"Steve Barker" wrote in message
...
Open it up and do a visual inspection? Obviously you've never had a
septic system. There is no visual inspection until you PUMP it. Opening
it up and looking, all you will see is the "scum" on top. And only the
pumping guy can really tell (by feel) how deep the sludge is/was. 3 to 5
years max, or trouble ahead. Period.

--
Steve Barker

Huh? You pull the cap, and instantly, you can see relevant information. Is
there a crust? How close is the crust to the top of the tank? When you
poke the crust, how thick is it? When you insert a pole into the tank, what
is the resistance?

THEN, you pump it.

THEN, you inspect to see how much solid sediment is in the bottom of the
tank, and whether the holes leading to the leach lines are blocked. And to
see if the leach lines are blocked, how bad and how far and if you need to
clean them out.

Have you ever had a septic system? Sounds like not.

Steve