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Trenches are 12 to 24 inches deep and 8 inches wide. However, the right depth for your trench will depend on the nature of your project. For example, if you’re digging a trench as part of a French drain installation, it should be 18 inches deep. An excavation professional can explain how deep your trench should be.

Yes, a bigger well pump can increase water pressure—up to a point. If you currently have a well pump of 8 GPM, you might notice a pressure boost when you go up to 10 GPM. However, overshooting significantly (going up to 15 GPM for an 8 GPM home) can strain your well system and result in things like burst pipes that can decrease your water pressure and make for costly repairs.

Many septic professionals agree that spring is the best time of year to empty a septic tank. By this point, the temperatures have usually warmed up enough so that the ground is no longer frozen, which makes it easier to access the tank (and less likely for the waste to be frozen inside the tank). Summer and fall are also decent times to do it, but winter isn’t.

A septic tank should be pumped once every three to five years or sooner if there’s a problem with your plumbing backing up. A large 5+ person family who frequently has guests over using the bathroom or who pours a lot of water and food down the garbage disposal may need to get it pumped closer to every two years.