There are some standard “rules of thumb” for septic tank location. These “rules of thumb” do not not always hold true, but they provide a good place to start. If your home has a basement, you can look at the wastewater drain pipes and see where the main “soil pipe” exits the house through the basement wall.  Some homes have more than one “soil pipe” exiting through the wall. This usually indicates that you have more than one tank at your home: possibly a septic tank and a separate gray water tank. When you locate the place where your soil pipe exits the home, note the depth of it below the grade of the ground outside. This gives an indication of how deep the septic tank will be buried in the yard. Next measure from the soil pipe to something you can see outside (like a window, water spigot pipe, dryer vent,  or basement corner). The rule of thumb is that the soil pipe will point straight to the septic tank outside the wall. Also, the tank is usually 10 feet off the foundation wall outside, and the top of the tank is usually less than one foot deep. Next, using a metal probe, probe down into the ground in the yard space where you expect the tank to be. Sometimes, you can see the outline of the tank in the lawn. The grass might be a slightly different color, or you may see slight depressions where the ground has settled around the edges of the tank or where the cleanout cover(s) have been dug up in the past. You are looking for a structure (usually concrete, sometimes plastic or metal) that is typically 8 feet long and 5 feet wide.

Sometimes these rules of thumb do not hold true. The pipe may turn on the way to your septic tank; the tank may be closer to the foundation wall or sometimes much further than the standard 10 feet; sometimes the tank is buried deeper than the standard 6″ to 12″.

We have seen situations where a lot of fill dirt was placed over the tank after it was installed. Sometimes people mistakenly put landscaping, driveways, sidewalks, trees, bushes, decks, garages, swimming pools, or yes, even entire additions over the top of the septic tank. Sometimes the home does not have a basement, or the soil pipe goes down into the basement floor, rather than out through the wall. These situations always present a challenge, but we will overcome the challenge…we will find the tank!

If you have trouble locating the tank, we can locate it for you. As a last resort, we can flush a transmitter pill down a toilet and use a locator to find it in the yard. And rest assured, after we locate, excavate and pump out your septic tank, we will take accurate detailed measurements which we will keep in our extensive computer database so that location will be a simple matter the next time we service your tank.

There are many different types and styles of septic tanks. Older tanks are usually single compartment tanks. This means that the entire tank can be pumped through one cleanout cover. The cleanout cover is usually in the center of the tank and is usually between 12″ and 30″ in diameter. Septic tanks usually have three covers on the top; an inlet cover over the inlet baffle opening where the soil pipe enters the tank, a larger center cleanout cover, and an outlet cover over the outlet baffle opening where the outlet pipe runs to the leaching system (Distribution-Box). Some tanks, however, have the large cleanout cover at the front of the tank, others have it at the rear of the tank.

Newer tanks have two compartments. This means that the center cleanout cover and the outlet cover need to be accessed to clean the tank out thoroughly. Newer tanks are often equipped with an effluent filter in the outlet baffle also. This filter needs to be removed, rinsed off with a garden hose, and put back in place every time the tank is pumped.

For standard septic tank pumping maintenance, only the cleanout cover(s) need to be dug up. If you are experiencing a back-up problem in your toilets or other drains, then the inlet cover will need to be dug up so that the inlet baffle can be unplugged and/or the inlet pipe can be snaked.

Always leave a garden hose available for us to use to rinse things out whenever possible.

We schedule septic tank pumping appointments from 8AM to 5PM, Monday through Friday. We can usually narrow it down to a morning or afternoon appointment, but it is difficult to give an exact time because we never know exactly how long the truck will be at each particular stop. We completely understand how busy everyone is these days and we appreciate how valuable your time is. We can perform standard pumping maintenance  when no one is home, particularly if your tank is dug up or we have been to your home before and have measurements to the cover(s). If we do not know where you’re tank is, we may have to get inside to see the plumbing to help us locate the tank. If you are experiencing a backup situation in your toilets or other drains, someone should be home so that we can have you flush the toilets after we are done to make sure everything is flowing properly.

We need to collect payment at the time of the pumping service. If someone is home, our drivers can be paid with cash, check, or credit card. If no one will be home, customers will sometimes leave a check in an agreed upon location and we will leave an invoice in its place when we are done. For your convenience, we can also process your payment with a Visa, Mastercard, Discover Card or American Express.

This is a difficult question to answer.  It is like asking the mechanic who changes the oil in our car “was the oil dirty?”, or when you empty the vacuum bag in your home “was it full?”. Most of the time the answer is “yes”. The absolute best way to know when to have your tank pumped is by how long it has been since it was last pumped. NO SEPTIC TANK SHOUD GO LONGER THAN TWO YEARS BETWEEN CLEANINGS!!

There is no law mandating that every homeowner with a septic system gets their tank pumped every 2-3 years (although the subject has been broached on many occasions for environmental reasons).  Just as it is your responsibility to change the oil in your car, change your vacuum cleaner bag, mow your lawn, etc.; it is your responsibility to get your tank pumped every 2-3 years.

If you do not get your tank pumped every 2-3 years, you are headed for disaster. People who neglect to have the tank pumped on a regular basis are usually the people who call when they have a major problem. And getting your tank pumped when you have a failure in your leaching system is like getting your oil changed after your car’s engine starts making a loud knocking noise… Too Late! There is no way to avoid costly, inconvenient repairs at that point. AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE! The homeowner who neglected to pump their tank always wishes that they could turn back the clock and have had properly maintained their system as they are now faced with an expensive, disruptive replacement situation. Also, the type of system you will need in the case of a leaching failure may be more elaborate and expensive than the system you currently have.

If you contact your local County Public Health Department, or local septic authority, or the NY State Public Health Department, they will tell you the septic tank must be pumped every 2-3 years.

No! Our trucks are equipped with 200 feet of hose so that we can pump your tank from the driveway or side of the road. When we dig up the cover to your tank we will put the grass off to the side and then put the dirt in a separate pile. When we are done, we will carefully replace the dirt with the sod back on top. Sometimes you have to look very closely to notice any evidence that we have been there.

When you call to get your tank pumped, ask to have your tank measured up for a “riser”. A riser is an extension (picture a donut made of concrete or heavy plastic) that your cleanout cover sits on top of, closer to the ground surface. Because there are many types, sizes, and shapes of covers, at widely varying depths; the type of riser you need may vary. You may need an “adapter plate” to convert a large or square opening to a riser size more suitable for a standard cleanout cover. The best time to put a riser on your tank is while your tank is dug up.

The best thing you can do is have Barefoot pump your tank every 2 years. The record of the service history of your tank will be included in the Septic Inspection Report that will be required when you are ready to sell your home. When your tank is serviced regularly, we will let you know if we observe any issues or problems that need to be addressed when your tank is pumped. Nothing puts a homebuyer at ease in relation to the septic system more than a thorough and complete service history report.

Yes! We will gladly pump your septic tank any time you need it. Our trucks are on the road in the spring, summer, fall and winter; in the sunshine, rain, sleet, or driving snow. We used to have trouble when the temperatures fell below freezing because of the problem of septage freezing in our trucks before we could empty them. Now, our trucks are all equipped with heated valves and the trucks are stored in a heated shop in the winter. Problem Solved! Sometimes it is actually easier to pump a tank in the winter because the tank is easier to find (the warmth generated in the septic tank often melts the snow in the the shape of a rectangle on the ground above the tank), and sometimes the ground is softer and easier to dig in the winter.

All septic tanks must be equipped with an inlet baffle and an outlet baffle. The inlet baffle directs all wastewater downward and into the middle area of the tank as wastewater runs into the tank. This is important so that the wastewater does not “rile up” the tank and disturb the layers and bacteria activity every time wastewater enters the tank. The outlet baffle acts like a “splash guard” around the outlet pipe. Extending down into the “middle layer” in the septic tank, it allows only the “clear effluent” from the middle layer to run out of the outlet pipe to the leaching system. It does not extend far enough for the bottom “sludge” layer to escape, and it stops the “scum” layer at the top of the tank from being rinsed out the outlet pipe. Unfortunately, baffles sometimes fall off in the septic tank, sinking to the bottom where they are completely useless. This is another reason why you need to have the tank pumped every 2 years and check your baffles. If the outlet baffle is off in your septic tank, it needs to be replaced immediately (before the septic tank fills back up to operating level which typically takes between a few days to a week) if possible. If we notice a problem with your baffles when we pump your tank, we will let you know. If you ever see a note on your invoice that your outlet baffle is off, you should make arrangements to have it fixed ASAP!

A high H2O level in the septic tank means that the water level is up over the normal operating level, which is the invert (bottom) of the outlet pipe. This means that the effluent is not getting out of the tank as well as it should and you have a leaching problem.

The first question at this point should be: has there been some unusual spike in the water usage in your home? We sometimes find that a drain may be running in the house. The biggest culprit here is the toilet. If you have a toilet running unnecessarily it can send an enormous amount of water into the septic system unnecessarily. This can easily overload the system and lead to premature failure. If your toilets are running, this must be fixed immediately.

If the water usage in your home is normal, your problem is beyond the septic tank. You may have a problem with the outlet pipe, the distribution box, or the leach lines themselves. You can hire us to do some trouble-shooting and advise you about what is needed.

Whenever you have effluent surfacing over the leach field, you have a significant leaching problem. Sometimes there is something prohibiting the effluent from being distributed to all the leach lines evenly. Sometimes this situation can be rectified fairly easily in the distribution box or drop boxes. Some sites present the option of installing a curtain drain around the leaching area to divert ground water, which may be interfering with the wastewater drainage. Other times these symptoms indicate a leach field failure that can only be resolved by replacing the leaching system.

Odor problems can be very difficult to diagnose properly and to correct. Odor problems are sometimes like “chasing a ghost”. Some places to start: sometimes simply getting your septic tank pumped will eliminate the odor problem. If not: all the drains in your home enter the main soil pipe which runs to your septic tank. The septic tank, as well as the pipes, have gasses in them which have an odor. The only way that odor should be able to enter your home is through an opening in a pipe. All your fixtures (sinks, tubs, toilets, etc.) have a trap under them. This trap always stays full of water and it is this water in the trap that stops the odor from entering your home. Sometimes if a drain in your home is not used regularly (such as a sink, shower, or tub in part of your home that goes unused for periods of time), the water in the trap can dry up (evaporate). Sometimes the traps are too close to a pipe carrying water under pressure (such as a dishwasher or clothes washer) and the water can actually be siphoned out of the trap as the water rushes by. Any open (dry) trap will allow odors to enter your home, so run some water in all traps to make sure they are full.

If they are all OK, you should visually inspect any wastewater plumbing that you can see, looking for holes in the piping. Sometimes old copper or iron pipes can corrode and holes can develop. Unfortunately, sometimes these pipes are inside walls, floors, or ceilings.

Next you should inspect your venting system. Sometimes birds or bees can make nests in the vent pipe which usually extends through the roof. We have even seen situations where squirrels, chipmunks, birds, etc. get stuck in vent piping, causing a blockage which doesn’t allow the gasses to be vented properly.

On numerous occasions we have found a dead mouse which was causing the odor problem.

If all of the above mentioned trouble-shooting does not resolve the odor problem, we can use our “smoke machine” in an attempt to find the problem. We can blow smoke into your wastewater plumbing/venting system and see if the smoke comes out anywhere (it should only escape through the roof vent). This may reveal faulty plumbing inside a wall, floor, or ceiling which can then be exposed to be repaired or replaced.

We were born with it! Yes, that is really our last name! We still have ancestors in Ireland. Their last name is “Barfoot”; the “e” was added when our ancestors arrived at Ellis Island.

Yes.