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What are you paying for pit cleaning?

scout

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The company that cleans our pits is a septic tank cleaner---the price h.as gone up to $400 per pit.----we are 50 miles west of chicago in the fox valley--Elgin Area

any idea,s?

Pro wash express
847-697-2770
Prowashexpress.com

thanks
 

MEP001

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Septic tank cleaners are usually going to charge more, at least they do here. Look for someone who specializes in car wash pit cleaning.
 

robtl

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The company that cleans our pits is a septic tank cleaner---the price h.as gone up to $400 per pit.----we are 50 miles west of chicago in the fox valley--Elgin Area

any idea,s?

Pro wash express
847-697-2770
Prowashexpress.com

thanks
I have pits that are 45"x60"x60" deep, I get them cleaned and the drains sucked out with a special adapter on the 90 deg. ell turned down.
He hooks the hose on the drain, shuts off the valve and lets the tank vacuum all the way up and then opens it and shuts it several times real quick and it cleans the drain from any mud or sediment it has in the line,,,it pulls so hard it will draw the water out of the floor drains in the equip. room.
I get this done for $75.00 per pit. OH! he hauls it off and dumps it too.

Happy big time with this guy!
 

Jim L.

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I use a vacuum truck service which solicited my pit cleaning business. They have an hourly charge and a charge for each gallon of sludge. Last bill was $1,126 for 5.5 hours and 1,086 gallons.

This guy has a monopoly on this area. All of his competition has gotten out of the business because they have run out of places to dump the sludge.
 

dogwasher

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Hey Scout, you must be close I'm in Saint Charles IL I have a 4 SS bay and two auto wash did you say you were in elgin?
 

Reds

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last time I had it done the local septic tank pumper charged me $1700 to pump out four 500 gallon tanks. I have since taken to doing it myself with a handi clam - it takes me about 8 hours to do all 4. I am considering a ring o matic but am not sure if I can get the clamshell thru my pit opening, or if it's worth the expense of buying the equipment. I have to dispose of my sludge whether I use a handi clam or ring o matic.
 

Whale of a Wash

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all of my pits were built on an incline, and are quite wide, a five bay holds about 3K gallons, But all can be cleaned with a skid steer, some skid steers work better than others if the bucket will tip back farther, so that it doesn't drop the dirt as you back out, and then can be loaded in a dump truck and taken to landfill. This can be a little messy on the parking lot. The vacuum trucks range from $150-$220 an hour in our area. It looks like a business that is fairly lucrative in out area, as the guys are scheduled 5-10 days out.
 

scout

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Thanks----I was not aware of these alternate methods---next week I will go to the MCA show in schaumburg and ask around their as well---We are in south elgin on rt31 and west on Larkin Ave in Elgin---
Thanks again--
-any other idea,s?
 

ted mcmeekin

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We have a place about 2 miles from wash that will take sludge. A couple years ago we bought a 9x5x3 dump trailer and now rent a small backhoe/front end loader for week end rate of $180. We clean 6 pits (300-600 gal each) in about 5-6 hours. The heavy duty home built trailer (1700) has paid for itself many times over. My son runs hoe and when pit is almost empty he uses clam digger and front end loader to finish up. I drive tow vehicle forward and reverse keyed on his hand signals--while I listening to radio and have a snack--I think that's what sons are for.

We have used septic pumper once in 7 years to pump oil water separator (cylindrical buried tank). They get some carry over sludge and if we are not diligent in keeping pits clean we get more. So we clean pits more frequently than we use to. We clean about every 4 months, but we are in smaller market than most.

Ted
 

BillClinton

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I pay a high school boy $8/hour to dig it out by hand. I have a "catch basin spoon" (shovel with a long handle). My pits are about 4 feet deep.
 

guitarandy

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I pay a high school boy $8/hour to dig it out by hand. I have a "catch basin spoon" (shovel with a long handle). My pits are about 4 feet deep.
Get your pitts cleaned and make a man out of a boy all at the same time. Sounds like a good deal to me.
 

robblackburn

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I have pits that are 45"x60"x60" deep, I get them cleaned and the drains sucked out with a special adapter on the 90 deg. ell turned down.
He hooks the hose on the drain, shuts off the valve and lets the tank vacuum all the way up and then opens it and shuts it several times real quick and it cleans the drain from any mud or sediment it has in the line,,,it pulls so hard it will draw the water out of the floor drains in the equip. room.
I get this done for $75.00 per pit. OH! he hauls it off and dumps it too.

Happy big time with this guy!
Hey robtl - I am in Louisville, Ky and paying more like $400 to get the pits pumped. Does your guy do any work in Louisville? Thx.
 

Baywash

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I have all my pits pumped monthly at a rate of $220 per month. I have two locations with total of nine pits. The trucks show up at their conveniance, pump the pits and drive off with the sludge not to be seen until next month. I was glad to hear from others on this as I had no idea what kind of deal I am getting. Sounds like I better hang on to what I got.
 

Excel

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Pit cleaning price - Georgia

I have two sites one site pits are 2w' x 8' x 4 d - 5 pits 350 once per quarter

other site 2w x 4 x 2 d - 5 pits $210 every 2 months

Excel Auto Wash
 

robtl

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Hey robtl - I am in Louisville, Ky and paying more like $400 to get the pits pumped. Does your guy do any work in Louisville? Thx.
Hey Rob, I believe he will he is just west of Radcliff I think.
His phone no is 270-828-6000, his company name is C&S Pumping, He works at Ft. Knox during the day and has his regular men run the business during the weekday and he does the carwashes on days off and weekend.
Just give him a call and tell him Bob from Leitchfield and Clarkson Washes gave you the no. if you want.

If you need me to call him let me know.
 
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washnvac

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Delaware-- $550 for Six 300 gallon pits. Have to do them about every 3 months.
 

ToFarGone

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Ring-O-Matic...100% worth every penny.

Different sized machines for different sized locations...I have the big one. 25 years old and it looks like hell. It runs like a top and if I ever break something they stock plenty of parts and will ship it right out. Easy to work on.

If it ever quits I will buy another the same day. Can't tell you how much $$$ the old girl has saved me.
 
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