What You Flush
The reason you have to be more careful about what you flush down the toilet or send down the sink when you have a septic tank is that the septic system relies on the natural breakdown of organic material to keep it clear. A city sewer system has filters that will catch things like feminine hygiene products that could clog your septic tank or the drain system leading out to the septic tank. If that happens, you'll have to have the tank drained and the lines snaked to remove the object.
Oil, grease, and food products, even those that have been through the disposal, can also clog the line. Oil and grease may be in liquid form when they go into the pipe, but the cold pipes can quickly harden them and cause a slow drain or clog. Food particles will take longer to break down than most items in the septic tank and can cause it to fill up faster and, therefore, need to be emptied more often. If you watch what goes down the drain, you'll extend the time between the need to pump out the tank and keep your lines clean.
How Often?
Determining your septic tank pumping schedule depends on the size of your tank and the number of people living in your house. The more people who live in the home, the more waste that gets sent to the tank and the more often it will need to be cleaned out. The smaller the tank, the less room and the need for a cleanout will come sooner than if you had a large tank. It's recommended that every septic tank be cleaned out every 3-5 years. The reason a tank has to be pumped out is that the sludge levels get too high.
If you look at a diagram of a septic tank, there is a retaining pool area. About ¾ of the way up the tank there is a large pipe that feeds into the drain field. When the sludge gets close to that pipe, more than just liquid will find its way into the drain field. The drain field is made up of smaller pipes that run like fingers out from the main exit pipe. The smaller pipes have holes in the bottom where the liquid runs out and fertilizes the yard. When solids make it into the drain field, they can block off the smaller pipes and the holes where the liquid should escape. By having the tank pumped regularly, you clear the sludge and prevent blockages in the drain field.
Symptoms
If you're seeing symptoms of a full tank, it's time to take care of the problem immediately. There's no time to waste. Some of the signs include standing water in the drain field. This may mean your system is too full and is releasing more water than the soil can maintain. Another symptom is toilets that continue to backup or raw sewage coming up through drains in the house. If this happens, schedule a septic tank pumping in Atlanta right away to prevent more expensive repairs.