What Is a Septic Tank Riser?

You’re spending an afternoon wandering around your yard, when oof! You stub your toe on this round cap-like platform sitting just above ground level.

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Congratulations! Your foot just located your property’s septic tank riser. This access port is a common part of septic tanks but can still be hidden on soil or grass.

What Are Septic Tank Risers?

While a septic tank riser might look like a bit of piping used by a couple of famous video game plumbers, these large-diameter openings actually bring your tank access to ground level. Sometimes called a septic tank access port, these risers are game changers in the event of a clog or leak. Contractors simply pop off the septic tank lid and run equipment from the surface of your yard down to the underground tank.

Keep in mind that septic tank tops aren’t always in plain sight. If a quick scan of your yard doesn’t reveal a round lid that looks like your riser, you may need to poke around with a stick or even do some digging to find it.

Septic tank risers are made to endure. You’ll often encounter concrete septic tank risers designed to withstand the elements. But there are also durable plastic septic tank risers that are surprisingly robust.

What Does a Septic Tank Access Port Do?

The primary purpose of a septic tank riser is to make it easier to access your underground septic tank by raising the lid above ground level. The addition of a pipe that runs from the tank up to lawn level paves the way for construction-free access to your tank. This comes in very handy when you need to:

• Inspect your septic system

• Pump out your tank (something experts recommend doing every three to five years)

• Fix a suspected crack or pesky leak in the tank

With a riser, the crew you hire just removes the lid and runs a pump hose, a camera or another tool down into the tank. No tearing up your lawn or renting a skid steer or backhoe. While installing a septic tank riser does require some initial financial outlay, it can save you tons of time and money in the long run. It also makes it much easier to maintain your septic system, something which — you guessed it — will save you even more time and money in the long run.

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How to Know If You Need a Septic Tank Riser

You may need a septic tank riser if your septic tank is buried underground and you want to save money on maintenance, like regular pump-outs, and any future repairs. It’s all about accessibility. Unless digging down to your septic tank every couple of years, destroying your yard and paying experts to do the work and repairs sounds like a good time, you’ll want a septic tank riser to streamline the process and protect your bottom line.

How to Install Your Septic Tank Riser: 3 Top Tips

If you’re thinking about purchasing a new home that’s currently being built, it’s a good bet the builder plans on including a septic tank riser. But if you have purchased or are considering moving into an existing home, especially one over a decade old, there might not be a riser already in place. In that case, you may need to add septic tank riser installation to your to-do list.

Here are some things to consider:

• While you can find DIY septic tank riser kits at home improvement stores, you should think about hiring a professional to install your septic tank riser to ensure the job is done right the first time.

• If you have an older home without a riser, you may want to wait to install one until your next septic tank installation or pump-out. The ground will be dug up anyway, and you can complete septic system repairs and maintenance, and the installation in one go.

• If you’re set on installing the riser yourself, you may want a septic tank riser kit. These riser kits include the necessary components for installation, including the riser itself, an adapter ring and a lid. You’ll still need to coordinate the digging yourself.

Installing a septic tank riser requires careful planning, but it can save you time, frustration and money in the long run.