Septic System

[Stevie-Ray]

Personally, I appreciate the thread, because I am new to septic systems also. Have had municipal water and sewage all my life, until 3 years ago when I bought this place. I am having no problems, but see that I am probably due for a pump-out, it having never been done. I use Rid-X religiously, ever since buying, there have been a few wipes down the system, but none since probably over 2 years ago, when I figured they weren't good for the system. Nothing but organic material and Angel-Soft TP, since. Just the two of us, never more than one load of wash at a time, 3 showers over two days.

 

[flyingw]

Well, the septic guys were here today doing exploratory digging and what they found was not good. Basically the header pipe coming out of the tank and all three laterals were wet meaning they are getting water out of the tank. The problem they found was the black muck in the soil surrounding the lateral lines. This means the soil is causing the problem. Its not allowing the water in the lateral lines out of the pipes and in to the soil as its supposed to. My soil is very sandy and I would have thought this would have been a good medium for a septic system. The experts said the opposite is true. Their suggestion is to either switch my system over to an aerobic system which they are not fans of or add 250 feet of lateral. I'm waiting on a quote but I'm leaning toward adding the extra laterals.

 

[Diesel Dan]

IF we can install a traditional leach field there must be two separate drain fields. For example each field will have 3 laterals with 100-150' runs. There is a splitter box accessible from the ground where we put an elbow over one inlet to a field. We switch the elbow every 6 months so the unused field "rests" and the bio-mat dries up.

Could you possibly tie in another field and a splitter box to allow the original field to rest?

 

[flyingw]

Sims mentioned the same thing in a PM this morning. I will discuss that with the septic guys.

 

[Clik]

Sandy soil drains fast. Which is good. The drawback is that it doesn't treat the effluent very well because it can run straight through to the water table. Health inspectors may frown on that. So, might you if you are on a shallow well.

 

[zchrisz]

i'm sorry did i miss something? if your house was built in 2002 isn't some sort of soil test needed to install a septic system?

150' runs x 3 pipes? geez that's what's required these days?

when i bought my house 4 years ago it has a brand new 1450 gallon plastic tank with 2 sides, no solids can get out of the outlet, there is a filter, my leach field consists of a cement container with 2 55 gallon drums and 3 pipes out, i don't have any issues with it at all, i don't have sandy soil.

 

[AP514]

Well If you got to go with Aerobic system I have been on 1 for 12 years now here in Texas....works well..for me (Clear stream). I had it pumped about 1 year ago for first time. a new system would be a last resort IMO

 

[KANSASBOY]

I feel your pain had to replace my lateral last year. Same thing i have sandy soil too when we dug down we found that they had not set pipe in a rock base . a the sandy soil around the pipe was as hard a rock not letting it drain . My septic person said if the had set in rock he would not be he right now . i whet back with this type of system http://www.menards.com/main/plumbin...nks/bio-2-septic-chamber/p-1461833-c-8597.htm now I'm ready to add septic air pump this spring http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trk...C1.A0&_nkw=septic+air+pump&_sacat=0&_from=R40 (PS my place is only 12 year old)

 

[brownbagg]

my septic system called for 1000 gallon tank and 350 feet of line, i had them put in 1500 gallon tank and 750 feet of line. my whole front yard is system. haven't had a problem since new

 

[Mattlt]

They make flushable wipes that are designed to breakdown faster.

This. There is a difference in baby wipes and flushable wipes. Put each in a jar of water and see how they break down differently.

I seems to remember seeing a recipe years ago for making your own baby wipes using standard paper towels. You cut the roll in half and store it in some kind of Tupperware container. Maybe you could make your own using an easily broken-down brand of paper towels? Again, test several brands in a jar of water to see which break down the fastest.

 

[Travis28715]

Another cheap alternative to the snake oil is cheap old bread yeast.

 

[101mph]

Another cheap alternative to the snake oil is cheap old bread yeast.

Sorry to **** in here (don't want to hi-jack the thread), but does bread yeast really work as good as Rid X for the septic?

 

[malibu101]

Sorry to **** in here (don't want to hi-jack the thread), but does bread yeast really work as good as Rid X for the septic?

I've never had a septic system, only city sewers.

An old plumber I used to work with used to say that throwing a roadkill possum, raccoon, or other rotten carcass in the tank once in awhile helped to add bactiria that helped the system break stuff down.

I don't know. Maybe just an urban legend.

 

[Steroblan]

Are your nearest neighbors having any similar problems? What is the perk rate in your area during the winter? Dig a hole near the leach field and see if you hit water or saturated soil at or below the leach pipe level. I would seek expert advise before digging up the leach field. Does your property slope? I bought a house on slightly sloped ground with a new septic system. The hoe operator dug the same depth as he dug the leach trenches so when the leach pipes were laid they were at the same slope of the land and so all the waste water ran to the bottom of the leach lines and it caused the field to back up often during the winter not allowing full use of the lines all the time.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

I've never had a septic system, only city sewers.

An old plumber I used to work with used to say that throwing a roadkill possum, raccoon, or other rotten carcass in the tank once in awhile helped to add bactiria that helped the system break stuff down.

Could very well be. My excavator told me he used to put septic systems in. Some of the guys he worked with said they used to put a whole chicken in the tank once a year to promote bacteria growth.

 

[Pluribus]

Additive advice I heard from a septic pro was to use baking soda if you absolutely feel like you have to add something to your septic system. It's cheap. It won't do anything whatsoever to improve performance, other than make people who feel like they need to do something feel better, but it won't hurt anything either.

 

[hobie16]

$1,100 money back guarantee. Worked for us and our soil is pure sand. Installed in September 2013 and no issues since. Three females in the family so lots of usage.

Check this site out, it's at least worth the read:

http://www.aero-stream.com

 

[Clik]

Additives are a waste of money. Think about it this way. If you think there's no bacteria in your tank would you stick your hand in it after cutting yourself?

Your body does an excellent job of breaking food down with mostly friendly bacteria and enzymes. You add the best additive after a morning cup of coffee and a dump.

Don't fall for additives that can be everything from leaf compost to saw dust. What a racket!

 

[Clik]

There are aerobic bacteria and anerobic bacteria (one is with O2 and one without). A properly working system uses both types. The tank provides treatment with bacteria that digest without O2 and the leachfield provides O2 for further digestion by bacteria that like O2. An aero gizmo might help an abused system recover over some time to some extent but it won't fix a saturated drain field or a highwater table. If your convinced you need an aero gizmo you can save alot of $ by hanging a pump in the outfall side of the tank, put it on a timer and let it churn for an hour every day.

 

[Sims5]

Agree with Clik. Additives are a gimmick and a waste. Companies use rice flakes or some other type of filler product and sell it as bacteria. Yeast is only food for bacteria that is already present. Adding a dead animal just makes me laugh every time I hear someone recommend it. Crazy!

 

[TractorJeff]

Facts:
Chicken Feathers/Hair do not digest!
Bones do not digest either!
Dump all the dead animals in there you want but be sure their bodies are in a sack so you can pull the non-digestables out in a month or so!
Actually my system worked fine for a long time, all the laterals were getting equal water.
Then one time the system got overwatered, some sludge/hair ball plugged my out line.
I had it pumped a couple of times to verify it wasn't over watered field. I ran a 100 foot snake through till I hit the tank. System has been working fine since! Last yeaar when we had the drought, all the grass died on the discharge field, figured it is a good sign meaning the water is leaching down not coming up in the yard.

 

[Kuzineddie]

Hey flyingW did you make a decision on repair/replacement? Just wondering.

 

[volleyball]

I found a crushed dist box and clogged laterals. One was completely dry. Also a broken outlet diverter. The contractor that did the system did nothing to keep dirt out of the gravel. So a useless system
I found these igloo type laterals that come in 6' sections. They hold 50 gal per section so they handle the infrequent holiday dinners onslaught.
It wasn't until I saw a wet spot in the yard when the ground had been dry for a week that I knew I had a problem.
It is way cheaper to pump out a system that wait until there is a problem. Just like changing your oil before the engine seizes.
I figure I have 20 years but will pump at 10 to see how well it is doing. It also helps if you don't have a germaphobe who uses a lot of bleach in the house.

 

[LifeLongWNYer]

The leach lines should take care of the liquids, and the bacteria in the tank should take care of the solids.

My Mom and Dad bought my house in 1954, and the system works perfectly and has never been pumped, at the least not since '54. It used to take care of the 4 in the family, but now there are just 2.

For several decades, my Dad would dump a 5 gal bucket of manure down the bathroom throne twice a year. I don't remember if it came from horses of cows, but Dad always said one was good, the other bad. In any event, that hasn't been done since 1986 and things are still percolating along....


.

 

[volleyball]

54? Is it a septic tank or a cesspool? From that period, the cesspool is more likely.

 

[flyingw]

What's the difference?

 

[Bobdog]

I recently had my five year old system pumped for the first time.

Good thing I did, apparently they put a filter in the outlet pipe now that needs to be pulled and cleaned at least annually. Mine was plugged solid. Never would have known it was there, the old system didn't have one.

 

[Bobdog]

What's the difference?

Cesspool is basically a 15-20' hole in the ground, lined with block and the drain enters at the top.

They are mostly illegal now (here anyway).

Septic system has a holding tank for solids to drop out of solution and break down and a leach field with distribution piping to discharge the liquids.

 

[LifeLongWNYer]

Sorry.... posted in wrong place, should be AFTER next post!


Good question, ( septic tank or cesspool ) but I don't have a clue. It's never been touched, other than the buckets of manure that Dad tossed into it.

Another strange thing is that when we have a lot ( I mean a LOT ) of rain, or warm winter weather which melts a lot of snow fast, the tank and the surrounding area is under water for a couple of days. ( That only happens once a year, or so ) Even then, it works as it is supposed to!

I suppose that since I bragged about it, it will "**** out" next week!


.

 

[volleyball]

Maybe you are over a cave, and it is filling up.

 

[bmxdad]

So what happened with this? Ever get an answer of what's wrong?

 

[flyingw]

The exploratory digging the septic guys did concluded that I have bio-matt around the leech field pipes. Since the weather has turned hot now, my septic system is functioning better than it was in the Winter but its not 100 percent so my wife and I have are being very careful with our water usage until we can have the aerobic system installed later this year.

 

[InPrimer]

This is more for info... Had a septic system of many years, finally had to replace the entire system. asking around (doing my homework)I got the name of the septic guy with the best of references. He was very knowledgeable and installed a new sys with over 500 feet of leach bed( 5 -100ft runs,} the sys still works (i know the new owner} I can suggest to anyone who needs septic work , Take several pictures of the new system while being installed, use some reference points such as a fence post , corner of a house etc where the pipe goes into the tank, and where the distribution box is located, I also used the top of a 55 gal drum buried about 3 inches deep for easy location. The old farmer near me told me the best way to restart a septic system is a few shovelfuls of horse manure,( those old timers are the best), I hope this can help someone

 

[mtmgtz]

The exploratory digging the septic guys did concluded that I have bio-matt around the leech field pipes. Since the weather has turned hot now, my septic system is functioning better than it was in the Winter but its not 100 percent so my wife and I have are being very careful with our water usage until we can have the aerobic system installed later this year.

So you're definitely living by the old adage "if it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown flush it down." Or are you letting the brown mellow as well?

 

[steve308]

I just got done having my system repaired. (I hope) The short story is my distribution tank had collapsed and all the fluid was running down the three lower lines one of which exploded. The contractor has left a number of open holes with pvc pipes inserted so we can check to see if the lines "dry out". So far 2 of the three have dried out and the standing water level on the lowest line has diminished by 2/3 on the 'dip stick'. I also installed a grey water holding tank for my washer and kitchen sink dishwasher drain and I can combine it with my rainwater barrels via a pump (after I run it thru a couple of filters and use it on the lawn and garden. Hoping for the best. Oh- repair and bury a thousand gallon tank - $3,400.00

 

[atty5420]

....you might want to put some yeast or a dead chicken in the tank to start it working.
Jay D

I would certainly think this would be far more preferable than a "live" chicken.

 

[58Yeoman]

I would certainly think this would be far more preferable than a "live" chicken.

NOW you tell me to use a dead chicken. I had a helluva time getting that damn live chicken down the toilet...