Septic tank maintenance

February 5th, 2013:

How much does it cost to have a sand mound pumped?

In this article we are going to discuss how much does it cost to have a sand mound pumped? If the homeowner suddenly finds out that the septic system to be installed underneath their property is a sand mound system. This is installed for a household that is established on a property with a high water table and a soil type that could only accommodate a sand mound system. The sand mound is known to be a very sensitive system that needs extra care. It is more exposed to the elements especially during the cold season. This is where the construction fabric enters the scene. This is a special fabric that needs to be placed on top of the sand mound system before the topsoil. The construction fabric retains the heat inside the sand mound, produced by the metabolism of the bacterial population.

You have to replace the fabric before the cold season to make sure that the system doesn’t freeze up and fail. Since the sand mound is a type of septic system, you should always remember that it doesn’t veer that far from how you maintain the conventional septic system. It should also receive the basic pump out treatment. But since the sand mound is seen as extra-special, there are homeowners who think that pumping out their sand mounds is actually very expensive. But how much does it cost to have a sand mound pumped?

The cost of pumping out a sand mound doesn’t stray from the cost that it takes for a regular septic system to undergo the same treatment. You just have to tell your septic expert about the situation in your home as to how many members your household has. If you have two people in there, you much have your sand mound pumped out every 3 years. If there are up to 5 people, then it should be pumped out every 2 years. For a household that has 6 or more people, an annual pump out is recommended. An amount of 75-200 USD should be prepared for each pump out schedule. The costs in some areas go up depending on the services attached to the pump out service. To make your pump out schedules hassle or worry-free, you should learn how to set aside a budget every year or every month. Pumping out your sand mound should not be a very stressful task to do.

But before the actual pump out is done, there should be a very thorough inspection done by a true and credible professional. You could get referrals from the local health department because there are some pumpers that just suck the sludge and go when they get paid. The soil absorption system should be checked for heavy vehicle tracks or footprints because these may have already caused damage to the system. The contents of the sand mound’s tank should also be checked to see what is inside and if the bacterial population has been affected by the amount of chemicals present in there.

The right septic professional should be hired to make the pump out successful. After the pump out session done on your sand mound, the expert should make a report that contains the recommendations that tell you what improvements you should do to prevent malfunctions and failures in the future. It is sand to admit that not all “septic experts” are not experts at all. Some just go to your house and set the hose, suck the sludge, and leave right after you give them their pay. Homeowners who hire such people often end up with a malfunctioning sand mound again after just a few months.

Pumping out your sand mound is very inexpensive. It should be a routine that you should have in your household to ensure a long lasting system to treat your wastewater. It is really much cheaper to set aside a few dollars monthly, a few hundred dollars yearly or every few years than to spend at most 30,000 USD for a brand new sand mound. We hope that we answered the age old question of how much does it cost to have a sand mound pumped?