Septic Help!!!

[CR172]

We have been having problems with our septic this past year. It all started with all the rain & ice we got last year. We have a conventional gravity fed system and our ground is still so saturated that we can't flush ....... I'm beginning to think the leach field has seen its day. The house was built in 1998 and we moved in 2009. It has been pumped twice since we have been here. The last time was on 4-7-2015. Anybody have any ideas/suggestions on who to call? We are in north Texas in between Celina and Weston north of McKinney.

Does anyone have experience with any of the septic treatments?

 

[knukey]

I'd call a plumber first to throw a hail Mary that you have a clog in the line. Drainfields should last MUCH longer than this.

 

[kcflhrc]

I hate to hear these things but all I can offer is this. We had a guy come out with a camera and looked at ours from the house the the septic tank. Didn't take him long to find the issue. The pipe was being smashed about 10 feet from the house under our huge concrete patio. Yep, you guessed it. We had to saw up the concrete to get to the pipe and replace it. Some dumb *** used a thin wall pipe under the slab and then it transitioned to schedule 40. A $20 piece of pipe cost me $1000 to have replaced just because some moron back in 1970 took a short cut.

 

[buickanddeere]

If the laundry, water softener, showers, sinks and dishwasher is being run into the black water septic system. Use a grey water disposal system to lighten the load from the septic system .
Also the salt and antibiotic soap retards septic tank activity.

 

[CR172]

I'd call a plumber first to throw a hail Mary that you have a clog in the line. Drainfields should last MUCH longer than this.

We had the lines roto-rootered after the last pumping....

 

[CR172]

If the laundry, water softener, showers, sinks and dishwasher is being run into the black water septic system. Use a grey water disposal system to lighten the load from the septic system .
Also the salt and antibiotic soap retards septic tank activity.

I have been thinking of a way to get the washing machine, showers and bathroom sinks off the septic and into a grey water tank w/ a pump and irrigation system. Not sure how I can go about that since we are on a slab. The original owner/builder of the house had good intentions by running the rain gutters into an in-ground cistern tank that used to be connected to the sprinkler system. I reworked the sprinkler system to run of the city water as there was never enough water in the cistern during the summer months when I needed it most.

 

[square1]

The zoning laws here would make it very tough to go to a grey water system like you describe.

Shop around. The first estimate some neighbors received to repair their septic was $10k! They now have it down to $1,500. Fortunately their backs weren't against the wall (that's what I think the $10k guy was hoping).

 

[Cord]

Per code those items should be directed into the sanitary system. Your system should be able to handle all water from those fixtures. I'd suggest looking for the problem instead of applying crutch fixes that won't last.

Do you have any wet spots in your yard? If so, then this is a sign of the leach field failing and the water is pushing up to the surface instead of soaking down. Not knowing your system, sometimes there are strainers installed in the septic tank that can clog. Pull the tank lids and check the fluid level on both sides. If the levels are off you know it's the strainer. Does anybody in your house use "flushable" wipes? Those wipes are **** on a plumbing system because they stick to the pipe walls. Your system would have been installed using PVC. Your house is young so it should NOT have roots in the pipes. If there are roots, then the joints have to be broken or the tree is way too close to the field. After that, I'd hire a plumber to start chasing a clog.

 

[C4Ranch]

I have been thinking of a way to get the washing machine, showers and bathroom sinks off the septic and into a grey water tank w/ a pump and irrigation system. Not sure how I can go about that since we are on a slab. The original owner/builder of the house had good intentions by running the rain gutters into an in-ground cistern tank that used to be connected to the sprinkler system. I reworked the sprinkler system to run of the city water as there was never enough water in the cistern during the summer months when I needed it most.

Not cheap but you could look into an aerobic system. I have both types and they each have their issues. Leech lines are usually least problematic but like you're having can be a problem. Other than the aerobic route you will probably have to look at extending your leech field of an option.

 

[RobS]

Our last house was in a subdivision where everyone had well and septic. Apparently, the codes were not well engineered and nearly all leach fields failed between 10 & 15 years. Most properties had room for a second field and a diverter valve so the homeowner could switch fields every couple of years. We didn't replace ours but had to provide a price reduction to accommodate at time of sale. Hope yours isn't this, but it certainly could be.