I do mine every 3yrs, but it is cheap insurance vs. risking a $50,000 hole that gets dug and then covered up. Several people in my neighborhood got banged like this at the time of sale. Usually not the time for comparative/competitive shopping.
Wish mine was that cheap.. around here its $730 for a 1000gal Aerobic. They "Inspect" the whole system and not just pump it out and leave... Even though if they find an issue they charge you to fix it.
it was $250.00 last year but they said their dump fee went up. They do inspect and make sure it's working properly. mine is a basic system cement tank and leech field no filters or anything else. I have been using the same company a small family owned company since I bought this house in 2007.
The older ones seldom had issuesI guess I lucked out, based on sheer ignorance on this topic.
Back in 1962, my wife's family moved into a new house in the country. Being in the country, it had a septic tank. No idea of size or configuration, but there were 2 adults and 4 kids of varying ages over the years. We (2 adults) moved into the house in 1982. Moved out in 1994 with 2 adults and 2 kids. We knew where the tank was, but never saw it or had anything done to it while we were there. Never had any problems, either, so we must have been doing something right.
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Have to replace it with a new Aerobic system for 10-20k.
My tank is about 75 years old. 2 lids on top. I have to dig down about 3 feet to find the lids. The system works perfectly, touch wood.
Septic systems are wildly variable, as an awful lot depends on local soill and drainage conditions. There are places where you can’t have one, because the drainage is so bad, and others that drain well, with the right soil to keep the drain field from falling.
A strict rule here "human waste and toilet paper only".
Uh, no, unless, of course you mean just simply moving bacteria from one place to another.
www.webmd.com
.Same here. No food wastes of any sort. Why no "powdered detergents"? If laundry, no different than liquids.
I've heard it depends on how dirty one gets and how many are using it.
yup! I had several clogs before this rule was implemented and I had no idea why it kept happening. As explained previusly, dont flush **** wipes.. Least not if your on a septic system
For our Aerobic system we were told human waste and a specific toilet paper, Angel Soft. We were advised to avoid all "quilted" toilet paper as it does not break down as well as Angel Soft. Even states it in the Clear Stream instructions that came with our septic system.
Just rent a mini excavator or tractor loader backhoe and do it yourself. For failing concrete tanks the backhoe/excavator bucket is used to break up the concrete. This concrete can either be left in the hole, or removed.
Our septic contractor and local health department say that the powdered detergents often do not fully dissolve, leaving behind a hard residual crust like deposit that can cause blockages.
If those solids dont drop out in tank, then they are on there way into the voids of the field. A simple detergent change is a painless ounce of prevention. Once the voids close off, it's shovel time or you get your own slip 'n slide 🛝
I assure you this IS ABSOLUTELY true. My kitchen and laundry room are on a 'grey' line. They basically drain out into a rock filled pit in the back yard. When I start getting water sitting on the ground it's time to dig it up and replace the rock cause that crusty residue has plugged it all up. It's about a 4x4 pit 2ft deep. Takes around 10 years to plug up.
This should NOT happen. The 'sludge' drops down. the 'scum' floats. But the outlet to the field has a 'baffle'. The ones I've personally seen were nothing more than a 90 turn down about 12" long. Since the tank is ALWAYS full of liquid the floating 'scum' CAN NOT get into the outlet pipe and out into the field. Only the effluance can,.....as it should.
Im talking about suspended solids in the effluent leaving the tank. Aka..the liquid component.
I don't need a replacement tank, just thinking that adding the filter would be advisable. I am not even certain if it can be added to a 40 year old system. That was the purpose of my asking.
WTF?
Got it. Yes, they can be added on BUT, why would you? If the system is 40 yrs. old and working well - dont mess with it.
Properly sized tanks have slow enough flow that most solid either floats into the scum or sinks below the the outflow height. If the tank is too small, more makes it through. The leech field is probably also undersized, too, so it’s easier to plug up. It’s a pretty common problem for houses that were built as single family, and got turned into a vacation rental with 15 people in it.
Fordguy: Being out in the country, if you can avoid running grey water (soapy water from baths, sinks, washing machine) thru your septic, you may never have to pump the tank. The bacterial action in the tank will disintergrate and nothing to pump. The only reason I had to pump ours is because someone flushed a barbie doll and stopped up the line. Ours was twenty years in use and nothing in the tank but water.
Yes, a filter. It keeps the expensive to replace leach field clear of anything that shouldn't go there. Cheap, effective and easy to maintain. Pop lid, pull filter, hose off, replace. If you don't have one, get one.
www.wholesalesepticsupply.com
Yeah, it seems pretty loosey goosey around here. We're a bit out in the country and most things around us are zoned "AO", for that matter. I called the company that did the work and got the run-around. I think they changed hands shortly after we purchased the property and it has gone down hill for the company. People that signed off on the job quit and went elsewhere. I even tried to hire them to come back out and they wouldn't return my phone calls. Not the type of people I like to do business with, so I have to move on. We haven't had any issues and no calls from inspectors wanting to do a follow up, but maybe that's not something they do in our county, or maybe it was never properly recorded. Who knows, since I can't get any info.
