Common Questions Before You Call
- Is your Individual Wastewater System a cesspool or a septic tank? Please see our guides for cesspools and septic tanks. Septics are usually newer, made of plastic, fiberglass or concrete (less common) and have two covers. Cesspools are older, made of concrete and have one cover.
- Septics: Do you know where your septic tank is? Have you exposed and opened both the septic covers (one for the sludge, one for the water), looked inside and saw that it is full? Can they be opened? a. If you can only locate one of the septic covers we can still pump through it to get to one side of the septic tank but this is inefficient.
- Cesspools: Do you know where your cesspool is? Is your cesspool full? Have you exposed and opened the cover & looked inside? Can you open the cover plug? The cover plug can be round or square. If the plug cannot be opened it may be cemented in place in which case VIP can jackhammer it open.
- If you are experiencing backflow into your toilets and showers but the cesspool or septic tank (sludge side) does not appear to be full then you may have a plugged pipe.
- Approximately how many feet away can our truck park from the pump site? Is the land flat: uphill or downhill pumping?
- Are you in a remote part of the island? Location on island will influence the price.
- How large (diameter) is the hole that we will be pumping through? Our hoses are 4½” they can fit through a 6” hole but optimally 18” is what it should be so we can get our hoses all around the tank and suck up all the sludge.
- Do you have multiple cesspools/septics on your property? You may be eligible for a discount.