What do septic tank risers do?

[Hobby_Man22]

How come some lids are like 2ft underground and mine is right at the surface and allows ground water in? I doubt that concrete lid has a seal and I know the little one in the middle isn't sealed.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

The only thing I can think of is removing the concrete lid and putting one of those risers on.

 

[mike93lx]

I have a riser to give easy access for pumping. My system is 50 years old and needs to be pumped annually, so I didn’t want to trash the yard every year.

I can't imagine a little surface runoff would cause a problem considering that they are designed for a substantial amount of water to flow through every day

 

[Sumboodie]

My risers are about 7ft. Tank bottom is about 12ft from ground level.

They were like 3-4ft above ground, but I cut them down and put in zone valve boxes. 2 at the house for cleanouts, 2 for the tank and 2 for the leach field.

 

[doctordirt]

Riser should be sealed to tank surface with butyl rubber, and when installed correctly be slightly above grade so rain water does not enter tank. In my area it is code to install riser to allow cleaning outlet filter, inspection and pumping. A lot easier to service in the winter when you have a foot or 2 of frost

 

[jahn]

My tank is about 2 feet down, so I added a riser so I don't have to dig up every 2-3 years. I have mulch and a flowerpot over the cover. Makes it easy.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

Well I get 3 inches of water over the lid on a hard rain and the toilet quits flushing. I guess if the lid is burried a foot deep or so then it probably doesn't matter, but when you see actual water over the lid then obviously it flooded the tank out.

 

[larry4406]

Man way access for maintenance as pointed out. They and lid should be sealed to preclude surface water from entering.

Risers come in fixed heights, typically 12”, 24”, 36”, etc. Thus the amount you see above grade will vary from site to site based on the topography and riser heights actually purchased.

 

[JWVUMR81]

Increase the height of your riser and grade soil or what ever to drain away from the riser. I have mine just elevated and graded away for it. No issues.

 

[nadogail]

Their purpose is to provide a means of access to the tank without the necessity of digging holes in the lawn that covers the tank.

 

[Innovate1]

I recently had my tank pumped. The tank top is about 4' below ground due to the slope of the ground. The guys who did the job probed for the tank location and made short work of finding the tank cover. But they said I should have a riser and actually said they wouldn't charge extra for the extra digging if I agreed to put a riser on it to about a foot below the surface. I thought about bringing it up to ground level but since it is years between pumping I put it below ground. The tank has a concrete plug without a seal - just a tapered plug that fits into a tapered hole with a loop of rebar out the top to catch with a hook. I used a length of 6" corrugated drain pipe as a riser and put a thin concrete paver on top, then covered with dirt. It isn't sealed but is as water tight as the original was with just the concrete plug which is still in place with the riser. I have seen some risers that come above ground but they are unsightly, IMHO. If you have more serious water issues I suppose they may need to be sealed.

 

[Showkey]

Well and septic often go together.

Not overstate the obvious.........but.........if the tank is flooded, the water around the tank is sewage contaminated. The leach field is suppose to isolate the sewage water.
Sounds like clay soils.

Do you drink the well water ?
How far is the well head from the septic ?
Has the well been tested ?
How deep is the well ?

 

[Hobby_Man22]

Code calls for the septic to be 100ft away. I'd say it's atleast that far maybe more.

 

[Randy in Maine]

Depending on the type of tank you have (and most of the newer ones are 2 compartment tanks since they work better) I would suggest installing risers that are water tight. All compartments should be pumped when you do it.

 

[finn]

The local health department now requires new installations to be set up with a riser to make servicing easier and more likely to happen. Many people, including me, tend to delay scheduling a pump event

 

[Randy in Maine]

If I might add...make sure you measure the new tanks pumping locations from at least 2 known points (like corners of a building) so if you have to do some digging at some point you will know EXACTLY where to dig.

 

[Showkey]

The local health department now requires new installations to be set up with a riser to make servicing easier and more likely to happen. Many people, including me, tend to delay scheduling a pump event

Agree.....our area ( county) requires mandatory pumping every three years.
Pumping is $200-$250.

 

[reader2580]

I have risers on my septic tank with loose concrete lids on them. No issues with ground water or rain water getting in that I am aware of. Septic tanks are buried below the frost line. State law requires pumping every three years.

 

[mike93lx]

Really interesting to hear about required pumping intervals. That is not something that we have hear (as far as I know). I Pump annually as preventative maintenance though. $230 for my 1000 gal tank

 

[Randy in Maine]

Generally you pump when the solids and floaters displace about 1/3 of the tank's liquid capacity. Generally, in a "normal house" (whatever that is) that should be about every 3 years.

 

[mike93lx]

Generally you pump when the solids and floaters displace about 1/3 of the tank's liquid capacity. Generally, in a "normal house" (whatever that is) that should be about every 3 years.

I bet most people pump when it is a problem.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

My parents tank is about 8ft deep. I remember digging to it when I was young (40 some years ago). We then installed risers that are only about 6" deep.
Saves a lot of digging.

 

[nafterclifen]

Septic Checker - http://www.septicchecker.com

Without actually measuring, there is no magical formula to precisely determine when your septic tank needs to be pumped. There are too many factors/variables (i.e. tank size, usage, bacteria, etc). So I bought the Septic Checker and check mine every 2 years. I don't like spending money unnecessarily. Had I been pumping my tank every 3-5 years or whatever they suggest, I would have been out over $600. Yes, I paid over $100 for the Septic Checker but spending $100 already has and will continue to save me money.

 

[snopro753]

Septic Checker - http://www.septicchecker.com

Without actually measuring, there is no magical formula to precisely determine when your septic tank needs to be pumped. There are too many factors/variables (i.e. tank size, usage, bacteria, etc). So I bought the Septic Checker and check mine every 2 years. I don't like spending money unnecessarily. Had I been pumping my tank every 3-5 years or whatever they suggest, I would have been out over $600. Yes, I paid over $100 for the Septic Checker but spending $100 already has and will continue to save me money.

Thanks for posting. I'm intrigued now.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

My parents tank is about 8ft deep. I remember digging to it when I was young (40 some years ago). We then installed risers that are only about 6" deep.
Saves a lot of digging.

I guess being buried in the ground is different than right at ground level where the actual water can just flow right in.

 

[yeldogt]

Most places are moving to the mandatory 3 year pump cycle ... Actually when I checked with my pumper he said my new tank would be less money. They only pump the first chamber and since it's a new tank and risers .... they know what to expect.

The pumping of second is on inspection --- or if they see something odd in the main chamber when they pump. You can obviously have it done regardless.

My guy said plan on doing it at year six and see what's up. My system is old ... so I will spend the $100 and have the second done anyway.

My tank is near a driveway -- so it's a concrete type. They are huge