.

• Daniel Friedman - principal author
• Special thanks to M & O Sanitation, Dutchess County NY (845) 471-0308 for permitting us to photograph steps during septic system service at our demonstration property.
• Technical reviewers are invited to comment or ask questions - contact us

Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

More expert information on this topic

More Information on Septic System Diagnosis, Maintenance, & Repair

• The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic
• Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance- online textbook. Detailed how to inspect, maintain, repair information
• The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems
• Septic Tank Pumping Guide: When, Why, How to pump the septic tank
• Table of Required Septic & Well Clearances: Distances Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, etc.


• Additives & Chemicals: Septic System Maintenance - Are they even needed? Are they even legal?
• Baffles, Septic Tank septic tank baffles defects and inspection suggestions
• Buyer's Guide Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems Inspection & Testing - What to Do, Step by Step.
• Cesspool failures (MA)
• Cesspool Safety Warnings include dangers of cave-in and fatality
• Cesspools Home Buyer's or Owner's Advice
• Clearances & Distances from septic system components to other site features, property boundaries, waterways, etc.
• Clogged Drain Diagnosis - is the problem the septic system or the Building drain system?
• Don't Flush these things into a septic system: a list of what's ok and what's not ok to put into septic tanks and building drains
• Drywells Home Buyer's or Owner's Advice
• Filters for Septic Tanks & Graywater to protect septic drainfields and reduce drainfield clogging
• Flood Response what to do after a septic system has been exposed to flooding
• Garbage Grinders and garbage disposal units - effects on septic systems
• Levels: Inspecting the Level of Accumulated Solids, Sludge and Floating Scum in Treatment Tanks - Measuring the Sludge and Scum Levels in Septic Tanks
• Liquid Level in the Absorption System - drain fields, seepage pits, galleys
• Outside Inspection - - Simple Visual Site Inspection Gives Key Information About Septic System Condition
• Retention Time in Septic Tanks Septic Tank Pumping Guide discusses retention time and "net free area" in a tank (allowing for sludge and scum layers)
• Septic & Cesspool Safety - Septic System, Septic Tank, & Cesspool Safety Warnings for Septic Inspectors, Septic Pumpers, and Homeowners.
• Septic Sludge & Scum Levels in Septic Tanks - Measuring the Level of Accumulated Solids, Sludge and Floating Scum in Treatment Tanks
• Septic Tank Pumping Frequency Guide for Septic Tanks: When, How, What to Watch For when pumping or cleaning septic tanks
• Septic Tank Inspection Procedure - How to Inspect Septic Tanks and evaluate the septic tank condition, baffles, sludge levels, damage, evidence of septic failure, etc.
• Septic Tanks, Concrete defects and inspection suggestions for concrete septic tanks
• Septic Tanks, Fiberglass or Plastic defects and inspection suggestions for fiberglass or plastic septic tanks
• Septic Tanks, Home Made defects and inspection suggestions for home made or site built septic tanks
• Septic Tanks, Steel defects and inspection suggestions for steel septic tanks
• Septic Tank Sludge and Floating Scum: what makes up the contents of residential sewage
• Sewer Gas Odors diagnosing, finding, and curing septic tank and sewer line smells
• Sewer Gas - Methane and other septic system gas explosion or asphyxiation hazards such as hydrogen sulfide
• Tank Location - How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location
• Ten Steps to Keeping a Septic System Working, suggestions from the U.S. EPA, edits and additions by DJF
• Planting Over Septic Systems: trees, shrubs, groundcover over the septic system: what can you plant over or near septic system components without causing a problem?
• Spotting Breakouts - Spotting Dyed Septic Effluent Breakout Outside - Where Septic Dye is Likely to Show Up During a Septic Dye
• When Not to Pump a Septic Tank to avoid damage, unsafe conditions, or wasting money

Pennsylvania State Fact Sheets relating to domestic wastewater treatment systems include

Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-161, Septic System Failure: Diagnosis and Treatment

Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-162, The Soil Media and the Percolation Test

Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-l64, Mound Systems for Wastewater Treatment

Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-165, Septic Tank-Soil Absorption Systems

Document Sources used for this web page include but are not limited to: Agricultural Fact Sheet #SW-161 "Septic Tank Pumping," by Paul D. Robillard and Kelli S. Martin. Penn State College of Agriculture - Cooperative Extension, edited and annotated by Dan Friedman (Thanks: to Bob Mackey for proofreading the original source material.)

InspectAPedia ^TM Home & Site Map - Building Inspection, Diagnosis, & Repair, Environmental Inspection & Testing - Research Website

Home Inspection Construction Consulting Services & advice for home buyers

Contact Daniel Friedman for website content suggestions or for fee-paid consulting

	Enter your search termsSubmit search form
	Search This Website - InspectAPedia.com