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Septic Tank Pumping Paradise Valley

Proper maintenance is the KEY to the longevity of your system!

Septic Tank Pumping Service in Paradise Valley, AZ

Septic tank pumping is a service that is required by all septic system owners and is the single, most important thing that you can do to keep your system working properly and extend the life of the disposal field.ย  Proper pumping service includes the 3-E’s:

  • Exposing the lid(s) to the septic tank
  • Extracting all of the waste from the septic tank (scum, sludge, solid materials and water)
  • Examination of the baffles and lids to make sure the system is in good-working condition.

Septic tank pumping is the service where the lids to the septic tank are exposed and all of the scum, water and sludge are removed from the septic tank. This means the tank is completely pumped out. There is NO reason to EVER just have your septic “liquids” pumped out. Every service should include complete extraction of all material in the septic tank.

Oh and that Rid-X or other septic tank additive that you are using every month… save your money! These products have been found to cause more harm than help and absolutely do not replace complete septic tank pumping. Check out or blog for even more information on proper septic tank maintenance.

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What are the 3 E's of septic tank pumping?
Expose, Extract and Examine

Exposing The Lids

The lids to the septic tank must be removed for a proper maintenance cleaning. This means exposing the 18"-24" man-hole lids in the top of the septic tank.

Exposing the Lids

Pumping a septic tank through a 3"-6" riser pipe over the baffles is NOT the proper way to clean a tank. In fact, pumping a septic tank this way will result in a premature leach field or disposal field failure.

Extracting All Waste

A proper septic tank pumping service includes extracting all of the waste in the septic tank - all scum, water, sludge and other solid materials.

Extracting All Waste

There is no reason to ever just pump out the "liquids" in a septic tank. That service is a scam and waste of your money. We ALWAYS clean your tank the right way. Improper cleaning is the #1 reason for leach field failures and replacements.

Examine The Tank

A septic tank should be examined during every septic tank pumping service. The lids must be removed in order to see the inner-workings of the tank.

Examine The Tank

What do we look for? We check the inlet and outlet baffles inside of the tank. They are important! We also check for cracks, root invasions and clean the effluent filter with every service, if present.

For an average family of four, it is recommended that you pump your septic tank every 2-3ย years. Like changing the oil in your car, pumping your septic tank is a required maintenance which is necessary even though there are no apparent problems.ย 

How do you know if it’s time to pump your septic tank? When a septic systemย starts to back up or is no longer draining properly,ย you can’t remember the last time you pumped out your septic tank or it’s been more than 3 years since your last service… odds are, it’s time to do it again!

Don’t let your septic tank back up on you at the most inopportune time, like late at night, Sunday afternoon or even Christmas Day! Pump your septic tank before you have any issues.ย  More often than not, when a septic tank is backing up into the home, there is likely to be more issues than just a full tank.ย  Waiting for a problem to arise with your septic tank can damage the septic system, clog the disposal field or cause a septic backup into your home costing you excess time and money. This is even more true with older septic systems! Priority Pumping wants to make your routine septic pumping and cleaning as hassle-free as possible.ย Once you are a customer with us, we’ll even send you an email reminder when your system is due for service again! Just another way we take care of our customers.

Septic Tank Pumping Queen Creek AZ
One Compartment Tank
septic tank riser lids phoenix
Two Compartment Tank
coffin lid septic tank
Coffin/Quarter Lid
Septic tank Pumping Mesa AZ
Inspection Port - Not A Pumping Port

If you want your septic system to last a long time, PLEASE don’t pump your septic tank through the inspection port!ย 

When you pump through an inspection or clean out port, you are only sucking out water and light solids.ย 

Always pump the septic tank through the lid openings directly on top of the septic tank or through the riser lid from a riser extension.

septic tank riser phoenix
Riser Lid - Proper Pumping Port

What should I expect with my
septic tank pumping service?

  • We will ask for your address and major cross-street area
  • We will ask if you know the location of your septic tank
  • In conjunction with this question, we will ask if you need us to expose the septic tank lids or if they are accessible at ground level. If you can see the lid (usually green, see photo) at ground level, we will not have to dig. If you cannot, we will have to dig to expose them.
  • FOR A PROPER SEPTIC TANK CLEANING, THE SEPTIC TANK MUST BE PUMPED FROM THE 18-24″ SEPTIC TANK OPENINGS. 
  • If you have a septic tank, mid 1990’s+, you will have two lids that will need to be exposed as you will have a two-compartment septic tank. 
  • If your tank is older, you will have a one-compartment tank and will need to expose the one lid, usually in the center.
  • 1960-1970’s tanks can sometimes have a “coffin or quarter” lid. This means that the end of the septic tank must be lifted to get into the septic tank to properly pump and clean the tank. 
  • We will ask if you know the capacity of the septic tank (how many gallons). If you do not have this information, don’t worry. We can research the County Installation Records. If there are no records available for your home, don’t fret! We can help you estimate the size based upon the bedroom count and year of your home.
  • We will also ask if you know the last time the septic tank has been pumped out. Septic tanks should be pumped out every 2-3 years. If it’s been more than 5 years, please know that additional charges may be applicable if the waste is super thick inside of the tank and it takes more than an hour to clean out.
  • If you a flushable wipes user or flush items other than human waste and toilet paper, additional charges can also occur if the buildup of these materials are high. These items are extremely hard to get out of the septic tank and may take longer to properly clean.

Check out some of our septic pumping work...