problems with my drainfield

[1930]

New system that has finally passed inspection, during cover up I noticed the sand making holes in the drainfield fabric. Large holes as in tears. Why would this happen? Cheap fabric? I told them to stop. They claim fabric isnt even a county requirement. I do not believe that and am going to investigate further.
Ive had one problem after another with these people. They werent the cheapest but they should have been.
The fabric has been exposed to the elements for a couple of weeks and we did get alot of rain.

 

[1930]

Ive said it before and Ill say it again as a warning, you have to watch everyone cause they will always do whats best for them and disregard your interests.

 

[Williy]

Perhaps the SUN ruined the fabric?? left out
in the sun will destroy a lot of stuff! Should make
them put a new layer down on top of whats already
there!

willy

 

[Roadworthy]

Confirm requirement with the county. Are these people even licensed for septic installation? Do they use fabric now instead of straw for drain fields?

 

[rScotty]

I think you will be OK. They are correct that the fabric is not a requirement on top of infiltrators...., but it is a nice touch - especially where you have fine grained soil like yours looks to be.
Since you are concerned - and if the county will allow - it wouldn't hurt to put another layer of coarse & heavy geotextile right on top of that existing fabric. Home Depot carries some good gray geotextile fabric. Geo fabric slows down dirt & sand infiltration but doesn't completely block it and also allows for some air to get down there.
You are always wise to stop and get an inspection now when you have concerns. Expect to pay a reasonable stop work fee. But where you are at right now is about the right point to call for inspection. If already inspected, then simply proceed.
Those black plastic infiltrators work differently than drain tiles, but what you have going there looks like a nice job.
From what I see in the photo, my engineering profs would be pleased.
rScotty.

 

[1930]

I think you will be OK. They are correct that the fabric is not a requirement on top of infiltrators...., but it is a nice touch - especially where you have fine grained soil like yours looks to be.
Since you are concerned - and if the county will allow - it wouldn't hurt to put another layer of coarse & heavy geotextile right on top of that existing fabric. Home Depot carries some good gray geotextile fabric. Geo fabric slows down dirt & sand infiltration but doesn't completely block it and also allows for some air to get down there.
You are always wise to stop and get an inspection now when you have concerns. Expect to pay a reasonable stop work fee. But where you are at right now is about the right point to call for inspection. If already inspected, then simply proceed.
Those black plastic infiltrators work differently than drain tiles, but what you have going there looks like a nice job.
From what I see in the photo, my engineering profs would be pleased.
rScotty.

They brought out a 50 hp tractor to fill or cover up the drainfield, a tractor would have destroyed the field by running back and forth over it, they should have brought a mini ex or something similar with a long reach bucket to fill it in. They simply do not care and assume I am ignorant.

There will be no stop work fee, if anything they should be refunding me for my wasted time meeting them out there more than once because they have blundered something.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

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This is my new septic with infiltrators; no need for fabric. Yours aren't as deep, but that is probably a FLA thing. Mine are 72 inches to the bottom, 54 inches to the top. I had no issues driving a tractor over them for backfilling, but my soil looks much more stable than yours.

 

[4570Man]

The fabric isn’t needed. I don’t even know what good it would do. It’s intended to go on a gravel bed system and keep the dirt out of the gravel. But covering the plastic I don’t see any point. Also as deep as that is covering it with a tractor wouldn’t hurt anything as long as it was adequately dry. Until mini excavators and skid steers got popular a few years ago virtually all septics were put in and covered with backhoes. A lot of septic guys still use backhoes now for septics. They’re pretty good at that job.

 

[1930]

What is going to keep the loose sugar sand from going inside the infiltrators and clogging any drainoff as it leaves the tank and flows down the infiltrators? There are holes in the sides.

I guess Im not seeing how laying hollow half round plastic tubing in the sand is going to control/disperse the waste to begin with?

Driving a tractor over the loose sand would surely throw the level of the outlet pipe off at a minimum which of course would render the size of the field nearly useless.

 

[4570Man]

What is going to keep the loose sugar sand from going inside the infiltrators and clogging any drainoff as it leaves the tank and flows down the infiltrators? There are holes in the sides.

I guess Im not seeing how laying hollow half round plastic tubing in the sand is going to control/disperse the waste to begin with?

Driving a tractor over the loose sand would surely throw the level of the outlet pipe off at a minimum which of course would render the size of the field nearly useless.

The outlet pipe is supposed to lay on undisturbed earth so it can’t settle. And nobody with any sense would drive the tractor straight on it. Work from the high side and push the dirt in. It’s deep enough it’s not going to hurt it. A tracked skid steer would definitely be better but there’s plenty of systems that have been covered with backhoes or tractors.