Digging up my septic so it can be pumped. ARGH!!

[Terrie]

When I dug out the lids to the septic (I did it because I refused to pay for someone to do it for me), I marked it at the fence on the east and the house on the south. Where they met were the lids.

Then after the guy got done pumping, I had a bright idea. I went and got the duck's pond, a preform pond from Home Depot and sat it right on the caps. I backfilled it and never need to look for or dig much for the lids again.

 

[Chefmom]

Wow. I feel lucky. Our septic has a "thing" with a lid. It's a 3-foot around terra cotta looking cement topper with a 2-inch thick cement lid. NO digging, the septic guy just has to lift the lid and there it is. It can be accessed year round too.

Pumping with worth every penny because someone ELSE is dealing with it and telling me how things are going "down there" so that I don't have to!!

I just haven't found a good way to disguise it. It is just off the back patio. No smell, but you get to look at it everyday.

Tami

 

[R2D2]

Oh Wow...4 years and your pumping again...? Must be a whole lot of pooping going on...lol Just kidding Fan, living on an island has a high water table i suppose..
I've been at my place for 21 yrs, haven't had to pump my septic once yet.I do have a metal bar in the ground to locate with metal detector...Good luck...!

 

[Gypsi]

Well, the day I have to have my septic pumped is probably the day I will HAVE to hook up to city sewer. But my corner lot is my drain field, and it is almost pure sand on the back half of it, where the field is. Unless we get a foot of rain a couple of times a week, it doesn't even slow down. I dump some yeast / bacteria stuff in the toilet a couple of times a year, use a biodegradeable dish soap, not much bleach, and rarely even use a grease that would harden. I cook with olive oil or rape oil. And I avoid getting the oil in the drain too, but I'm sure some gets there..

When I rented the house to my daughter, SIL, and their child for 8 months, I got to chip grease out of the point where the kitchen drain line drops off to the main line when I moved back in. Got a darn frisbee looking piece the size of the drain and half an inch thick. But knock wood, that's been my only drain plumbing type problem. And I've been here 10 years. I have had 6 people, including 3 or 4 girls and women, living here at some times. Granted the guys went to the fence corner when the sole room was occupied, but the system has done well.

Nowadays to put in septic, you are supposed to have the pumped and anaerobic system which sells for about $6000 - about the same as connecting to the city sewer, and I'm not sure the city even allows new septic. (they annexed us in 1992) Since they ran sewer line through my front yard, when it goes I guess I connect...

Gypsi

 

[Mattemma]

I just pumped my tanks.Lids above ground.Not pretty,but ornamental grasses take care of it.I think I have 2,250 gallon capacity.My neighbor has not pumped his 50 yo system in 10 years.I guess he is waiting for the fecal to bubble up into our yards before doing anything. I don't let the kids play anywhere near the neighbors yard. A neighbor a few houses down was able to win a case against their neighbor whose septic bubbled up into their yard.

I don't think you should pump as often as the county says,but you should pump before it causes problems for neighbors.Have the system checked every few years.But that is just my opinion as a newbie septic owner.