septic field frozen

[v8only]

I currently have grass on the mound so yes, I asked my builder about the Styrofoam and he said Styrofoam wouldn't hurt insulation wise but it might not be good for the breathing of the mound as it might trap moisture, hmm i guess more bales is really my only solution?

 

[doxford jim]

I don't think you appreciate how cold it gets in Manitoba in the winter.. It's -20C or worse every night for 2 months at least. And then in March it flips almost overnight to +30C.

Tim,

Where I live we get -35C quite frequently during the winter. Mind you this year has only seen -30C for which we are thankful. Actually -40C is the coldest I have been in since living in the northern central BC (very close to Prince Goerge).

 

[doxford jim]

I currently have grass on the mound so yes, I asked my builder about the Styrofoam and he said Styrofoam wouldn't hurt insulation wise but it might not be good for the breathing of the mound as it might trap moisture, hmm i guess more bales is really my only solution?

I think you will find that the septic mound relies on evaporation as much as soaking/draining away. The septic mound as I understand it, is used for very heavy clay soils where a large amount of sand, gravel and earth are introduced to make the mound. I believe in my case, there was something like twenty dump truck and trailer loads used to make my mound. I am guessing on the total number but is around 20.
Because my soil had a very high clay content I was able to go with the septic lagoon (approx. 60' x 100' x 6'deep). It works well and should have been much cheaper to install (very long story, three years to sort out and court case !!).

Straw bales sound like they might be the answer for temporary control.

Regarding plans and maintenance manual - they are legally required here in BC and copies of both are filed with the local health department. It would be a good idea to see the local planning department for copies - all drawings are
submitted -= along with designs, before any approval is given to go ahead with the installation.

I strongly suspect there is a lot of BS being shovelled around over this septic system. These system are supposed to last thirty years with regular maintenance, mostly trouble free.

 

[PILOON]

I don't think you appreciate how cold it gets in Manitoba in the winter.. It's -20C or worse every night for 2 months at least. And then in March it flips almost overnight to +30C.

Gotta add that most of Quebec is about the same, this year especially cold coupled with 1/2 the normal snow accumulation.

In Montreal water mains are popping everywhere.
My pump line froze for the 2nd time in 22 years. (wise me, I installed a heated tracing wire when I did the installation)

My septic field has no more than 6-8" of topsoil coverage and no problems!
Frost level officially is 4 ft and never is a field dug that deep.

Still don't believe that the OP's field was permitted with 1 1/2" pipe network.
When pumping up to a conventional field OK, but then 2" would be a norm as that is the outlet size of effluent pumps.

I can readily appreciate a long run of piping from tank to field (especially 1 1/4" and buried shallow) being an accident looking to happen.
NO WAY can a worker uncoil 1 1/4" (any size even) for any distance and good drainage angle, well maybe 45 deg.
That tubing is like a huge coil spring.

 

[tcartwri]

Gotta add that most of Quebec is about the same, this year especially cold coupled with 1/2 the normal snow accumulation.

In Montreal water mains are popping everywhere.
My pump line froze for the 2nd time in 22 years. (wise me, I installed a heated tracing wire when I did the installation)

My septic field has no more than 6-8" of topsoil coverage and no problems!

My septic outlet broke at the foundation last winter. Didn't realize it until this christmas of course! With all these threads about deep frost, I'm thinking about my own water lines now..

 

[v8only]

Gotta add that most of Quebec is about the same, this year especially cold coupled with 1/2 the normal snow accumulation.

In Montreal water mains are popping everywhere.
My pump line froze for the 2nd time in 22 years. (wise me, I installed a heated tracing wire when I did the installation)

My septic field has no more than 6-8" of topsoil coverage and no problems!
Frost level officially is 4 ft and never is a field dug that deep.

Still don't believe that the OP's field was permitted with 1 1/2" pipe network.
When pumping up to a conventional field OK, but then 2" would be a norm as that is the outlet size of effluent pumps.

I can readily appreciate a long run of piping from tank to field (especially 1 1/4" and buried shallow) being an accident looking to happen.
NO WAY can a worker uncoil 1 1/4" (any size even) for any distance and good drainage angle, well maybe 45 deg.
That tubing is like a huge coil spring.

This is not 1-1/4" coil it is the solid drainline as seen in the attached photos on the first page.

 

[doxford jim]

They are aware of the freezing issue, i have been advised by the septic pump operator that he has not seen so many fields freezing in the past it just seems to be because of the new systems and the professionals are more worried about ground protection from the effluent then freezing protection. My contractor has been helpful but he feels he cannot make any changes to the system as it must comply (which it does) it just means more maintenance for me and i need to find a happy medium on coverage during the winter months. I do not have a system operational and maintenance manual but the contractor did come down a tell me everything i need to do to the system.


I am pretty sure that the contractor must supply a system manual and drawings for your system - that is the law in BC and I understand, the rest of the country too.
Changes can be made to the system as installed, providing the local Health Department are informed and additional drawings and description supplied to them for examination.
Again, I am of the opinion that there is a lot of "bovine manure" being shovelled here over your predicament. The owners have to be supplied with drawings, descriptions, Certificate of Compliance by the local planning department (health Department, Planning Department etc.) as it would be an illegal system without the Certificate of Compliance. An illegal system makes the owner liable to all sorts of local and provincial code violations (depending on whether the local inspectors is having a good day or not).

To cover your backside, you need to go back to the regulating authorities and push to get the drawings - they may go after the builder on your behalf. You should not be put in a position of not knowing and having to rely on the builder/installer for knowledge (serious conflict of interest here) on your brand new system.

 

[PILOON]

This is not 1-1/4" coil it is the solid drainline as seen in the attached photos on the first page.

I went back and looked, YES the field is rigid piping but what is used from the tank to the field?

I am willing to bet it is coiled black PVC and probably 1 1/2 and perhaps even 1 1/4", (I suggest 1/1/4 as many pumps are threaded for that.)

 

[truckdiagnostics]

Is it possible that there is not enough effluent going into the mound over a 24 hour period to keep the mound warm and active. Hear my thought process out. If they sized the mound for say a three bedroom 2 1/2 bath house, and say you have young kids and you and your wife work. There is no way you are moving enough effluent into the mound during the day and the night time hours. You would have to time things out so that the effluent pumps runs long enough to fill the lines and pumps some effluent into the mound. Don't have this part completely figured out, and the reason i came up with this, is because this is what i was told was going on with ours. Before I found no weep hole. I was going to basically unplug the pump, fill the tank until the over flow alarm went off then run the pump x minutes every hour. Couple of 110v relays and a timer should get it. Should be able to do all the connections at your breaker panel. Then put the 2" foam down and hay bails on top for the winter. That was going to be my solution, never got there. Kids grew up do tons of laundry, showers all the time and i started working out of the home. Ours froze first two years, have not had issues since, and if it was going to freeze it would have last year. Frost went down 56" in some places.:twocents:

 

[Patrickdozer]

If everything is to specs as far as being done properly, Id look at additional cover.

Why couldn't you add another 2 feet or so of fill over the mound and extend it out a few feet to blend better with terrain and give yourself added insulation that way. cleanout could be extended or covered.

Just a thought.