We have an old farm house that has a detached garage. The down spout tile for the garage dumps into the same tile as the septic. As a result we get sewer gas that comes up this tile and is making the down spout rust heavily. The area behind the garage sits low and i got two loads of top soil I am going to spread out and level up behind it in the next week or so. Before I do this could i dig the tile up just before the garage and put a "trap" in the tile similar to a sink? It is probably a 3" or 4" tile.
plumbing/down spout question
- Thread starter alex2929
- Start date
vekster
Well-known member
why the heck do your down spouts drain into your septic?
That just seems crazy to me.
That just seems crazy to me.
BillK
Well-known member
That doesn't sound right at all. The downspouts should not be connected to the septic in any way at all.
tinmanwpk
Well-known member
Why not just dump the downspout water right where is exits at the bottom of the downspout? Or run it out ten or twenty feet via pvc?
wssix99
Well-known member
What is your downspout made of that it's rusting?
There are special attachments made for this: https://www.fernco.com/products/water-management/downspout-connectors
You attach the downspout to the underground pipe and no need for a trap. (That will just cause you problems... The gasses still vent - but at roof level with all your other plumbing vents, which are also venting your raw septic gasses.
There are special attachments made for this: https://www.fernco.com/products/water-management/downspout-connectors
You attach the downspout to the underground pipe and no need for a trap. (That will just cause you problems... The gasses still vent - but at roof level with all your other plumbing vents, which are also venting your raw septic gasses.
csp
Well-known member
If he was avoiding the tank there wouldn't be any sewer gas.
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm not sure that's a good idea, running the rain water into the leach field. a heavy rain can flood the leach field and backflow into the septic tank? in any event it could saturate the leach field making it less effective for draining the septic.
matt_i
Well-known member
Im in agreement with either pour the water out on top of the grade and let it go gradually downhill OR build its own dry well to capture the runoff.
I'd get it away from the drainfield despite "we've been doing it this way for a long time".
I'd get it away from the drainfield despite "we've been doing it this way for a long time".
In the old days there was no leach field. After the septic tank it was often just tied into a field tile that would daylight into a ditch or waterway. Sounds like this is what the OP has. In Iowa you have to replace it if the property changes ownership.
I can't really think of any issue with running the downspouts into this system so long as it can handle the water. If you get some sewer gas a 4" trap would fix it. If you get frost that would be an issue since the trap will hold water.
I can't really think of any issue with running the downspouts into this system so long as it can handle the water. If you get some sewer gas a 4" trap would fix it. If you get frost that would be an issue since the trap will hold water.
csp
Well-known member
I guess it would depend on the septic method/type. There's no discernable gas that is in the water that goes to my field. It doesn't have an odor at all.
Either way, I'd definitely stop putting downspout water into my field.
wssix99
Well-known member
I'm having amusing visions of poop geysers shooting backwards through the downspouts up onto the roof. I'm sure (I trust/I hope) the designers of this system have thought of that and put in some sort of relief.