How often do you have your septic tank pumped?

[ultrarunner]

!!! When I rented out the little guest cabin at the ranch so someone would be the all the time I specified only graduating Seniors from the nearby university. This was so I would get back the cabin for my own adult kids and guests during each summer. One year the tenant was a rather mousy nerdy girl. Move-in day her parents showed up and nearly talked her out of it, 'too dangerous to live alone in the country', 'needs motion-detector lighting all around' (which they actually installed without my permission), asked me many times if my wife would always be with me when we came out from the city, etc etc. Poor kid was nearly in tears by the time they left. She apologized to us after they left. Next spring the septic plugged up. Pumped it out. Plugged with condoms. Her boyfriend must have been there continually - and busy - when we weren't around.

I've had single women with parents not like anything about an apartment... they wanted me to put in a monitored alarm, burglar bars, upgrade electrical, etc... yet... just like you when Mom and Dad are away most of them have no compunction having "Friends" visit...

I only deal with two septics now... one from the turn of the century and made of redwood and one from 1978 with the permit stating Deep Trench leach field... best I can figure is a 3' wide 5' deep trench sloped away from the home for 60' and back filled with gravel...

Unfortunately, it would need to have a mound or some other electrified sewer treatment plant should any repair be necessary;

 

[goeduck]

All this talk about washing machine lint has me thinking - that $160 for the Filtrol isn't really that much and maybe I ought to be using one. We seem to do a LOT of laundry. Anybody using one of the other less expensive alternatives that we can be SURE actually filters out the majority of fibers?

Same here. I had never heard of a Filtrol before but it sure looks like it makes a lot of sense and not that much money really.

 

[Doofy]

The cheapest way to go, if you have a laundry sink by your washing machine is a pair of nylons or fine mesh bag filters.

 

[wagne223]

We are not on the same planet. I live in the Boonies and have no rules and regulations to follow. Commercial buildings and schools have to be built to code but not residential homes in the area.

You normally know what works and strive to do things properly but no one is forcing you to.

This is one area I support a government regulation and health dept oversight.

On of the major factors between a first world country and a third world country is the ability to property dispose of waste water and keep it from contaminated our drinking water.

All it takes is one house to not properly treat and drain waste water to affect the health of many hundreds or thousands of people.

Please note, I am in no way saying you are doing or have done anything incorrectly.
Just saying I support a regulatory agency when it comes to waste water.

 

[Doofy]

That is certainly fair enough. I do have a hand-dug well and have it tested frequently.

 

[teejk]

This is one area I support a government regulation and health dept oversight.

On of the major factors between a first world country and a third world country is the ability to property dispose of waste water and keep it from contaminated our drinking water.

All it takes is one house to not properly treat and drain waste water to affect the health of many hundreds or thousands of people.

Please note, I am in no way saying you are doing or have done anything incorrectly.
Just saying I support a regulatory agency when it comes to waste water.

I think Wisconsin has led the pack on this but I think its "3 year" rule is a bit excessive (as are the code requirements for new systems). Was all sold under the guise of protecting the groundwater but I think there is a more sinister aspect to it, that being to discourage development outside established communities. They are really making it hard of the licensed pumpers too, squeezing them into a very short window to inspect/pump any systems up for it that year. In our township it used to be done by the end of September but was recently shortened to June.

 

[California]

It may not be sinister but just basic geology. In this county a 'perc test' determines if you can build on a rural lot. Much of the terrain is on minor slopes and has a foot or so of nice topsoil over 30+ ft of impermeable hardpan so your leach field may drain laterally to your neighbor instead of downward.

 

[teejk]

It may not be sinister but just basic geology. In this county a 'perc test' determines if you can build on a rural lot. Much of the terrain is on minor slopes and has a foot or so of nice topsoil over 30+ ft of impermeable hardpan so your leach field may drain laterally to your neighbor instead of downward.

And around here (the edge of the last glacier's path) we have about 50' of sand before you get to granite. The builders laughed when they installed the required perimeter drains...they knew there would never be a drop of water in that basement. And btw, Wisconsin no longer relies on "perc", rather they have moved to a core analysis (only costs about $500 whereas the old perc cost little or nothing).

 

[twes36]

Just curious whether there is any different time frame with aerobic system? Moved in to my place with that type of system 3 years ago and had it pumped. No garbage disposal and we watch what we flush. 4 in the house.