Mowing Mowing with CUT on Spetic System Lines?

LBrown59 · Apr 29, 2005

Is dumping waste into a creek considered a proper installation?
I guess that's the kind of work to expect from someone who has been in the housing business for 32 years.
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Adding a leach bed is the result of the medical profession attempting to regulate something that is not their trade.

ByronBob · Apr 29, 2005

In the distribution box you should have levelers in the pipes which level the water flows to all your pipes. In my system I have 8 lines. In the d-box the pipes have the levelers in them so you shouldn't have excess to 1 pipe over another.

Do you know where the d-box is and if your pipes have these in them??

FYI... I have the infiltrator system in my system and driving over the septic field is a common sense thing. If you have another way not to then it's a good idea.

tillboy2001 · Apr 29, 2005

I believe I have the installation on video...but it's on a VCR tape. I don't have a VCR anymore (got DVD). I'll have to borrow a VCR or buy a cheapo and go back and check the tape to see if it shows anything like that.

slowzuki · Apr 29, 2005

LBrown59 - A leech bed is not something the medical community dreamed up to punish commoners. The reason North America is not rife with infected water supply like much of the less developed world is the knowledge of sewage treatment.

A cesspool and dumping waste into a stream is *NOT* a method of treating waste. If you are dumping into a swamp, then yes, the mechanisms to break down waste would be there.

Cesspools deliver untreated water to below the level at which oxygen using bacteria thrive. This means much of the effluent can seep downwards without treatment.

Not all cesspools are a problem as many areas have different soil conditions but the chances of problems are much less in drain fields.

Tim_in_IA · Apr 29, 2005

I had the same system installed 3 years ago with my new house. It wasn't a choice I made. The plumber was dropping the panels in and I was asking him what the heck it was. Supposed to alleviate many problems with clogged pipes and allow a higher surface area for liquid penatration. I would think a lot of traffic or weight would compress it into the soil though.

My plumber left such a mess after the install we had to drive a tractor over it with a disc to level it a bit. We did take care to drive parallel to the lines and to straddle them so we didn't have a tire directly over a trench. You also have to realize there are little plastic junction boxes in front of each run that are more brittle than the run itself. I fenced off my whole field and I'm currently grazing small animals out there to maintain it. I'm not chancing mowing it with a tractor. I figure this way I'll remember the exact dimensions and wont have accidental damage in the future.

I have heavy clay as well and I am also on top of a hill. I had to do a water test before the site was approved though to ensure the drainage was appropriate. Did you do something similar? Also, when my plumber installed this he told me that it couldn't have much of a slope. You mentioned yours was aimed down a hill? It is my understanding that this would make the leachate move to fast and may be contributing to your problems?

I attached a picture of my field. It is the mowed area in the distance. The shovel is directly above my septic tank.

I also plan to have my tank pumped every 3-4 years. From what I understand every septic owner needs to do this. It doesn't matter what the leach field is made of or what type of soil. It is because the fiberous material in the sludge cannot be broken down by bacteria and thus needs to be removed. If not, it will eventually rise and destroy the leach field. If this periodic maintenance is not done, plan on installing a new field.

frank_f15 · Apr 29, 2005

( I don't have a VCR anymore (got DVD). )

Gosh i have 2 VCR'S and 2 DVD'S , i have so much stuff on VHS TAPE . but seems like the old Beta vrs VHS thing again. I know VHS is thing of the past, but gol dang it so many folks have a lot of stuff on vhs, but to get back to your original question. if you have it on tape, no matter how u have to do it , take a look at it. You might learn something.

frank_f15 · Apr 29, 2005

VERY , VERY GOOD POINT. my DB has 5 levelers and the installer took particular attentinon to setting them just right., equal amts going to each line is very important. spreads out the water to the whole field, for better filtration and distrabution.

450EXC · Apr 29, 2005

You can actually adjust the levelers in the d-box now. Spin them and raise the outlet port high on the bad leach fingers to let them rest. Then reset all to equal in 1-2 months.

You are right on pumping the tank b/4 bigger problems.

Engine66 · Apr 29, 2005

( Hopefully the 'certified' installer won't be required to be union...or some other crazy rule. )

If it was my septic system in trouble, I would prefer a union guy who is certified, knows his job well, and will be able to assess the particulars of your site and come up with a professional solution and fix the problem. That sounds a lot less crazy than doing it yourself or having someone experiment on your place with their backhoe scratching their heads hoping they know what they're doing. This is not a landscaping problem or a simple labor issue...get the most certified, experienced guy out there. Good luck.

tillboy2001 · Apr 29, 2005

As long as they are knowledgable/certified per local rules and don't charge me an arm, leg, ear and hand...I wouldn't care if a monkey did it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Reason I brought up the issue f using someone I didn't want to use was because there's a possibi;ity that I can find someone the family knows that did this professionally but is now retired. If that were the case and I was told I couldn't use them even though they were qualified and I trusted them, well I'd be aggravated.

I'm going to check out the leveler issue first. If I can perhaps put more into the lines that aren't having issues, that might solve my problem over time.