Septic Help!!!

[Larry Caldwell]

determine the true problem before introducing any additives!

have the laterals been inspected for obstructions? is the distribution box also flooded?

try and examine the laterals for roots or biomat (essentially impermeable sludge that keeps the ground below the laterals from absorbing water)

laterals can be jetted clean of sludge and treated with hydrogen peroxide (industrial; >30%) going forward to help keep them clean

make sure that all of your laterals are being used evenly. if the d-box has shifted over time, one lateral might be taking all the load. "speed levelers" can quickly/easily fix that.

we had a similar experience a few months after moving into our house. it was root clogs in the laterals. i cut down EVERY tree near our septic field and now add Root-X 1-2 times a year to tank and d-box. no more problems.

My thought exactly. Most people don't even know they have distribution boxes. Digging them out and pulling the lid will tell you a lot about the condition of the drainfield.

You can control roots by just adding Boraxo or 20 Mule Team Borax to your washing machine. Borax kills roots.

BTW, my septic drain field was installed in 1972. The old steel tank rusted out so we replaced it with a concrete tank. In the process we dug out the line to the first distribution box, and it had no residue at all. The drain field is probably good for another 50 years.

 

[txdon]

Just a note, not all septic tanks line have a distribution box, I have just one line that takes off down a sandy hill.

 

[John White]

I am a septic pumper. I see many causes of septic problems. Its amazing to see two $50,000 cars in the drive way when I show up and a house that cost 1/2 mil to build and they never give their septic system any thought until it wont flush. Then that gets every ones attention. They are city folks who move to the country, have always been on the sewer and will flush any thing down the commode. Recently I fished out three wheel borrow loads plus what I sucked up in my truck tank of depends. I don't see much if any bacteria action in septic tanks any more. All the soaps, drain cleaners, mouth washes, and even medications kill it. People ask me if they can put in Rid-x. I tell them to just put $10 in a cookie jar and call me in two or three year. Most of the things you should check for have already been covered here. Here are a few more. You would be surprised at how many of the newer tanks I pump that were 2 piece tanks and when they sit the top half on the bottom half the contractor did not apply the ribbon of sealant properly or allowed dirt to fall on it. In wet weather I have seen water run back in almost as fast as I pump it out. Or water enters around the inlet and out let pipe (not sealed properly). If you don't have a D box, you might consider installing one if it is not too deep. When I installed my tank it had a baffle right near the out let and there was not enough room to put a T with a filter (I have pumped some also where that was all it needed, was the filter to be cleaned, some look like a chimneny brush, some are plastic discs with a rod through the center) In my D box I took a 4" piece of PVC schedule 40 about the length of the D box, I come in about 2" from each end and cut down about 1/4 of the pipe dia and cut it out like a trough> I glued a cap on one end then cut slits with a fine blade hack saw about every 3/8", cut slits about 1/2 the dia (from bottom side) of the pipe. On the other end I glued a 4" sleeve on the trough so it will slip on the inlet pipe to the D box. It can be easily slide off to be off and hosed off. You would be surprised how much this will catch that would otherwise float into your drain field and plug the soil up.

 

[mark02tj]

Interesting post, John White!!

Since you don't recommend RidEx, is there anything that you can put in the tank to increase the biological activity?

And, what about the Borax mentioned above to keep the roots clear?

 

[kcflhrc]

I think if you ask 3 different septic companies about what to add to the tank you will get 3 different answers, that's been my experience anyway. Seems they don't talk much. I use the ZEP Brand treatment from Home Depot. Does it work, who knows, but it makes me feel better.

 

[HeLa]

In my D box I took a 4" piece of PVC schedule 40 about the length of the D box, I come in about 2" from each end and cut down about 1/4 of the pipe dia and cut it out like a trough> I glued a cap on one end then cut slits with a fine blade hack saw about every 3/8", cut slits about 1/2 the dia (from bottom side) of the pipe. On the other end I glued a 4" sleeve on the trough so it will slip on the inlet pipe to the D box. It can be easily slide off to be off and hosed off. You would be surprised how much this will catch that would otherwise float into your drain field and plug the soil up.

Thanks for sharing - this sounds like a great idea!

How often do you find it necessary to clean the unit? Our d-box requires digging a decent hole in a very visible part of the lawn. Having it open at the top is very smart since that allows effluent to flow even if the "filter" clogs.

 

[bcp]

A county septic specialist here said to forget about the septic additives, and that the best thing you can put in the tank comes from your body.

Bruce

 

[Billrog]

Bruce is correct.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

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.

You couldn't drop in a new 3" PVC pipe in a different place and abandon the old pipe under the concrete?

 

[CR172]

I have contacted the folks that pumped it out last year and was told we have a problem elsewhere. I have no idea where the D-box is or if we have one. I am going to snake the line between the house and the tank and see what gives. I have also inquired about "additives" to help and I have always heard to NEVER use RidX. In searching for possible answers I came across several sites that have high $$$ additives that claim to work. And then there are those that say to poor beer down the drain. That's a waste of a perfectly good beverage...... Maybe I can use the Budweiser that someone left......