Septic Tank Cleaning in Bacolod: My ₱18K Lesson

Owning a foreclosed property is like inheriting someone else’s unfinished story. Sometimes it’s charming. Sometimes it smells.

We bought our Gardenville house about a year ago. It had been foreclosed for quite some time before that, which means whatever was left inside the septic tank had been sitting there… fermenting… contemplating life choices.

Recently, I started noticing an occasional bad odor coming from the bathroom. Not dramatic. Not horror-movie level. Just enough to make you pause mid-toothbrush and think, “Hmm. That’s suspicious.”

So I contacted Chel Plumbing Service for a standard siphoning job. Quoted price: ₱7,000.
That sounded reasonable. Adulting level: manageable.

The Plot Twist

To their credit, the company was very responsive and sent their Bacolod team early here in my house. I love punctual people. It makes me feel like we’re all serious adults handling serious septic matters.

After inspecting the tank, the team informed us that the waste had “thickened” and that a proper cleaning was required. That meant sending someone down into the tank.

Additional cost: ₱12,000. Total: ₱19,000.

Excuse me?

I was mentally prepared for ₱7,000. Not “almost twenty thousand pesos before breakfast.”

They said the price was negotiable. So I did what any financially wounded homeowner would do — I negotiated it down to ₱18,000. One thousand pesos saved. I felt victorious for about five minutes.

The Speed of It All

They sent someone down. A few minutes later, they were done.

My husband casually asked why they didn’t go down the other partition of our septic tank. Apparently, we have a two-chamber tank (which I only learned because of this entire saga).

Their response:
The other side only had water.
They “only siphon waste.”

Hmm.

I’m not a septic engineer. But I am someone with WiFi.

The Google Spiral

After they left, I did what any millennial homeowner does when something feels slightly off:

I Googled.

From what I found, when doing a proper septic tank cleaning — especially for a two-partition system — both chambers are typically emptied. Not just the “poop side.” The water chamber is part of the system and is supposed to be cleared during a full service.

So now I’m confused.

When I raised this concern with their customer service, I was told their truck was already full. According to them, that’s why they didn’t suction the second chamber.

Except… from where we were standing, the truck didn’t look full.

Now, I’m not saying they were wrong. I’m also not saying I suddenly hold a doctorate in Septic Tank Studies. I’m just saying the explanations didn’t quite line up with what I later learned.

What I Appreciated

To be fair:

• They were responsive.
• They arrived early.
• They were efficient.
• They were open to negotiation.

Those things matter.

What Didn’t Sit Right

If I’m paying ₱18,000 for a “proper cleaning,” I expect proper to mean complete. Especially when we’re talking about a system that literally handles waste.

Clarity is everything. If there are industry standards about only siphoning certain chambers, that should be explained clearly before the job is done — not after the truck leaves.

Lessons From My Septic Era

1. Ask exactly what “proper cleaning” includes.
2. Confirm if both partitions will be emptied.
3. Don’t let the word “thickened” emotionally pressure you into quick decisions.
4. Always Google after. Or better yet, Google before.

Homeownership is truly a character-building experience. One minute you’re picking curtains. The next minute you’re negotiating septic tank strategy like you’re in a corporate boardroom.

Would I call Chel Plumbing Service again? I honestly don’t know yet. But I do know that next time, I’ll be asking a lot more questions before anyone climbs into anything.

Adulting is expensive. And apparently, so is poop.