Septic system questions

[TanksHill]

Ok pat I see your point. Preventive medicine.


FD your box was redwood? Goes to show that stuff last forever.

My tank is 15000 gallons and concrete.

The things they require nowadays, Jeesh.

g

 

[FarmerDenise]

Ok pat I see your point. Preventive medicine.


FD your box was redwood? Goes to show that stuff last forever.

My tank is 15000 gallons and concrete.

The things they require nowadays, Jeesh.

g

Yup, the whole box was redwood. It did start rotting on one side, where it was exposed to constant wet clay soil in the winters. If it was't for those darn rats chewing into the redwood and letting the dirt fall in, I wouldn't have had any sediment in the bottom. When the guy pumped it, he was amazed the the only sludge he got up was dirt sludge. I could easily have replaced the upper board of that tank and had it last for many, many more years. But the city wanted their money out of me, so they forced me into hooking up. No I have the priveledge of paying their sewer fees every month. What used to be a $20 bill for water only is now a $60 bill

 

[lorihadams]

Well...our old house that we are selling is 10 yrs old and we never had a problem with it but the new owners want it pumped in order to complete the sale. My real estate gal says that every 10 yrs or so is the standard around her in her experience.

We just had to install a ridiculously large septic system in the new house. TWO tanks for a 3br 2 ba house. County code now requires 2 tanks. No wonder it cost us so much to put it in....

We also use Scott naturals toilet paper (made from partly recycled products) and I am switching to the diva cup so that the tampon thing is no longer an issue.

 

[newmochick]

To avoid looking for the lid the next time you want to pump your tank, ask the septic person that you want a lid extender. It is a hard plastic cyclinder that the fits onto the opening of the tank on one end and the lid on the other. It is a tight enough seal that no odors won't seep out. It can level it off in the ground so you can mow over it. Once this is installed, they can pump it regardless of the weather.

You should have a lay out of your building lot that should show where the tank is. Ask your county/city health department? they should have records since it would have been inspected prior to the house being occupied. Tell them you are looking at doing some landscaping and want to make sure you don't find it accidently.

I pumped ours everywhere we have lived with one every 3 years regardless if it was full or not. It was a much small price to pay then having to replace the leach field.

 

[dacjohns]

Septic tanks are pumped to remove the accumulation of solids. The only way your tank won't have solids is if you don't put solids in it. As pat said, solids will mess up your leach field. It a tank hasn't been pumped then it is most likely full of solids.

Valid studies show that septic tank enhancers don't do anything.

Yes, the things you have to go through. Think about it. Your system fails and all that stuff escapes your yard and goes into your neighbor's yard. Or your system fails and your kids start playing in that stuff. It's about health and safety, not government getting into your business.

 

[patandchickens]

To avoid looking for the lid the next time you want to pump your tank, ask the septic person that you want a lid extender.

I can't tell you how tempted I've been by this, but I am afraid of it causing the system to freeze during cold winters. You know what though, your mentioning this has reminded me that I really ought to ask the septic-pumping guy (who I really ought to have had out a year or two ago and this spring I have GOT to do it) whether there are any insulated ones appropriate for this climate. There wasn't anything he recommended 8 years ago but by now there certainly might be. Thank you for putting this back on my mental radar

You should have a lay out of your building lot that should show where the tank is. Ask your county/city health department? they should have records since it would have been inspected prior to the house being occupied.

Unless they don't. Ours doesn't, at least not for our 1972-built house (I think they said they only started requiring exact records in the late 80s). It is very very annoying not to be sure where the edges of the leachfield are.

Pat

 

[FarmerChick]

septic lid was buried
when I had a backup I called and for $75 bucks they dug out the lid, placed a new cement lid above ground for easy access later....best thing I ever did...lol

so when I had a problem again, all the guys said to put fresh horse manure down the hole when they pumped. Did it work, I don't know for sure but problems were VERY few and far between when I did dump 2-3 buckets of my horses' manure down there.

I like every 4-5 years to do a clean out...well worth the cost to prevent problems that might happen.

everyone's usage is different etc....but for me, ge'her cleaned out is a good thing

 

[i_am2bz]

Dang, ya'll, I'm more confused than when I first started the thread! I don't know if I should get a pump out here first thing Monday morning or wait another 10-20 years!

I have a vague idea of where the cover is, cuz I saw it before we put down topsoil for the grass. Looked yesterday & didn't see any black pipe, however, so it must've been buried (?). I could probably get it to within 10 feet or so. :/

Definitely know where the leachfield is, however, cuz the county health inspector had to come out & mark it before we built our deck. Couldn't be within 5' of the leachfield.

I, personally, haven't put TP (or anything like that) in the system since the Great Drought of 2008. I use a covered waste can.

Maybe I'll have DH call around for estimates, just to get an idea of cost. Funny, I don't remember EVER seeing anyone in the neighborhood being pumped out since we lived here.