Cabin Fever, you saved me a lot of typing!
I agree 100% with you. You are obviously speaking from expertise.
It is better to pump it out more frequently than needed rather than too few times. Once your leachate field is plugged and needs replacing, your wallet is what will drain! You will wish you had spent a little on pumping then.
To those who are required by law to do it, in some areas of the country due to soil conditions (usually sandy soil or a layer of permeable sand and rock below the top- and sub-soil levels), annual pumping is required to ensure prevention of drain field contamination. The reason is, if the fields get contaminated, bacteria can drain directly into groundwater and form a plume, which could be a health hazard in well water and groundwater sources.
To the OP, if you just moved there, pump it out. You'll know two things: 1.) It is empty. 2.) If you ask the guy pumping, you'll know the approximate size of the tank. Then use Cabin Fever's chart.
It is possible to rarely catch a whiff of sewer gas out of the septic tank that has vented from your roof vent. In fact, doing so can be taken as a sign your venting system is working properly. But you should never smell sewer smell around the tank or fields. That's a bad sign.
