SEPTIC SYSTEM HELP

frank_f15 · Dec 5, 2004

I HAD A new septic system installed 3 years ago 10/01 everything has been fine but late this afternoon the toilet would not flush right. this is an old home with a small vent and we always get some gurgle when draing sinks fast, sinks drain ok, with know back up in any other sinks, even filled the landry tubs and pumped them out, only thing i got was bubling in the toilet (which is normal) just me and the wife no kids around and grandkids have not been here for a week. dou think it is possible i need the tank pumped? seems kind of soon for 3 year old system. any idea's? i went out after dark and dug with shovel, top of tank is about 14 " below ground so wont' take long to scoop dirt off with tractor, but hate to have it pumped if not the problem. sorry for lengthy post.

jamiec · Dec 5, 2004

Well sure sounds like you need to get it pumped. Up here in maine all the pro's recomend getting the tanked pumped every 2-3 years so it sounds like it is about due anyway.

Dargo · Dec 5, 2004

After incorrectly assuming that by adding Rid-Ex or other addatives that my tank would never need to be pumped, I got some good responses on here as well as other independent research on the internet. It appears that the consensus was that the average system should be pumped about once every three years if working properly. I'd gone 13 years and apparently was very lucky that I had no sludge out in the leach lines. I've read that having such is the death of a system.
It cost me $105 to have it pumped, and the guy strongly suggsted that I have it pumped on a 3 year schedule as well as to continue to add the bacteria and yeast products I've been using. For the approx. $35 a year in cost, I'll go along with that program for a sound preventative maintenance program and piece of mind. Besides, when I dug up the clean out cap for them, it sure looked and smelled like, well, like crappy work. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

frank_f15 · Dec 5, 2004

yeh: i think tomorrow i will be on the kubota diging the dirt off, but seems funny that my old system went many years before needing pumping. i think the new systems require more frequent clean outs. this one has a filter on the outlet think it is calle a ZABEL filter. supposed to stop sludge from entering the leach field.. keep the ideas comming guys

DKinWA · Dec 5, 2004

Here's a couple of other possible problems. When installing tanks I try to limit the size of the whole to just a little bigger than the tank. If you don't, and the hole is significantly larger, as the dirt settles it will sometimes shear the inlet pipe off the tank. This can even happen to the outlet and stuff can't get in or out and you have a backup problem. I'd start first with running a snake upstream and downstream from the cleanout that should've been installed just outside your house. Hopefully it's just a simple plug and this takes care of it.

If not, dig out the inlet and outlet sides of the tank and see if either pipe sheared off. If it's neither of those, uncover the inspection covers and see what things look like inside. As someone else said, it's possible the outlet screen is plugged or it's time to pump the tank. Hopefully it's something simple that doesn't take a long time to figure out.

rlk · Dec 5, 2004

Frank, I had a similar problem last summer. Had the tank pumped, but within two months I was getting backups again when flushing the johns.

I knew the tank was o.k. since it had just been pumped. I rented a power snake and snaked the lines from under the bathroom cleanouts to the septic. This did not do any good at all, other than give me a sore back from lugging the power snake around.

Called the guy who pumped my tank and described the problem to him. He was in the area so stopped by. After a lot of searching, we finally we discovered a large clump of roots had plugged the distribution box. (My tank drains into a distribution box that has lines coming out of the distribution box into the leach field.) We pulled that clump out and everything has been working great since then.

When my tank was pumped in the past, the distribution box had never been uncovered or inspected since it is on the opposite end that is pumped. If you can't find anything else wrong, you may want to see if yours is clogged.

My system is over 30 years old and I'm afraid I'll have to replace it one of these days (I have no idea how long a system will last).

Bob

frank_f15 · Dec 5, 2004

tHANKS FOR THE INFO, but i really don' think anything could be in distribution box. only 3 years old. i think i will just have it pumped and see what happens, but any other ideas are again mosy welcomed.

Junkman · Dec 6, 2004

You mentioned Rid X, so this information might just start the septic tank war of words, but I feel compelled to pass along this information. I have a friend that is a engineer in the field of septic systems. He designs both large systems for municipalities and smaller systems for places such as hotels, motels, etc. I had just asked him about Rid X this weekend and his reply was... DON'T USE IT!!!!!! I asked why and his response made a lot of sense. He said that it will help to break down the solids into a liquid, but the liquid will then flow into the leach field and clog the field. Then he followed up by saying that if you were to introduce Rid X into the leach field without putting it into the septic tank, that it can't hurt since it will help to break down any of the material that has migrated from the tank to the leach field. Also said that the best systems today have two leach fields. Use one for a year and then switch over to the other for a year while the first rests and recovers. That way, the leach fields will last forever. Also said that it is an expense that a lot of people just don't see a need for until the first field fails. Then they wish that they had done it correctly in the first place. When I built my home, I had to set aside a section of the back yard as a reserve septic field in the event that the original one failed. I only wish that the technology that is available today to do this was available then. I would have installed two fields, because today the cost is probably 5 times as much.

Dargo · Dec 6, 2004

No, your reply makes sense to me. I'm the fool who went 13 years without having my tank pumped, mistakenly thinking I never should have to. I started using the Rid X after about 8 years or so, figuring that my tank was likely getting somewhat full. We had a couple of kids then, and ended up with 5 kids! (7 of us using that septic system!) Apparently most of the Rid X I put in went straight into my leach lines. Perhaps that is the only reason that when the guy checked my leach lines he said that he was surprised, but they were just fine. By shear accident and ignorance I must have kept my leach lines clear. I won't argue with you at all, and still feel lucky! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

ByronBob · Dec 6, 2004

I think your on the right track Frank. In any case to see if other issues are the problem you'll need to have the tank pumped. When you do that open the cleanout pipe in the house going to the tank and use a flashlight or snake to see if the pipe is indeed still together without a break. Once you know the pipe going to the tank is good then you can worry about what happens after the water leaves the tank and goes to the d-box and points further out.