Leech Field Collapse-Repair Help

[ben2go]

My septic system leech fields drain lines have collapsed and caused a sewage back up into the house.

My current leech fields are set up like this.

I would like to flip it, run my gravel,then my drain lines with black plastic membrane over everything.There is a slope from the upper end of the drain field to the lower end.Luckily there are no trees or bushes around to cause problems.

Any advice.

I am trying to find the records of the original perk test.I know there are two leech fields.I think each gravel pit is 6'x6'x80' with 3' of soil over that.My uncle did the original install but he passed last year.

 

[dave1949]

Around here, you would need a leach field designed or signed-off on by a licensed person and a permit when doing a replacement system. I have no idea if your idea is good or bad for your local conditions. How long did the existing field last? Must be pretty old if the pipes collapsed.

 

[radioman]

first of all -- how do you know it collapsed? if it something causing a backup into the house - then it must be before the distribution box. If one or two leeches lines failed - then the other lines should pickup the slack somewhat. I would start by looking at your survey map and see if the lines are drawn on it and start from distributions box and start your detective work from there. Its possible you dont need the whole new leech field. Why put in a new one if you dont know why it failed? If you designed a new leech field based on old test and it not up to par - you are just setting yourself up for failure down the road.

 

[Red Horse]

My septic system leech fields drain lines have collapsed and caused a sewage back up into the house.

My current leech fields are set up like this.

I would like to flip it, run my gravel,then my drain lines with black plastic membrane over everything.There is a slope from the upper end of the drain field to the lower end.Luckily there are no trees or bushes around to cause problems.

Any advice.

I am trying to find the records of the original perk test.I know there are two leech fields.I think each gravel pit is 6'x6'x80' with 3' of soil over that.My uncle did the original install but he passed last year.

My guess would be your septic tank needs pumping-have you confirmed you don't have a solids issue in the tank.? I would confirm that the tank is not full. My septic guy told me the last time I had mine pumped, my solids were so high, when you get that condition you can get a run off into the leech field system. He told me to expose my distribution box to insure I had no build up there. Well I exposed it, and when I took the cover off, it collapsed! 20 year old system-never would have thought pre-cast concrete would deteriorate like that but it did. In any case, I had no blockage in the D box and everything was ok.

Again, check your tank.

 

[ben2go]

Around here, you would need a leach field designed or signed-off on by a licensed person and a permit when doing a replacement system. I have no idea if your idea is good or bad for your local conditions. How long did the existing field last? Must be pretty old if the pipes collapsed.

Existing field made it from 87 till 10 years ago when there was a partial collapse of one drain line to the leach field.A replace here doesn't require permits and sign off because I am in the county.If I was resetting a new system or changing to a different system,I would need permits and sign off.

first of all -- how do you know it collapsed? if it something causing a backup into the house - then it must be before the distribution box. If one or two leeches lines failed - then the other lines should pickup the slack somewhat. I would start by looking at your survey map and see if the lines are drawn on it and start from distributions box and start your detective work from there. Its possible you dont need the whole new leech field. Why put in a new one if you dont know why it failed? If you designed a new leech field based on old test and it not up to par - you are just setting yourself up for failure down the road.

The lines were scoped 10 years ago when we had a back up and the tank was cleaned out.I am assuming they have collapsed more.We have had a deluge of rain this past week.There's a slope over the drain fields and water runs off more than it soaks in.Last year I had a main line from the house to the tank come apart.I had the tank pumped then.Very little sludge.Mostly water and it was backed up.The guys said they felt the leach fields need replacing.I wasn't with them when they cleaned out the septic tank that time,so I have no idea if they checked the lines.My property map/plat has nothing on it.It only shows they property boundaries.My plan was to add length or a third leach field.

My guess would be your septic tank needs pumping-have you confirmed you don't have a solids issue in the tank.? I would confirm that the tank is not full. My septic guy told me the last time I had mine pumped, my solids were so high, when you get that condition you can get a run off into the leech field system. He told me to expose my distribution box to insure I had no build up there. Well I exposed it, and when I took the cover off, it collapsed! 20 year old system-never would have thought pre-cast concrete would deteriorate like that but it did. In any case, I had no blockage in the D box and everything was ok.

Again, check your tank.

That reminds me.Our systems don't use junction boxes.All of ours use black corragated piped with T fittings to plumb to the leach fields.As stated above.The tank was cleaned out last year when I repaired a main line that separated.fortunately it was under the house.

 

[ben2go]

I talked to a guy that said he had a few options and is willing to work with me.He is licensed and experienced.I'm rounding up the funds and I will call him,hopefully before the weekend gets here.

Now I have to get on tearing out the bathroom for new sub floor,lower walls,and vinyl.The floor is OSB.It's soft and sagging.Someone,not me,caulked the toilet to the floor.I went under the house and seen where the seal had been seeping for a long time.All this rain finally put enough pressure on the wax seal, and caulk, to blow it out.What an f'in mess this is.It actually ran under two walls and got into some carpet.This isn't going to be a fun weekend project.:smiley_aafz:

 

[dave1949]

I talked to a guy that said he had a few options and is willing to work with me.He is licensed and experienced.I'm rounding up the funds and I will call him,hopefully before the weekend gets here.

Now I have to get on tearing out the bathroom for new sub floor,lower walls,and vinyl.The floor is OSB.It's soft and sagging.Someone,not me,caulked the toilet to the floor.I went under the house and seen where the seal had been seeping for a long time.All this rain finally put enough pressure on the wax seal, and caulk, to blow it out.What an f'in mess this is.It actually ran under two walls and got into some carpet.This isn't going to be a fun weekend project.:smiley_aafz:

Sorry to hear your troubles are coming in three's.

I would not use corrugated black plastic pipe in a leach field if you make changes there.

 

[toddbailey]

Ben2go you are going to have to contact the county DEHEC office they will come out and tell you how to repair your system and inspect it during the repair process. I had the same thing happen 9-8 years ago it was not a fun week in my house!

 

[mojoinco]

On the toilet seal: I had an addition put on recently. The code used locally required the toilet to be caulked to the floor. I wouldn't have done it, but that was code. I am in favor of knowing the leak a LOT sooner than later.

 

[Egon]

Sorry to hear of your troubles.


Oh that lovely OSB board ! There should be a law against that stuff.

Does your septic tank have a filter on the outlet. If not consider installing one to catch inorganic fibres.

 

[LBrown59]

My septic system leech fields drain lines have collapsed and caused a sewage back up into the house.

Leach fields are perfect for creating this problem .
Glad I don't have one.

 

[20 20]

I went with the envirochamber and never looked back. Much easier to install works waaaaaayyyyy better then pipe and rock/gravel, cost equals out to about the same by the time you figure in rock and time. Nice thing is if you have a heavy rain season the chamber acts as a holding tank until things get a chance to dry out. I'm planing on doing another septic on other property, Unless something better falls from the sky I'd never sway from the envirochamber. Infact that's all most of the dirt diggers(septic installers) are using around here

 

[dave1949]

I went with the envirochamber and never looked back. Much easier to install works waaaaaayyyyy better then pipe and rock/gravel, cost equals out to about the same by the time you figure in rock and time. Nice thing is if you have a heavy rain season the chamber acts as a holding tank until things get a chance to dry out. I'm planing on doing another septic on other property, Unless something better falls from the sky I'd never sway from the envirochamber. Infact that's all most of the dirt diggers(septic installers) are using around here

That's what the certified planner specified for my system in 2006, so I went with it :laughing: No choice, really. So far, so good. They are probably a bit more sensitive to heavy loads passing over them than the drainage pipe systems, I sure wouldn't run over mine with my tractor. 50" rider is no problem.

 

[BeezFun]

Does your septic tank have a filter on the outlet. If not consider installing one to catch inorganic fibres.

How would you get to the outlet to install a filter? On mine the pumpout is in the middle of the tank, I'd have to pump it out then get down in there to add any kind of filter. Yuck

 

[muddstopper]

My experience with the inspectors suggest that what they dont know wont hurt them. Seems everytime they get involved with something, they just find ways to charge fees, give expensive solutions, and dont really help the problem. Find someone that has plenty of experience with septic systems and follow their advice. It will probably work better than an inspectors advice and cost less to boot.

 

[ben2go]

Thanks for the guidance.I have a found a guy that says he can save the drain lines to the leach fields.He was on a job,so I didn't bother questioning him to much on the subject.Now it's just coming up with the funds to cover his labor.In the mean time,I am going to be digging the tank out and the lines where they exit the tank.They are only 16 inches below grade so I'll have them out in an hour or so.I know where everything is located from the other dig outs.

 

[mjaybee]

I had my sewer system back up in the house and was told by a a company that I would need a new leach field because it had failed. The charge for a new one was going to be around $3,500. As it turned out after digging around abit with a backhoe, it was the diverter box that had failed. Cost $100. The leach field was fine and is still in use. The diverter box is in between the septic tank and the field. usually no more than 15' from the tank. Out here in Cal. a small earth quake knock them out of plumb and cause problems.

 

[MotorSeven]

If it were mine, I would have him run all new drain field lines in a different location/direction from the old ones and pumping the tank clean. Any kind of a band-aid repair just won't last long if the old lines are failing.

 

[Egon]

Seeing as lines at the tank are being exposed can the ends of the leach field also be exposed? Then holes could be cut into the pipe and a garden hose run down the pipe. Might locate a blockage. Checking the lower end of the field system may also be considered.

 

[mjaybee]

Seeing as lines at the tank are being exposed can the ends of the leach field also be exposed? Then holes could be cut into the pipe and a garden hose run down the pipe. Might locate a blockage. Checking the lower end of the field system may also be considered.

That is one of the things I did before I found out it was the diverter box.