Your septic tank does its job quietly underground and the only time most people think about it is when something goes wrong. Keeping up with regular pumping is the simplest and most cost effective way to protect your system and avoid an emergency.
At Oasis Septic we pump residential and commercial septic tanks of all sizes throughout Austin and Central Texas. We show up on time, get the job done and leave your property clean.
Not every septic tank pumping job is the same. Depending on your property and the accessibility of your tank there may be a few steps involved before we can pump. Here’s what to expect.
If you don’t know where your septic tank is located we can find it. We use various methods to locate tanks, from probing the ground and following the sewer line from the house, to using flushable transmitters and tracking them. Older properties and tanks without risers are the most common situations where locating is needed. We’ll let you know if locating is required when you call and factor it into your quote upfront.
If your tank lids are buried deep, we may need to dig down to access the tank in order to pump. This is common on older systems that were never fitted with risers. We’ll give you a clear price for the digging before we start, or you’re more than welcome to dig up the lids yourself before we arrive if you’d prefer – just let us know when you book. Once the job is complete we can also install risers so your lids sit at ground level making every future visit faster and less expensive.
Once we have access to the tank, we use a vacuum truck to remove everything from the tank completely including solids, sludge and liquid. We don’t leave a partially pumped tank. Our truck is equipped with a liquid gauge that measures exactly how many gallons were removed and we share that number with you when the job is done.
Once the tank is empty we do a quick rinse with water to clear out any remaining residue and give us a clean look at the interior. We check the condition of the inlet and outlet baffles and note anything that looks out of the ordinary. When we’re done we close everything up and clean up after ourselves. We don’t leave a mess behind.
After every job we send you a written service report documenting what was done. It includes a summary of service, the gallons pumped and any observations from the job. It’s a record you can keep on file for future reference, for insurance purposes or to share with a buyer if you ever sell the property. We think you should always know what was done on your property and have something to show for it.
A septic backup is one of those problems that can’t wait. If you’re seeing sewage backing up into your drains, standing water over your drain field or smelling sewage inside the house, you need someone out fast. We offer emergency septic pumping throughout Austin and Central Texas for situations that can’t be scheduled.
Call us and we’ll let you know honestly how quickly we can get there. We understand that a septic emergency affects your whole household and we move as fast as we can.
For most residential households every three to five years is the right interval. The factors that push you toward more frequent service are a larger household, higher water usage, a smaller tank and regular use of a garbage disposal.
If you can’t remember the last time your tank was pumped it’s probably time. A tank that’s been sitting too long doesn’t give you much warning before it causes a problem.
Commercial properties and high volume facilities generally need more frequent service. Every situation is different and we’re happy to help you figure out the right schedule for your property.
Most full tanks give you warning before they back up. The most common signs are slow drains throughout the house, gurgling sounds from toilets or drains, sewage odors near your tank or yard and wet or spongy ground over the drain field.
If you’re noticing any of these give us a call. In most cases a pump out is all it takes to get things running normally again.
Residential pumping starts at $600. The final price depends on tank size and how accessible your lids are. If your tank requires locating or digging we’ll factor that in and give you a clear price before we start.
It helps to have someone available but it’s not always necessary. Give us a call and we’ll figure out the best approach for your property.
If your lids are buried we’ll need to dig to reach them. We’ll let you know upfront what that involves. If you’d like to add risers after the job we can take care of that too and it’ll make every future visit faster and less expensive.
Our truck has a liquid gauge that tracks the exact number of gallons removed. We share that with you after every job.
Yes, in most cases. Tank locating is something we help with regularly. Let us know when you book and we’ll plan accordingly.