Does it matter which opening should be used to pump your septic tank? Inlet or outlet?
January 24th, 2010 | 
Author: Since I’ve lived here, the first guy had to bust in the tank cuz he couldn’t find the cap. The second guy got into the outlet cap that leads to the drain field. The last person located the inlet cap and told me that this is where you want to pump if you want it done right. So I’m curious if it makes a difference.
basically a septic tank has four openings, one on each end and two on the top. the tank itself is divided in to two compartments
the two openings on the ends are the inlet and outlet. the two openings on the top are for pumping out the two compartments
in a tank functioning properly most if not all of the solid waste should be in the first compartment
in my opinion if you are paying to have it pumped you might as well get both compartments pumped
Posted in Tank Pump
I don’t think it matters much. Most tanks have a hatch on the top that is opened and pumped out thur there. If it cannot be found I don’t think it matters but I would go with what the pumping guy says as it is his expertise you have to rely on.
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when i had a septic tank i uncovered both openings and the "stool bus" operator sucked out of both ends with a quick rinse from the garden hose
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old age and wisdom
basically a septic tank has four openings, one on each end and two on the top. the tank itself is divided in to two compartments
the two openings on the ends are the inlet and outlet. the two openings on the top are for pumping out the two compartments
in a tank functioning properly most if not all of the solid waste should be in the first compartment
in my opinion if you are paying to have it pumped you might as well get both compartments pumped
References :
The inlet side is the side which catches all the solids, there is a baffle in the middle of the tank, the sewage first collects on the inlet side and the grey water flows beneath the baffle and into the outlet side of the tank, where the gray water goes to a distribution box, then on to the leach field where it evaporates.
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Honsell T – has it if you have one big tank – they Pump the sludge off the bottom not the whole tank ( I’d pump the whole tank, or send all the gray water to the field with a pump & get the sludge )
If you have multiple tanks, pump the first one in line from the sewage discharge
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