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Set up the lawn chairs, fire up the BBQ, its SEPTIC PUMP OUT DAY
- Thread starter Melensdad
- Start date
tiredretired
The Old Salt
It is recommended every 3-5 years or so. Mostly to keep the sludge under control and inspect the both baffles for any problems. If you have a garbage disposal (not recommended) must do it more often to keep the grease from building up.
Rule of thumb. 3 or less people in house every 5 years. 4 or more, every 3 years.
Use 1 ply toilet paper only. Your tank will love you for it.
I have an access port above each baffle (maybe they all do?) to take a gander and make sure all is well. All ports up to grade level with mini man hole covers that are heavier than a Italian Mother-In-Law.
I am NOT going to say I never have a problem. That would be a stupid thing to do.
I concern myself more with the health and quality of the leech field than I do the tank. That's where the big money is.
Rule of thumb. 3 or less people in house every 5 years. 4 or more, every 3 years.
Use 1 ply toilet paper only. Your tank will love you for it.
I have an access port above each baffle (maybe they all do?) to take a gander and make sure all is well. All ports up to grade level with mini man hole covers that are heavier than a Italian Mother-In-Law.
I am NOT going to say I never have a problem. That would be a stupid thing to do.
I concern myself more with the health and quality of the leech field than I do the tank. That's where the big money is.
muleman
Gone But Not Forgotten
Mine has cleanouts in both compartments with a filter to keep solids from getting to the D-box. I covered the cleanouts with plastic and have a tire over that as a locator. It is covered in dirt but real easy to find if I need to dig it up. For the 2 of us i ain't worried about filling it up. We try hard to keep all grease out of it as that is what kills the bacteria that makes it work. I thought about putting a grease trap in after it was inspected.
This is something that really worries me.
Our house has 2 septic tanks. One is solely for the kitchen and laundry room and the other is for 4 bathrooms but there are only 2 of us in the house.
I talked to the old guy who actually built the house way back when and he told me where the septic tanks are located. I found the kitchen one and there was absolutely nothing in there except liquids. Where he told me the bathroom septic tank was, is now covered by a concrete patio so it hasn't been pumped in the 16 years we've been here and for God only knows how long before that. 5 years ago, when we were putting in a new deck, I found the line to the leach field and it was half full of sand so I had a new line and leach field put in but that hidden septic tank still worries me.
I use Rid-X fairly regularly for no other reason than it can't do any harm but I'm afraid that there is a big bill (and a mess) in my future and a major reconstruction job after digging that thing up.
Should I just pray and hope that everything will be continue to be OK or should I take pre-emptive action and go digging for it before something really bad happens.
Our house has 2 septic tanks. One is solely for the kitchen and laundry room and the other is for 4 bathrooms but there are only 2 of us in the house.
I talked to the old guy who actually built the house way back when and he told me where the septic tanks are located. I found the kitchen one and there was absolutely nothing in there except liquids. Where he told me the bathroom septic tank was, is now covered by a concrete patio so it hasn't been pumped in the 16 years we've been here and for God only knows how long before that. 5 years ago, when we were putting in a new deck, I found the line to the leach field and it was half full of sand so I had a new line and leach field put in but that hidden septic tank still worries me.
I use Rid-X fairly regularly for no other reason than it can't do any harm but I'm afraid that there is a big bill (and a mess) in my future and a major reconstruction job after digging that thing up.
Should I just pray and hope that everything will be continue to be OK or should I take pre-emptive action and go digging for it before something really bad happens.
One tank for gray water and another for black water? That seems odd.
I'd suggest that at this point you try to balance things or lighten the load on the black water tank. Either stop wiping or start pooping in the kitchen sink (or the washing machine).
I assume the 2 tanks are in parallel but both run to the leach bed. Is that correct (or does the gray water go into a creek or some other place other than the bed)? All mine have their tanks in series. Whole house to first tank, first tank to 2nd tank.
I don't know how your pipes run to that black water tank but if you have a nice patio, I'd be looking on what it would take to drop in a new tank (in a better location) and re-route to that one.
ETF, is there a way under your house to change what drains to which tank?
If there is, and assuming both tanks and drainage fields could temporarily handle all the waste for the entire house, I would do some plumbing now so that if one tank malfunctions, you could switch some valves and divert everything to the good tank.
By doing the plumbing now, you will continue to have a working sewage system even though one tank is out of commission.
Most of us only have one septic system, so when something happens to the tank or drain field, nothing in the house that generates waste can be used, which in many cases, means we have to live somewhere else while the problem is resolved.
To me, that is a major inconvenience. If I were fortunate enough to have two septic systems, in an emergency, I would want to be able to divert everything to one of the tanks.
Bob
Just thought of something else: where we live, the closest city is slowly creeping this way. Soon I expect them to take us into their ETJ. When they do, the only way you can get a permit to install a new well, septic tank or drainage field, is to agree to hook onto city water and sewage once it is available.
One thing the bastards neglect to tell you is that no one can hook onto city sewage & water without being annexed by the city.
So this means if your well or septic system fails, and you need a permit to repair/replace it, the city will not issue a permit unless you agree to their terms. They have you between a rock and a hard place because you are without working plumbing and most likely will agree to anything to make your house liveable again.
Bob
One thing the bastards neglect to tell you is that no one can hook onto city sewage & water without being annexed by the city.
So this means if your well or septic system fails, and you need a permit to repair/replace it, the city will not issue a permit unless you agree to their terms. They have you between a rock and a hard place because you are without working plumbing and most likely will agree to anything to make your house liveable again.
Bob
muleman
Gone But Not Forgotten
Frank, it all runs downhill. One more reason i live on top of the mountain..... I kid the Amish boys about that sometimes. If the tank is under the patio now I would see if you can reroute to a new tank that you will have access to. Depending on toilet paper type it should run for years as is but permits get harder to get all the time. Might be a smart move to plan ahead. I never pumped the tank at the old farm in 24 years. It worked and never backed up. My sinks and washing machine all went to a separate drainfield in the pasture.
I can't hook the two tanks together, they're too far apart at opposite ends of the house.
The kitchen septic runs out in to the pasture somewhere. There's no disposal in the kitchen, strainers on all the sinks and no grease or the like is ever put down the sinks. That's why there was nothing but liquid in it when I checked.
The septic with the 4 bathrooms on it is something else. There's nowhere to move it to or to site a new septic without ripping out trees, destroying retaining walls, tearing up the in ground pool deck and on and on. It would be a nightmare. The house is on a little hill and the field lines run downhill pretty good so before it backs up into the house it would have to plug up the relatively new field lines and fill the septic tank and the line back to the house. If that happens it's a case of evacuate the house and call HAZMAT for clean up.
I've thought about it lot and the only two options are wait until it plugs up and then rip up the patio to get to the septic tank or rip up the patio now before it backs into the house. If I rip up the patio now and that SOB is clear then I'll be one mad son-of-a-gun.
Hey, I'm 66-years old. With a bit of luck I'll be out of here and I'll let her next husband worry about it. Serves him right.
The kitchen septic runs out in to the pasture somewhere. There's no disposal in the kitchen, strainers on all the sinks and no grease or the like is ever put down the sinks. That's why there was nothing but liquid in it when I checked.
The septic with the 4 bathrooms on it is something else. There's nowhere to move it to or to site a new septic without ripping out trees, destroying retaining walls, tearing up the in ground pool deck and on and on. It would be a nightmare. The house is on a little hill and the field lines run downhill pretty good so before it backs up into the house it would have to plug up the relatively new field lines and fill the septic tank and the line back to the house. If that happens it's a case of evacuate the house and call HAZMAT for clean up.
I've thought about it lot and the only two options are wait until it plugs up and then rip up the patio to get to the septic tank or rip up the patio now before it backs into the house. If I rip up the patio now and that SOB is clear then I'll be one mad son-of-a-gun.
Hey, I'm 66-years old. With a bit of luck I'll be out of here and I'll let her next husband worry about it. Serves him right.
tiredretired
The Old Salt
Frank, I would be willing to bet you will outlive the thing.
Rid-Ex does very little, but it can not hurt.
Rid-Ex does very little, but it can not hurt.