Septic Maintenance

[Pablo]

So as I mentioned elsewhere I cut all the silly riser protective pipes down to closer to ground level. Much nicer!

The three end clean out pipe caps I inspected my unscrewing. Nothing note worthy. Will back flush in a few days.

For giggles I bought a Rid-X tablets box for monthly treatment and flushed all of them at once. I know, I know.

So then yesterday I decided to backflush. Open the cap with hose ready and there is a a decent amount of CRUD pushed up against one of the cap. Wow, was not there before!! The other two nothing. Was it the Rid-X??

Anyway I back flushed and I figured some stuff must have been washed out of the lines, better or worse, just back into the final receiving tank.

Last night I added a bottle of the Roebic drain line cleaner.

Next year is pump year, but that was fun.

 

[Wireman1987]

my 1st home had septic after round 2 of digging to expose the lid i had a riser installed best coin spent. we used rid-x for the 1st or 2 yrs then went over to the Roebic brand product. this being it https://roebic.com/product/bacterial-treatments/septic-system-products/k-37-septic-tank-treatment/

key is to not overtreat the septic system there are good bugs and bacteria you want to maintain to eat, breakdown and kill the bad.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I just had my tank pumped. It was $466 CDN. $100 to pump it, $66 to dispose of it and $300 for the guy to jump down in the hole and pull the tank hatch cover.

Although I have a map showing the tank, distribution tank, and three legs of the field, I do not have a cross section drawing of the tank. It’s a 600 gallon concrete tank.

A google search on concrete tanks shows the inlet being high in the tank, and having a divider but there was little detail on how the spill-over is configured to make sure just clear water flows to the distribution box. If anyone has a drawing I’d appreciate it.

I avoid “ germ killing” cleaning products. If I use "Mr. Clean" type products I dump the bucket in the "ecology" area in the bush. Once in a while I drop in one of those enzyme packets, however had a septic expert tell me just to crumple up a five dollar bill and flush it rather than buying the stuff.

I avoid putting cooking oils down the kitchen sink and dispose of the stuff from sink drain strainers in the garbage rather than letting it go down the drain.

My tank is down the slope from the house, and does not have a riser. It has a single tank cover. I’ve never had a backup and to be kind I sometimes flush the poo before getting the paper work done.

Any additional knowledge on how these tanks operate would be appreciated.

 

[nwjones18]

My folks just had their tank pumped for the first time.. Was put in in 1975.

 

[Cujet]

I have something like the EF6 effluent filter that protects the drain field from solids. Needs cleaning every few years. Works perfectly.

 

[Pablo]

I have something like the EF6 effluent filter that protects the drain field from solids. Needs cleaning every few years. Works perfectly.

I have that too, except in yellow. Some small stuff always gets through

 

[supton]

Just had ours pumped. Had a rise installed as the tank is 2' down and in sand--I never want to dig it out again. And new town ordinance says it has to be pumped every 3 years, regardless of size (I guess i could pump more often than that?) so in goes the riser.

We try to limit how much paper goes down, and no oils, but otherwise... zero effort given. No treatments. Just pump every few years. This house, the tank doesn't have a filter (really a strainer) on the outlet, so not even that to mess with.

 

[Kira]

My folks just had their tank pumped for the first time.. Was put in in 1975.

Your septic system's health seems to have a lot to do with how careful you are.

One pal had his tank pumped after 20 years and the septic guy said it easily could've gone another 20.

Big yes on keeping harsh chemicals out.
A fellow was arriving early at work to wash paint brushes so he wouldn't poison his tank.
I told him we too had a septic system and over a few weeks and helped him wash his brushes.
That's one way to make a friend.

I wipe out oils and greases from all cooking vessels before washing. I recycle the brown packing paper RockAuto uses for this job.

Also, septic guys have for too long claimed "Just use Scott toilet paper" for me to consider using anything else.
I must say that when an aged aunt came to visit she insisted using thick, fluffy cotton toilet paper and it drove me bat sh...never mind.

Back when the system was used less regularly -with the advice of a septic guy- I'd dissolve a 4/5 lb. bag of sugar and send it down.
I guess it gave the critters a good meal.

 

[loneryder]

I went 15 years before my first pump out. I had no problems but you guys on here scared me into doing it. I don't have any kids in the house, just me. I asked the guy where he disposed of it. He said they had a permit to spread in on farm pastures. Sorry I asked.

 

[loneryder]

So as I mentioned elsewhere I cut all the silly riser protective pipes down to closer to ground level. Much nicer!

The three end clean out pipe caps I inspected my unscrewing. Nothing note worthy. Will back flush in a few days.

For giggles I bought a Rid-X tablets box for monthly treatment and flushed all of them at once. I know, I know.

So then yesterday I decided to backflush. Open the cap with hose ready and there is a a decent amount of CRUD pushed up against one of the cap. Wow, was not there before!! The other two nothing. Was it the Rid-X??

Anyway I back flushed and I figured some stuff must have been washed out of the lines, better or worse, just back into the final receiving tank.

Last night I added a bottle of the Roebic drain line cleaner.

Next year is pump year, but that was fun.

Pablo, since you have retired, you've gotten into all kinds of messes er I mean projects.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

My folks just had their tank pumped for the first time.. Was put in in 1975.

The septic system at my mom's old house hasn't been pumped in 70 or 80 years as far as we can tell

 

[K-Man]

In Virginia, if you live in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, you are required to pump your septic tank every 5 years if you use one. The cities and counties keep track of it if the requirement applies to you. I lived in southern Virginia outside that area and the requirement did not apply. Instead we were in the Albemarle Sound (North Carolina) watershed. We lived there for 15 years and never pumped the tank. I think it probably needed it by the time I moved, though.

 

[RoadDukie]

My folks just had their tank pumped for the first time.. Was put in in 1975.

Did the "pumper" happen to mention the condition of your folks' tank?

 

[nwjones18]

Did the "pumper" happen to mention the condition of your folks' tank?

Apparently it had a solid layer 6-8 in thick they had to bust through before they could pump water into it and get it to a sort of slurry they could pump out.. I'm glad I missed the occasion.. haha

 

[walterjay]

So as I mentioned elsewhere I cut all the silly riser protective pipes down to closer to ground level. Much nicer!

The three end clean out pipe caps I inspected my unscrewing. Nothing note worthy. Will back flush in a few days.

For giggles I bought a Rid-X tablets box for monthly treatment and flushed all of them at once. I know, I know.

So then yesterday I decided to backflush. Open the cap with hose ready and there is a a decent amount of CRUD pushed up against one of the cap. Wow, was not there before!! The other two nothing. Was it the Rid-X??

Anyway I back flushed and I figured some stuff must have been washed out of the lines, better or worse, just back into the final receiving tank.

Last night I added a bottle of the Roebic drain line cleaner.

Next year is pump year, but that was fun.

Don't overload your tank with a massive dose of Rid X or any other enzyme. Have been told that it can create problems breaking stuff up. Use as directed.

 

[Pablo]

Apparently it had a solid layer 6-8 in thick they had to bust through before they could pump water into it and get it to a sort of slurry they could pump out.. I'm glad I missed the occasion.. haha

Slurry? That's a euphemism!

Don't overload your tank with a massive dose of Rid X or any other enzyme. Have been told that it can create problems breaking stuff up. Use as directed.

Directions? I don't need no directions!! Seriously you are correct. I thought the stuff was a joke. But wow it liked what I've been feeding it. Pushed stuff up my pipes. Hoping my system flush calmed down the internal bits.

 

[Donald]

There is always a pro and con to things. I am in an area in Delaware that is close enough to the bay and ocean that I need to have a septic that reduces the nitrogen to prevent algae blooms in the bay and ocean. Mine has an air pump that pumps air into the system for 1 hour then off for an hour, then on for an hour. And gets inspected 2X a year. So I will know exactly when the tank needs pumping. Little chance of sludge getting into the leach field. The inspection service (required by the state) is $300 a year.

 

[repairman54]

My old place had a 1k gallon concrete tank. With only 2 people in the house every 10 yrs. pump out was not a problem, could have gone 15 yrs easily. Scott TP only.
I used Zep septic packs every 3 months in it. Pump guy asked me if I treated it as he didn't have to scrape the tank walls when they pumped it.
My old weekend camp had an unknown tank / system from the '60's. Back then it was 500 gal. steel tanks, 55 gal. drums, even rock cribs or whatever they wanted to bury. Zep packs monthly and Scott camper fast dissolving paper in it kept it functioning for 10 yrs. when I sold the place with a cash no inspection deal.
City folks going from town sewer to septic kill them fast, especially with those ''flushable butt wipes''. I've head a lot of stories. Rule one is if you can't eat it don't flush it.

 

[Pablo]

Grease, baby. Grease.

 

[walterjay]

I pay a yearly septic fee to the State for some kind of Chesapeake Bay restoration charge. I think $100.00 per year.

I am many miles from the bay. My septic has zero effect on the bay.