Septic Question

[shaley]

Any one using spray irrigation. I need to get some feedback on tablet chlorinators vs UV disinfection. Are the tablet chlorinators reliable. Seems alot cheaper than UV but which is better.

 

[RonMar]

I don't use either, and am only basically familliar with them, but it would seem to me that although the upfront cost of UV is greater, I don't think it requires much maintenance, except to perhaps change the bulb if it fails. I would imagine there is a sensor that alerts you if the bulb fails. I think chlorinators need to be fed regularly, so YEARS of regular maintenance need to be factored into the equation. Plus, with the UV, you are not dumping chlorine into your soil/drain field/sand pit...

My .02

 

[shaley]

They say the UV cost $1200 but I don't know what lamps cost or how long they last. I do know the UV unit has a LED on the top next to the tank to indicate status but I doubt I notice it out in the yard. The tablet feeder has an indicator in the garage to let you know when to add tablets. So to me its a toss up as to which one will deliver long term treatment.

 

[Mike120]

I've got liquid chlorinators on both of my systems. You just fill them with liquid bleach and they last about a year between fillings. They cost more than the tablet dispensers but operate on a couple of bucks worth of Chlorox.

 

[Bird]

I had the tablet type; worked well for me. It didn't put enough chlorine in the irrigation water for me to notice any chlorine odor. I could stack enough tablets in the dispenser to last a long time, but I just wanted to be sure all the time, so I checked it and added a table or two the first of each month; just one of my regular monthly maintenance chores that probably took all of 2 minutes.

 

[shaley]

Thanks Bird. I knew I could count on you for some good info.

 

[kenmac]

Would these be the same tablets one would use in swimming pool type auto chlorinators ?

 

[Bird]

Would these be the same tablets one would use in swimming pool type auto chlorinators ?

Now that's a good question. I was assured by the folks in the septic system business that they were not the same; however, they "looked" the same and I never really learned what the difference was, if they were, in fact, different. Anyway, I bought the ones they sold specifically for the septic system and they cost a bit more than the kind I used to buy for a swimming pool.

 

[Kays Supply]

OOPS, I have been using the swimming pool tables for 8 years. No smell, clear discharge. I wonder what the real pills would have done.

 

[Bird]

I wonder what the real pills would have done.

I'll bet they'd have done the same thing the ones you used did.

 

[jinman]

I've used the chlorine pills system for 8 years. The only problem I have is that the pills turn to mush in the dispenser tube because I use so few of them. They also turn to mush in the storage bucket. I bought a large bucket and lost half the pills because they absorbed moisture and turned into a mushy slurry. Now, I buy the 10 lb bucket of pills. They've recently jumped in price to $65 (up from $25, 10 years ago). At $6.50 per lb for chlorine pills, I'll be looking into the liquid bleach system before long.

We don't send our gray water through the system. Because of this, our system filter always stays very clean and we use a minimum amount of chlorine. The UV system would be very expensive at $1200. I'd say that if it cost that much when new, you can expect a very big bill if you ever have to have it fixed or replaced. The liquid bleach system has to be the best in my opinion.

I had to replace my aerator pump this last year. I found one on-line and used it as a bargaining tool with my service provider. I ended up paying him only $20 more than the on-line buy and he delivered and installed the pump. Since it was close to inspection time, he rolled the service call and inspection together, saving me the $75 service call charge.

My sprinklers also slowed to a dribble on the 1st of July this year. I was afraid my fresh water sump pump was going out. Taking the pump out turned out to be a very simple operation. I pulled the pump and found a tree root was wrapped around the intake. A single tree root had grown down about 18" through the air and into the water pool. The pump sucked it into the intake and caused the clog. I removed the root and cleaned the pump. It works perfectly now.

I know this is a lot more info than you asked for, but I just had to expand on your initial question. My vote is for pills or liquid bleach because they are such a simple system.

 

[kenmac]

you can get the swimming pool tablets in different % of chlorine . Some tablets 50% chlorine = less $ some tablets 65% = more $ Are the ones for septic the large 3'' tablets ? The ones I buy for the pool are the 3'' tablets. They are slow dissovling & come with a moisture absorbing package. You can get these at H.D, Lowe's, Sam's, wal-mart

 

[Bird]

the pills turn to mush in the dispenser tube because I use so few of them. They also turn to mush in the storage bucket.

I had that happen with the dispenser tube. That's another reason I only put a couple of tablets in it at a time. And part of my monthly routine was to dump a 5 gallon bucket of water down the tube to rinse out any mush. But maybe I was just lucky or had a bucket with a good seal because I never had any problem with the tablets in the storage bucket.

My brother and I both had to replace our air pumps after a few years. Our installer had used cheap pumps that were supposedly not repairable, but I had mine replaced with a higher priced pump that could supposedly be rebuilt economically (and then I never needed any repairs with that one).

I don't remember what I paid 10 years ago for chlorine, but 8 years ago, a 25# bucket cost $84.04 with tax. So, yep, prices are definitely up.

 

[Bird]

Kenmac, I don't remember about the chlorine percentages, but yes, I used the 3" tablets in the septic system. But when I had a swimming pool, we didn't have an automatic dispenser, simply dropped the tablets in the skimmer basket and back then I used the 1" tablets for the pool

 

[jeffinsgf]

Hey, you all need to share a little bit more about what your systems are doing. Do I gather that you're irrigating your yards with the water that goes through your septic system? I am intrigued by that idea. Around here, it just goes from the septic tank into a leach field, which in many cases (including mine) gets over-saturated pretty easily. So, are you all using a cistern to hold the water until it is used? Is there a filtration system other than the septic tank? I would love to know more about how this works. I've been fighting with my leach field for about a year now. I already have the irrigation system in place. I would just need the cistern, filter, and a way to tie into the supply for the irrigation that would automatically switch from the cistern to the well when the cistern was empty. My guess is you don't have to fertilize much, either.

 

[ByronBob]

Never heard of this before. What you mean is you treat your septic water with chlorine in the discharge state? Does that kill the bacteria action in the solids tank?

 

[jinman]

Hey, you all need to share a little bit more about what your systems are doing. Do I gather that you're irrigating your yards with the water that goes through your septic system?

Jeff, here is a link to a brochure for my system. The sprinkler heads have to be at least 35' from any trees or buildings and 100' from any well. That's the only restriction. No odor whatsoever when the aerator works. If you smell anything, something is wrong. In our hot weather, the grass doesn't even stay green around the sprinkler heads, so don't consider this an alternative for watering the lawn.

Norweco Singulair System

 

[jeffinsgf]

Thanks, Jim.

That is fascinating. I am going to investigate whether this is available in my area and what the cost to convert would be. If it's not available here, I might find out why not and if there's a market!

 

[jinman]

Thanks, Jim.

That is fascinating. I am going to investigate whether this is available in my area and what the cost to convert would be. If it's not available here, I might find out why not and if there's a market!

These systems are expensive to install compared to leachfield systems. Mine was about $5800 in March of 2000. That included a two year guarantee and maintenance contract (now about $200 per year). My system requires a 30 amp service box I mounted on my cabin I lived in before building my house. I'm including a picture of my system before and after I covered it back with dirt.

 

[jeffinsgf]

These systems are expensive to install compared to leachfield systems. Mine was about $5800 in March of 2000. That included a two year guarantee and maintenance contract (now about $200 per year). My system requires a 30 amp service box I mounted on my cabin I lived in before building my house. I'm including a picture of my system before and after I covered it back with dirt.

Well, since the hydraulic engineer that was out last fall said that to relocate my leach field would be around $15,000 this sounds like a bargain! The water table is too high and the ground doesn't perc well enough where the field is now. The house was built in 1999. Engineer said the septic wouldn't pass design standards today and the leach field would have to be about 600 feet away from the house (to get to some acceptable soil).