What is that smell yuck. I hate this job.

[dex3361]

Been having problems with the septic system. I moved into the house in 87 and had installed a correctly installed system when I built the house. It has a 1000 gallon tank that I had pumped out about 2 years ago. It seems as though the leach be will no longer take the amount of water that we are putting into the system and some of it is coming to the top at the lowest point. I studied whether to replace the entire field or add onto it. I compared prices and decided to add a section of Bio-diffusers onto the system. After digging the leach bed up in a few sections it appeared that the pipe was clear and that it just could take the amount of water.

 

[dave1949]

Do you mean you think it is unable to handle the water volume? That's a tough one. You may have to redo your leach bed and it will probably be to a different code standard than 1987.
Dave.

 

[flyingcow]

Somethings odd..why did you pump 2 yrs ago, any before?. BTW i have a 1000gal tank and have it pumped out about every 4 to 5 yrs since the install. For the area I live, it's the best way to do it. Not that everybody does.

 

[dex3361]

I decided to add on some and give it a try and when I did I made a distribution box to monitor whether the new system was taking the overflow or not. Here is a pic of the add on field before I started.

 

[dex3361]

Somethings odd..why did you pump 2 yrs ago, any before?. BTW i have a 1000gal tank and have it pumped out about every 4 to 5 yrs since the install. For the area I live, it's the best way to do it. Not that everybody does.

2 years ago I had a problem with the downstairs commode not flushing well. I dug up the access lid and checked the tank (it had never been pumped out and it had been for over 20 years). It wasn't full but I decided to pump it out. come to find out the exit pipe had sheared and dropped down enough to let the slightest thing plug the exit to the tank. When all of this was going on I dug up and inspected the field tile in several places and it was clear. My children are using more water and washing more clothes and I suspect the system can't handle as much as it used to. Here is the first step for me was to put in a distribution box(Blue poly barrel) to have someplace to pump the old system from. I diverted the gray water to a field past where I was working.

 

[mrcaptainbob]

1,000 gallon tank is way at the minimum in my area. In fact, my old house had a 1,200 gallon unit and that was allowed only because of it already being there. The codes now require something much larger. Don't know what, but much larger. In my leach field at that old house, the area was heavy clay. I found the leach bed can be rejuvenated with new methods. There's a process whereby the ground around the tiles is charged with highly oxygenated air (I believe...). That is supposed to get the microbes charged up and get them working at a higher rate. I believe it is a sanctioned way to address a tired leach filed. The county agent in your area can give you a lot of help and good advice on this. Mine sure did.

 

[dex3361]

I really have not had a problem with the tank I think the leach bed is a little undersized but was put in according to our county regulations. I do not like having poo problems. Here is the next step in my process of rectifying the leach bed problem it may be overkill but I would rather be safe than sorry. I put the 6 foot tiller on the Kubota and started working on the trenches. Before I started I set up some grade stakes of rebar with a rotary laser.
Then I used the FEL and made a trench in the front of where the ends would start and I didnt want to go to deep as I was afraid that when the soil settled it would settle the pipe with it.

 

[dex3361]

I used the no gravel type of leach field called Bio diffusers and I figured this would be plenty of additional leach field to solve my problem and here are how they lay in the bed.

 

[Don87]

Don't take this wrong, but, several things MUST be understood about septic systems and leech beds.
First and foremost.........Never Ever put anything down the drain that kills bacteria........PERIOD.
This includes, but is not limited to....hand soap, dish detergent, laundry soap, bowl cleaners, chemicals(paint thinner, gasoline, turpentine......anything)......Grease (as in greasy foods), as they solidify in cold water IE: leech beds.
Crush up 1 cake of yeast, and flush it every month(builds bacteria).
Follow the above, and you should be trouble free for years to come.
Hope this helps,

 

[dex3361]

Don't take this wrong, but, several things MUST be understood about septic systems and leech beds.
First and foremost.........Never Ever put anything down the drain that kills bacteria........PERIOD.
This includes, but is not limited to....hand soap, dish detergent, laundry soap, bowl cleaners, chemicals(paint thinner, gasoline, turpentine......anything)......Grease (as in greasy foods), as they solidify in cold water IE: leech beds.
Crush up 1 cake of yeast, and flush it every month(builds bacteria).
Follow the above, and you should be trouble free for years to come.
Hope this helps,

Let me go get my wife maybe she will believe it if she reads what somebody else writes. No seriously I am very particular about what goes down the drain. I use the yeast and sometimes I will use ridx.

 

[Don87]

Let me go get my wife maybe she will believe it if she reads what somebody else writes. No seriously I am very particular about what goes down the drain. I use the yeast and sometimes I will use ridx.

That's a good thing.
As you can tell, I'm **** about mine also. I watched my Father-in-law redo his leech beds twice in 2 years because of the 'grease in the drain' scenario.

 

[20 20]

I used the no gravel type of leach field called Bio diffusers and I figured this would be plenty of additional leach field to solve my problem and here are how they lay in the bed.

We call those envirochambers up here, I also have used them, easy to install and work way better then the ole pipe an gravel method{IMO}. I did not lay my together in one hole thought instead I dug 4 different run offs. :thumbsup:

 

[dex3361]

We call those envirochambers up here, I also have used them, easy to install and work way better then the ole pipe an gravel method{IMO}. I did not lay my together in one hole thought instead I dug 4 different run offs. :thumbsup:

I started to dig separate trenches but I did some research and this is an acceptable method. This way putting 2 runs in a trench allowed me to do the install without bringing in a back hoe.

 

[crusty 1]

Here in Minnesota we now have to use the mound type,where many truck loads of sand are piled up,the trenches in the sand pile are rock.My system is about 6ft. tallx40 ft.long and 20ft. wide.No bleach or grease is to go in the system:thumbsupave

 

[20 20]

I started to dig separate trenches but I did some research and this is an acceptable method. This way putting 2 runs in a trench allowed me to do the install without bringing in a back hoe.

I don't see where it would be an issue??? Maybe in clay or a heavy wet area where the lines would have to be spaced more for better run off/evaporation??

I've had mine in for 13+ yrs and have never had an issue, easy to install plus I have clay soil.

 

[dex3361]

I don't see where it would be an issue??? Maybe in clay or a heavy wet area where the lines would have to be spaced more for better run off/evaporation??

I've had mine in for 13+ yrs and have never had an issue, easy to install plus I have clay soil.

Thats good to hear. I think my leach bed was getting overloaded and I wanted to add onto the old rather than replace it. My soil is gravel and sand. If this turns out to not be enough I can use the distribution box to add more or go to the end of the Bio diffusers and add more.

 

[Car Doc]

hey dex,

that was a great idea using the tiller then fel to build your trenches! I hadn't ever done it but had already decided the next burn pit, pond etc was going to be done that way sure seemed the easiest way to get lots of dirt in the bucket to me and not have to hire someone with bigger equipment!

I like the way it looks good job all over!

Fact I own a property next door to my house where I have my garden plot that needs the whole system done and I may just borrow your idea to double up on turtle traps if they will let me its not real easy to get 300ft of laterals on a 1/2 acre with a house on it.

 

[dex3361]

hey dex,

that was a great idea using the tiller then fel to build your trenches! I hadn't ever done it but had already decided the next burn pit, pond etc was going to be done that way sure seemed the easiest way to get lots of dirt in the bucket to me and not have to hire someone with bigger equipment!

I like the way it looks good job all over!

Fact I own a property next door to my house where I have my garden plot that needs the whole system done and I may just borrow your idea to double up on turtle traps if they will let me its not real easy to get 300ft of laterals on a 1/2 acre with a house on it.

Thanks. The tiller worked very well and I needed it mostly at the layer of crust and then used the FEL with the tooth bar and when I had the proper grade I tilled my way out of the trenches a few times to make sure that the ground was not compacted. Here is a few pics of how I filled in the sides with gravel this was said to make the system less likely to collapse. The gravel was also supposed to increase the perc area of the system. If you didnt use the gravel you had to fill along the sides and then walk it in to compact the soil to prevent the system from collapsing when backfilling.

 

[300UGUY]

Let me go get my wife maybe she will believe it if she reads what somebody else writes. No seriously I am very particular about what goes down the drain. I use the yeast and sometimes I will use ridx.

I don't use yeast. Septic tanks are anaerobic - very little oxygen to support a yeast culture. Pumping at least every 5 years is a good idea. My system was installed in 1974 and it has a 1,500 gallon tank.

 

[dex3361]

I don't use yeast. Septic tanks are anaerobic - very little oxygen to support a yeast culture. Pumping at least every 5 years is a good idea. My system was installed in 1974 and it has a 1,500 gallon tank.

What do you think of Ridx or other additives? I put re-bar at end points of the system so I could locate the critical places later. I did that with the first Leach field and it was great to be able to locate what you wanted with a metal detector. I did the back fill and of course the Jack Russel Terrier had to supervise the whole project. He (the dog) is a tough one to work for. I had to fashion a lid for the home made distribution box. I cut the top off of another barrel and heated it up and stretched it a little to slip over the lower section. Seems to be working well so far. The finish grading and reseeding will have to wait till we have a few good rains to settle the soil.