Living in a residential area offers many perks, but it also comes with responsibilities. For example, you might have a septic tank in your yard that collects all your waste. If you do, maintaining it is your responsibility. One form of maintenance it needs is cleaning services. However, you might wonder how you'll know when to clean it. Well, you can know by learning the signs. Here are some of the signs indicating you should hire a plumber to clean your septic tank.

Your system is backing up 

A septic tank is a box that holds your waste, and you might not even know it's there, as the box is underground. This box can only hold a specific number of gallons of waste. Most residential tanks hold around 1,000 gallons, but yours might be different. The primary thing to know is that your tank will eventually fill up. A septic system collects solid waste and filters the water out of the system and into your yard. When the tank fills up, it won't be able to hold anymore, so the waste will back up into your house through your drains. 

You see or smell sewer water in your yard

Secondly, you can tell that it's time to get your tank pumped if you see or smell sewer water in your yard. You should find out where your tank is if you don't know. Next, walk near the tank to see if you can smell sewage or see standing water. Seeing or smelling sewage near your system typically indicates you have a full tank.

You haven't had it pumped in years

The other thing to consider is the last time you hired a company to clean it. Your system probably needs cleaning services if you can't remember when you had someone pump it. Also, you likely need to empty your tank every two to five years, depending on the system and home size. Therefore, you might want to contact a septic company if it's been years.

Hire a plumber for septic tank cleaning

Getting your tank pumped is vital for its operations, and you should consider getting on a schedule to have a plumber empty it every few years. You can talk to your local plumber or septic tank company to learn more about the frequency of cleanings and about pumping your tank.

Contact a local septic tank service, such as Eckmayer Inc, to learn more.