septic sense ???

[Anonymous Poster]

Are you guys saying that you have to get your septic pumped _before_ you have a problem? I always thought that you just let it go until it backed up or made a big stink and then pumped it and that was the end of the story until the next time. Or is this a sure way to ruin the leach field?

 

[Bird]

Terry, you're right; that usually works, but not with MCI; I've tried it at least 3 or 4 times.

Bird

 

[cowboydoc]

I always tell them to give me their home phone # and when they eat dinner and I'll get back to them at home.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Let me put it this way, you either pump the tank before the leach field plugs up and you have a problem, or you pump the tank after the backup, bring in a backhoe, a few truckloads of stone, some new leach line, the county health inspector, and bury a whole bunch of money.
We got a whole load of city folks around here who want sewers installed cause thyre too stupid to pump a septic tank every few years. I pump mine every 4 years with 2 people living in the house, and have never had a backup. I rebuilt the leach field after 30 years, the original was clay tile, and had eventually went bad mostly due to frost. Most folks only get them pumped when they are selling the house, so the buyer won't know the system is screwed for a few weeks after the closing. The new owner then gets to put in a new leach field.

 

[MossRoad]

The microbes in human waste should be enough to keep any septic system in proper working order, as long as you refrain from excessive bleach and detergents. Another thing I wonder about is the excessive use of antibiotic soaps. The guy that sold us our house had 4 daughters, a wife and himself. The septic tanks are the old clay pipes on end, about 200 gals each. Then a 2000 gal dry well that plugged up in the 70's, then a 150' field tile off the top of the dry well. We bought the house 6 years ago. The guy told us to pump every 2 years and you'll never have a problem. It only costs about $150-$200 to have the tanks and dry well pumped. It costs thousands to have a system replaced, not to mention the torn up yard, no flushing toilets for a few days, the smell, and worst of all, the old guy next door laughing at you for not pumping on a regular basis.

<font color=green> MossRoad </font color=green>

 

[RJohnson]

Mossroad is correct, the worst thing you can do is try and "dissolve" the solids in the tank and send it on to the leach field to clog up everything. This link contains excellent information on the care and feeding of your septic system
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/5240/Septic_Tanks.html

Randy

 

[PitbullMidwest]

Bird,
We had MCI calling us daily and they slammed us twice. A friend told us to call our local provider (QWEST) and have them put a "block" on MCI. Haven't heard from them since.

 

[hightechredneck]

Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread...

I've decided against the additives. Not necessarily because they are completely ineffective, but because they are not (cannot be) as effecient as the salesman claimed. He also misrepresented the warranty, so I have to wonder what else he misrepresented.

I'll stick to the advice of MossRoad and others to just pump the solids every few years and be done with it.

RJohnson, very informative link. I've added it to my bookmarks.

later,

htrn

 

[Bird]

Thanks, PitBull, I think that might work.

Bird

 

[Richard]

Franz..how do you clean out your tank but not for a backhoe to dig it up (meaning access to "trap door")???

As my basement is unfinished, I currently have access to a drain in floor...could it be accessed THAT way?

I thought only way would be to dig yard up to get to access panel.

???


Richard
(who would rather "pay me now" instead of "pay me later")