Septic day

[sberry]

I had this apart for a week now, got the materials Friday and have a cold as well as several other jobs and didn't get to setting it till yesterday.
I have 4 major jobs on now and not much ambition, I am going to finish 3 if I can help it by Friday. On the roof one day and in the gutter the next.
I am hoping someone is out there covering it now,,, ha I am going to make a new top. The original design of the outflow was a problem.

 

[Diesel Dan]

Looking good!

Must be nice to have good soil and a less corrupt health department.

We have to have a minimum 2,000 gallon 2 chamber tank for even a 1,000 sq ft, 2 bedroom house.

 

[sberry]

The tank should be larger, its there, I am fixing this and not running laundry water in to the septic. I kind of left this scheme so I could fix it to some extent. The codes are larger, I am calling this a repair that tends to comply. The field is almost big enough and in super perk soil.
The old house has a lot of bedrooms but only a couple used regular which is the thing that would really shoot it out of compliance mainly due to tank size.
I will add another tank if I add laundry room to this.

 

[Jon_E]

Nice tank. Gotta be a few decades old, huh?

Those Infiltrators are slick. No need to bring in outside granular materials.

 

[Randy in Maine]

Nice tank. Gotta be a few decades old, huh?

Those Infiltrators are slick. No need to bring in outside granular materials.

Around here we still like to backfill the infiltrators with a nice sharp (ie not many fines) sand.

 

[sberry]

I was just contemplating digging it in a foot deeper. Mostly for drive over protection and the difference in elevation could come in handy at a future time. The material expense is relatively moderate, could bulldoze the whole thing over later. I was wondering about frost penetration at this depth.

 

[TractorJeff]

Is it 18 inches or more? Hard to tell by the photo.

 

[sberry]

I just went out and looked and am going to leave it alone. It is about 18. I need to figure out some yard art to keep someone from hauling across it with a truck.

 

[sberry]

More pics.

 

[Norcal]

My house still has the original 1957 (It was moved to it's current location in that year) redwood septic tank & leach field, surprised it has lasted that long.

 

[larry4406]

I'm surprised you don't have a distribution box with dial-a-flows to ensure uniform flow to each of the four trenches. I would think that the manifold method you have will tend to load the middle trenches more than the outer ones.

I had these installed on a commercial project and we had the distribution box and also had inspection ports at the beginning and end of the trenches.

 

[sberry]

My guy said to put ports on but I am going to pass. I am going to try to figure out some traffic limiting means here but don't need more to hit and this is an old farm house with 2 occupants. I agree on a commercial would do it differently along with a series of septic tanks.
I did put the t between runs to do some distribution.

 

[Diesel Dan]

In our area you would be forced to replace the tank. That kind of major repair would require an up code system.

When referring to "your guy" on the ports and field coverage, shouldn't that be the health inspector who tells you how to construct the system?

 

[sberry]

One of my Buds is in the business. I forgot to ask ask about permits. I asked about size and a couple design options. I fixed a major flaw in the original design. It needs to be working again, I got other stuff to do.
I didn't have a pile of free field stone as in the past, I would have bulldozed a groove and filled with rocks. Part I should have fixed 20 yrs ago.
I did the drain then with rock and never really fixed part of it.

 

[greenlizard]

I just paid to have this kind of drain field installed. Lots of backhoe work. Mine is fed via a septic tank and pump - so contrary to popular belief, sh!t does roll uphill. Anyway, I was told to never drive over these plastic half pipes as they will not have enough soil support even after years of compaction. The ditches are too wide for a tire to span so the entire weight of a vehicle corner or axle will be on the pipe. My field is considerably larger than yours, probably because my three bedroom house is in a clay soil area with lousy perc results. Your soil looks great.
I'd love to figure out how to permanently mark the no-drive locations with something that's not too ugly. Mine is in the woods, but still.

 

[Randy in Maine]

One of my old clients built a fake cemetery over his expensive leaching field. Little white picket fence. Cute.

 

[sberry]

This sits right in sand and in a lawn. My Bud says as much as drainage is evaporation from these systems.

 

[cactiki]

You might want to look into greywater usage to save from too much water going into your tank. "Some people" run the water from the washing machine , and maybe even the shower, out to the yard to water trees. A lot of people on here would wrinkle their nose at the idea, but if you are either a hippy or a redneck, it's not a bad idea. If done right, it is even legal!!

 

[pstnbly]

The field supply pipes should have been bedded on a compacted base and the infiltrators should have been fed from a level D-box. Settlement is going to occur and play havoc with the system balance. The other way to do it is to daisy-chain the infiltrators in a serpentine fashion eliminating the need for a D-box. Kudos on the outlet filter though.

 

[theoldwizard1]

That is very "interesting" looking field pipe !

... I am fixing this and not running laundry water in to the septic.

Smart ! Where do you discharge the laundry water ? (In summer you could do it on the surface).

 

[theoldwizard1]

I just paid to have this kind of drain field installed. Lots of backhoe work. Mine is fed via a septic tank and pump - so contrary to popular belief, sh!t does roll uphill.

Around here, you need a third chamber just for the pump.

 

[bczygan]

Cool to have your own dozer.

And you don't have to haul in much sand......

 

[joe_padavano]

I installed a new septic field using those plastic chambers about five years ago. Been working great ever since. The manufacturer's specs on the chambers claim they can support a 12,000 lb load when properly backfilled. I'd never try that, but I've driven over it routinely with my 4,000 lb utility tractor with no issue. Gotta mow that field somehow.

 

[dbabicky]

That is very "interesting" looking field pipe !




Smart ! Where do you discharge the laundry water ? (In summer you could do it on the surface).

I live in NE Wisconsin and I discharge my laundry water right on top of the ground all year long. Never have a problem. Been doing it for years.

 

[Diesel Dan]

Never have a problem. Been doing it for years.

Does not make it legal however.
Many states/municipalities consider untreated grey water (sinks, showers, laundry etc) to be waste water. If your cleaning products still contain phosphates then that contributes to surface water contamination, algae blooms etc.

 

[bullnerd]

I tried uses those plastic things for a drywell type deal just for my washer, about 20' long I think, loaded up and stopped working pretty quick. Gravel lasted longer.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Does not make it legal however.
Many states/municipalities consider untreated grey water (sinks, showers, laundry etc) to be waste water. If your cleaning products still contain phosphates then that contributes to surface water contamination, algae blooms etc.

I don't think phosphates have been put in any cleaning products in the US for quite a few years. About the only way you can get phosphate is to buy some powder TSP from Home Depot for exterior cleaning/paint prep.

Charles