School me on septic systems

[Sasquatch]

As some of you may know I am buying a house. I have always been on a standard sewer system tied into the city. My new place is on a septic system so I have NO clue what I am in for. I do know it has recently been pumped and certified (which from what I understand is good for roughly 10 years).

So let me know what to expect. Any tips or tricks. What to look for or be mindful of. Anything that may help me not have a huge mess on my hands in the future.

[BucketBack]

Don't flush baby wipes

Leave a piece of meat outside until maggots form, then toss it into the tank.

The maggots will thrive in the mess and keep the solids down

[Inor]

Twice per year, go to the hardware store and buy a bottle of the poop-eating bacteria. Flush the toilet bugs down the toilet furthest from the septic tank and you should be good to go. Beyond that, just don't drive a cement truck over the top of the septic tank.

[Dwight55]

I've never had to do anything with any of the systems I've used.

My parents had to pump theirs out every now and then, . . . but they had 4 boys who could eat Bloomberg out of house and home.

It is basically a two container cement tank, . . . everything gets flushed / drained from the house into the first tank, . . . and the idea is that all the "solids" will settle in there, . . . become some kind of biodegradable soup, . . . that the bacteria eats up.

As the tank fills, . . . there is an opening that allows liquid only to go over into the second chamber, . . . when it fills up, . . . it overflows into your distribution lines. The distribution lines can usually be found in late summer during the "dry season", . . . it will show up as long green lines of grass. There should also be a perimeter drain that surrounds all the distribution lines.

Water goes into the distribution lines, . . . filters thru the gravel / sand / dirt and goes to the distribution lines, . . . where it is taken away to a ditch line, a stream, a river, or just a low place and allowed to dump out and find it's way to a waterway.

Supposedly, . . . you could take a collection system, . . . grab the water from the perimeter drain, . . . put it in a jug and drink it. I'm not that brave yet.

AND, . . . yes, . . . never allow anything (like baby wipes) to go into the system that is not 100% biodegradable. Personal hygiene products and prophylactics, among other things need to find a different disposal technique or you will be pumping more often. Paper towels are also a "no-no", . . . so some education may be required for all your inhabitants.

Our church was built in the late 60's, . . . far as I can tell, . . . never been pumped out, . . . and serious as this may sound, . . . we cannot find any portion of the system. Yes, . . . we have tried. I'm just hoping for the best as we use the system.

May God bless,
Dwight

[rstanek]

Much of it depends on who installs your system, if done properly and maintained you can get 20 years plus. Much is determined on how your soil perks. That will determine if you can install or what size drain field. Bottom line.... get a reputable contractor and don’t cut corners. Get the septic tank pumped every couple years.....

[hawgrider]

I only pump mine every 8 years no issues.

[Ricekila]

Ah --- an opportunity to ragail y'all with my famous septic tank story --

My parents moved out to Lawnguyland in 1952 -- in 1967-ish we were having septic problems -- my father decided to have in pumped out but he / we needed to expose the main pool cover --- it was filled to the brim -- the truck came and about an hour later just before it was emptied about the best they could - I was standing there with a flash light --- calling my father over -- and shining it on a condom -- I asked --

"Is that my brother or sister down there" --

Laughing his ass off he called my mother out of the house to have a look --

"You ass-holes are discusting" !

The cesspool story -- the end --

[Slippy]

Ah --- an opportunity to ragail y'all with my famous septic tank story --

My parents moved out to Lawnguyland in 1952 -- in 1967-ish we were having septic problems -- my father decided to have in pumped out but he / we needed to expose the main pool cover --- it was filled to the brim -- the truck came and about an hour later just before it was emptied about the best they could - I was standing there with a flash light --- calling my father over -- and shining it on a condom -- I asked --

"Is that my brother or sister down there" --

Laughing his ass off he called my mother out of the house to have a look --

"You ass-holes are discusting" !

The cesspool story -- the end --

Hilarious!

[Slippy]

As some of you may know I am buying a house. I have always been on a standard sewer system tied into the city. My new place is on a septic system so I have NO clue what I am in for. I do know it has recently been pumped and certified (which from what I understand is good for roughly 10 years).

So let me know what to expect. Any tips or tricks. What to look for or be mindful of. Anything that may help me not have a huge mess on my hands in the future.

Sasq my boy,

Detergents, Solids and Fats are a Septic System's worst enemy. Excess water can be a bad thing if your soil does not perk or if it is constantly getting saturated which probably isn't a concern in dry Southern Cal. But keep that in mind.

Detergents kill the good bacteria that eat shit. Bleach is bad. Real bad. IF possible, re-route the plumbing line from the washer machine, dishwasher, kitchen sink and shower into a Gray Water Holding tank. You can filter and use that water on your garden if your county allows.

Solids, other than human shit, are potentials to clog the lines in the system. Condoms, tampons, papertowels, hair, babywipes etc are no-no's.

Fats are also bad, bacteria that eats the shit and bio-degradeable toilet paper usually cannot break down animal and vegetable fats so keep them out of the system. Most of these originate in the kitchen so re-routing your kitchen sink and dishwasher exit pipes can keep fats out of the system. Excess food in a Kitchen Sink In-Sinkerator Disposal is also a no-no.

I built Slippy Lodge on the highest ridge on my property...which happened to be Shale Rock. I had to bulldoze and break up the shale then bring in soil that would perk. Since Slippy Lodge is our "forever place" we designed the septic so that nothing goes into it except our bathroom toilets and 2 sinks (to give it some much needed water). Everything else goes into a Grey Water area. My county does not require a holding tank, so I dump Grey Water into a ravine at the end of my 30 acres. PVC was cheap when I built!

Aeration; You can add a Pump Aeration system that will help break down the solids by keeping everything stirred up. It works.

I went the extra mile and installed a true Water Treatment Plant. I have Two 1500 gallon tanks that feed into a series of Lines that are actually elongated plastic Tanks that have baffles in them to separate solids along the route out of the lines. The first 1500 gallon tank is Aerated by a Pump that constantly blows air into the tank. I got 5 years out of the first pump and the replacement pump cost be about $60. When I put in the new pump, it took about an hour and a few cusswords later, I was stirring shit again.

The last time I opened the hatch on my second tank, it looked like light brown water and didn't smell bad at all because everything was working. I haven't pumped it and it is designed to last forever. Supposedly, the water that comes out of the Field Lines can be boiled and filtered and can be consumed. I will not test it that's for damn sure.

Oh and like Inor said, don't drive heavy shit over your field lines! Also, do not plant trees or bushes with roots that go deep and can mess with your field lines. My field line area is fenced and I have a natural fescue grass that I usually do not cut and I;ve overseeded with perrinneal wildflowers.

Good luck!

[Broncosfan]

I was told by a septic tank man to add a few tablets of brewers yeast and flush once in awhile. He said the yeast was a lot cheaper than the stuff you buy at the hardware store. I flush 5 tablets a week. Probably a little overboard but its cheap. A bottle last almost a year.

[TJC44]

Twice per year, go to the hardware store and buy a bottle of the poop-eating bacteria. Flush the toilet bugs down the toilet furthest from the septic tank and you should be good to go. Beyond that, just don't drive a cement truck over the top of the septic tank.Or a fire truck. Yes, it's happened. No, I was not driving.

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[Deebo]

In NM we call the fields leach lines.
A septic tank inspection only checks the integrity of tank, any property sale in NM, the land seller is responsible for a "county code compliant" tank, meaning, that the dwelling must have X amount of gallons for X amount of bathrooms and house occupants. ( A damn rip Off when you own land).
As a buyer, if its not to late, have them run a camera down your leach lines, to check for smashed or broken pipes, and root damage. It should only be another 100 or so on the inspection.
And, as stated, nothing goes in that isn't poop or pee, and if you can, run your grey water off.
NO cigarette butts, condoms, tampons, wet wipes or the damn plastic applicator deals from tampons..
Only pump out if neccessary, because like stated, you loose all the good bacteria.
My new house has an "Above ground tank" and I still haven't figured it out.
Good luck with that shower hair..
Get those little screens, and be sure to get the little plastic ziptie things that grab hair and yank them from the traps.

[Sparkyprep]

Looks like everything I was going to say has already been said.

[Innkeeper]

I have been in my house 5 years now and have not had to pump or (knock on wood) any problems. I have had a maple pop up in the middle of my drain field which I cut down right away to protect my septic. Luckily it is just me and the dogs with an occasional visitor so not a tin going in like many in my family. I also am happy not to be on city water and sewer and not close enough to worry in my lifetime.


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[Sasquatch]

Thank you gents. You are all a wealth of information and I will put it to good use along this new journey. I'll be dusting off this thread in the future if I have question because I know you all have the answers.

[Dwight55]

I have been in my house 5 years now and have not had to pump or (knock on wood) any problems. I have had a maple pop up in the middle of my drain field which I cut down right away to protect my septic. Luckily it is just me and the dogs with an occasional visitor so not a tin going in like many in my family. I also am happy not to be on city water and sewer and not close enough to worry in my lifetime.


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Actually, . . . there is a big difference of opinion about your treatment of that maple, . . . and what the effect really is.

If that maple is not putting a tap root big enough to totally block the entire line and the gravel bed (3 ft tall, . . . 12 inches wide), . . . then you did more harm cutting it than leaving it.

Leaving it, . . . it would have put out enough roots to have sucked up 3 or 4 times the output of your septic every day, . . . once it matured, . . . and would never have put enough roots down there to obstruct anything.

Roots only obstruct when they get into the pipe leading from the house to the tank, . . . after the tank, . . . they are more beneficial than they are a detriment.

Got that from the guys that do poopy pipes for a living.

May God bless,
Dwight

[Inor]

Or a fire truck. Yes, it's happened. No, I was not driving.

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That's a BAD day! First your house burns down then the Fire Department comes along and crushes your septic tank! I hope you don't tell us the next chapter in this is the cops came along and shot his dog for barking at them?!?

[BucketBack]

My 2nd tile field is 10 years old and has been pumped 3 times, with all the wimmen that were here.

Now by myself, it'll be a minute before it gets pumped out again.

The 1st tile field is 40 years old and I have a switch to change between the two each year. There is also a filter in the 40 year old tank to satisfy new code.

[TJC44]

That's a BAD day! First your house burns down then the Fire Department comes along and crushes your septic tank! I hope you don't tell us the next chapter in this is the cops came along and shot his dog for barking at them?!?No, but it was interesting watching the HD wrecker trying to pull the truck out. It was winter.

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