Need septic tank/drain field help

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: TaterandNoodles
You just had the system pumped out. "I" would let it rest and simply monitor the field to see how the system is draining.


+1. Let it be and see how it goes. I had a scare this past spring. Had a TP and turd overflow situation out the vent in the yard between the house and tank. Immediately made the appointment with the pumper. Dug up the lid up for the pumper and the tank was maybe 75% full? It wound-up being a plug in the U-trap between the house and tank. The pumper fella simply dropped the suction hose down the vent and [insert massive suction noise] whammo! it was clear. It nearly sucked my house in like a crushed pop can! My plumbing has never flowed better. Regardless, I am definitely nervous about when I have to replace the who thing. A 56yr/old system is not too common!

Joel

 

[Jimmy9190]

Thanks guys. The more I read about it and the more I think about it, I believe you are right. I will leave well enough alone and see if there are any further problems with the system. Right now everything is working well, but the tank is also empty for the time being. It's a 900 gallon tank according to Roto Rooter. It will take a while to fill back up again and I agree the best thing I can do is to watch it, see how the plumbing does and take it from there. Right now, it ain't broke so I ain't gonna fix it.

I do appreciate all the help on this. I don't know a lot about plumbing, but I am learning.

 

[Johnny]

You stick your hand down in there and you will know all you care to.

Been there, done that, years ago.

 

[ClarkB]

Is your water source a well?

Even if it isn't, making sure your septic system is working properly insures that the ground water isn't contaminated by fecal gunk, bacteria, etc.

If I saw my neighbor dumping his washing machine water on his yard I would be majorly peeved. Once gunk gets into the ground water it will take decades or centuries for it to be remedied. That "remedy" may involve someone else pumping it up as "clean" ground water.

Clark

 

[Blaze]

Code is at least 100 ft here. I would go even further. I don't even like my cattle and horses around my well area thus they are fenced from that area.

 

[Jimmy9190]

House has city water but no city sewer. No pets or livestock in the yard. My neighbor already drains his washer into the yard too. The other neighbor doesn't care what any of us do. The Roto-Rooter man didn't care about the washer drain either.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: ClarkB

If I saw my neighbor dumping his washing machine water on his yard I would be majorly peeved. Once gunk gets into the ground water it will take decades or centuries for it to be remedied. That "remedy" may involve someone else pumping it up as "clean" ground water.
I wouldn't have a problem with it.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: Jimmy9190
I called a septic tank "professional" this past Tuesday, arranged for them to come out to the house yesterday and I scheduled a day off work so I could be home while they pumped out the septic tank. The operator/secretary/scheduler whatever her title was said they would call me Thursday morning to let me know when to expect them. I gave her my cell phone and home phone numbers and said I would be home all day. Yesterday they had not called me by 9am so I called them back myself. She said she had to check with the manager and called me back 3 minutes later, telling me they could not do the job yesterday, they were backed up due to bad weather earlier this week. She said they could reschedule and come out tomorrow (now today) and offered me a whopping $5.00 discount for the "inconvenience".


That wasn't a professional firm.

When you need a septic system professional, call a septic system professional.

Unfortunately, you still haven't had a professional involved.

A true professional, on the first visit, will be able to evaluate the situation, and be able to recommend a workable solution (or two, if you're lucky). Their experience and knowledge of septic systems will allow them to do this.

Roto-Rooter did not provide that. They're not septic system professionals. They did what nearly anyone would be think about doing (which is to pump the tank). They left you with the problem, still undiagnosed, and still unresolved.

That's not a professional. You've paid Roto-Rooter, and still aren't any closer to resolving the underlying problem.

 

[Cup of Joe]

His only problem to the best of my understanding is a tank that was full. Unless he flushes enough TP to fill the tank in short order he will be fine.

In hind sight he should have pumped it 1 year ago when this 1st came up.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...rue#Post1742742

 

[handyman]

Originally Posted By: Jimmy9190
We do use anti-bacterial hand soap in the kitchen and bathrooms, but our shower soap is non-antibacterial.


Get rid of all anti-bacterial soap.!! Regular soap is ok to use. It's hard to do because most of the hand soaps are anti-bacterial. I believe it's a marketing ploy. It took a long time to teach my wife to not to buy anti-bacterial soap. She would buy it and I would get it and give it away and buy regular soap. It's a whole lot cheaper than a new drain field!

 

[Jimmy9190]

Money was tighter then than it is now. And this is not my house, it is my girlfriend's house. I live there with her and take care of the house and yard now but I didn't buy the house and I am not on the mortgage, I just pay my half of it. When we get married, we will have to get that changed. Both of us being widowed and in our mid-40's, we are in no real rush to the altar.

Last year when the septic started acting up, I could not get her to agree to have it pumped and we could ill afford it anyway. Things are different now, we are doing a little better financially and we have been together longer. It looks like we are stuck with each other permanently now so we agreed to each pay part of the Roto-Rooter bill. We try to be fair with each other and we split all our expenses and bills.

 

[SevenBizzos]

I assume your system is in ground and trenched.

Before you get a replacement system idea started, you can use a pressured water system to clean out each of the lines. You also may want to dig up the boxes to make sure they're not clogged (if you feel like it). Depending on the condition of it, replacing the outlet baffle might be a good idea as well.

If your system isn't surfacing or backing up into the house it's not broken. I've learned that pumpers are not system performance experts.

 

[Cup of Joe]

I wasn't picking at you Jimmy, just illustrating that this was not a sudden catastrophic event that needs immediate attention. On more then 1 occasion some of the recommendations on this board have been pretty over the top when its really a very minor problem.

 

[Jimmy9190]

No offense taken. I will take yours and Joel's advice and just watch the system closely, see how it does. If it needs pumping again it shouldn't be a problem, and maybe then I will have enough time to be able to call out a bona fide septic professional expert to diagnose it.

Thanks for all the help here. I do appreciate it.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: Jimmy9190
No offense taken. I will take yours and Joel's advice and just watch the system closely,

Yea pump now ask questions later. We know it needs pumped. Check to make sure they pump, flush and pump again.

Congrats on the new woman..sounds like things are going well.

 

[rjundi]

See how it goes.

If the solids from your septic tank made it into the leach field it will plug the pipes. What typically happens is it plugs certain area's so other areas get the bulk of leachate(liquid) and fail due to saturation. See how the spring goes and cross your fingers. Lastly if you have well drained soil it may not matter.

The only way of fixing it if broken is tearing out the pipes and replacing. That is true.

No additive is going to work.....

 

[Blaze]

Here is the leech field equip that I installed. The guy that loaded the infiltators on my flatbed actually ran his bobcat-loader up on two side by side to show me how strong they were.
Infiltrator leechfield system

 

[unDummy]

Get a schematic/blueprint from your town/city/county or mortgage company for you system. Research it on the web. You probably have the main tank connected to a junction/distribution box(the 2nd tank that all your pipes connect to). It might be simply clogged between the two. There could also be a vent that might be clogged.

Conserve water as much as possible.

Read:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2132306

In a couple weeks, when you fill the tank back up fully, you'll know more.

I've seen tank aerators extend the life of systems. Its not too late to pick up an air blower, aerator stone, diffuser, or wand.

If you knew about a pending problem from 3 years ago, and only reacted on it now, it could be too late.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: unDummy
Get a schematic/blueprint from your town/city/county or mortgage company for you system.

I seriously doubt you will see something like this unless its a very recent system. And even then..not likely.