Ask Bobby
The questions Bobby gets most often — with the answers he'd give you standing in your driveway. No hedging, no upsell.
Start at the house. The main sewer line leaves the building on the side where the plumbing is stacked. Walk that line across the yard — the tank is somewhere along it. Metal detectors don't help; there isn't enough metal in a tank to find.
Not the sinks. Sinks sit too high in the plumbing to tell you anything about your septic system. The first sign shows up at the lowest point running out to the tank, which in most homes is the bathtub. If the tub is slow, take it seriously.
No. A 1,000-, 1,250-, and 1,500-gallon tank are often the same physical tank. What changes is the height of the inlet and outlet baffles, which sets the retention time for the fixture count of the house. Every tank also has mandatory free space above the normal operating level. And the leach field holds water too. That's why a pump can pull more gallons than the tank's rated size.
No. They can create a better environment for the bacteria that break down the sludge and scum layers. They will never empty your tank. Anyone claiming you'll never have to pump again is not telling you the truth.
No — even the ones labeled "septic safe." They don't break down in the time a septic system is built for. We have pumped tanks that were completely full of wipes.
Listen to whether they ask you questions. Where is your tank? When was it last serviced? Does it have a riser? Why are you calling — maintenance, or are you backing up? A company that asks nothing is a company that will show up and explore your yard on your dime. Prescription without diagnosis is malpractice.
Because a septic tank is a living system. Too many people in the house and you overload it. Too few and you don't generate enough waste to keep the bacteria alive — the good bacteria die off and bad bacteria take over. Pumping every year restarts a healthy system either way.
Grease. Paint and solvents. Drano and heavy chlorine products. Non-biodegradable items: wipes, tampons, intimacy products, and diapers — adult and child. Hazardous chemicals can take years of pumping to clear enough for bacteria to recover.
Both a transfer form and an inspection. Both are required, and it's a state rule — not just a Maricopa County one.