Septic Tank Pumping Etiquette

I had the septic tank pumped today. I was told they would arrive sometime between 11 and 3, and would call when they were about 30 minutes away.

They called about 11:45.

A nice young man named Tyler showed up at the door. I showed him where the tank was located, told him I thought it was about 1200 gallons, and that we had lived here 10 years and had never pumped it.

He told me he would knock on the door when he was done.

When he came to the door, he asked why we thought it needed pumping. I told him that I knew it had been at least 10 years, and we periodically could smell sewage.

(I didn't share with him the fact that we have houseguests coming over Memorial Day weekend, and Murphy's Law tells us that if it were to fail, it would be then.)

He told me that the level was above the outlet; that he rarely sees them full to that level. He also told me that he pumped out 1500 gallons.

I gave him my credit card, he called in the charge to the office, and offered me some sage septic tank advice. (I also didn't tell him that I had worked in the wastewater business for over twenty years.)

As he left, he reached out to shake my hand.

I found this rather odd, but I shook his hand, nonetheless.

When I went inside, I found the hand sanitizer and used it.