leach field woes

[gaugeguy]

Had the tank pumped today on our every two year schedule. The operator said that I had about 600 gallons of water come back to the tank from the field. They want to come in in a couple weeks and fracture the field for $1200 as opposed to replacing the field for $10,000. <br /><br />We knew the field was in sore shape when we bought the house in '98 (it was built in '84). The effluent is not spilling out, nor is there any foul odors...yet. So if it were your house, would you go with the fracturing (which carries a 5yr guarantee), or just replace the field??

 

[gspig]

Re: leach field woes

$10000 sounds steep for some trenches and plastic drain pipe. You may want to check with your local health department and see what the regs on a leach field are. Fracturing may be considered a repair whereas new leach field may be subject to new regulations and more installation than the old field.

 

[fixin]

Re: leach field woes

I went and rented a mini excavator and redid mine for about 800 bucks.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: leach field woes

GG Isn't this the wrong time of the year? My property is super saturated between the frost trying to come out and the thawing. Nothing will touch the lawn area for over a month.<br /><br />It was just a thought considering we are in the same basic climate. <br /><br />OR<br /><br />You could use your new toy and blast a few holes in the field. How's that .308?<br /><br />Bob

 

[Bondo]

Re: leach field woes

Ayuh,........ I think Bob's on to the Answer.......I'd wait Atleast till Summer.....<br /><br />I've never heard of this "Fracturing"......<br /><br />Any Idea how they do it ?? Waterpressure..? Air Pressure..??

 

[John Carpenter]

Re: leach field woes

Got some issues along those lines myself...and didn't like the conversation with the local septic repair guy. He can't do what needs to be done because of new regulations...at least in this neck of the woods you are allowed to do the work yourself and are not held to the same standards as a commercial guy....or so my limited research has givem me to understand.<br /><br />With Bondo here....what is fracturing?

 

[LubeDude]

Re: leach field woes

If you were not having problems and were just having it done as a maintenance, I think you are being scammed. 600 gallons from a field that is suppose to be running down hill. BS thinks me.

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: leach field woes

I guess fracturing is where they bring in this machine, run a pipe down into the field at several locations and hit it with 350psi of air pressure. Then they inject little styrafoam beads to keep oxygen in the system, help it drain and promote bacteria growth.<br /><br />Yeah, it is the wrong time of year Bob, especially with 2" of rain yesterday. That is one of the things I told Bucky (the honey-wagon operator). I called around last night and got a few estimates for replacing the system, lowest $4200 and highest $7100.<br /><br />Like I said before when we bought the house, we knew the field was on its last leg. We dug down into the field and hit water about a foot down and the sand and stone was caked with lint. So anytime something like this happens, I jump into panic mode. There is no drywell for the washing machine so that isn't helping the system much either.<br /><br />Bob, the .308 is a dream. I just picked up the .50 cal muzzleloader barrel for it and can't wait to send some heavy lead downrange

 

[tomatolord]

Re: leach field woes

well first thing is do something about the washer<br /><br />especially if the wife uses chlorine to clean whites - chlorine basically kills all the bacteria in the septic tank - a losing battle!!<br /><br />either replace it with a front loader 12 gallons vs 60 per load<br />or<br />dig a french drain and pipe the washer water into that drain field - very easily done - you cannot get a plumber to do this as it is against code but you the homeowner could easily do it. Washers have a tremendous pump in them and can easily pump up hill or a good distance.<br /><br />2nd - the best way to put oxygen into the system is with an air bubbler so go buy one from wal-mart and run the hoses into the tank and let it bubble away<br /><br />Here they are replacing septic lines with pipe covered with packing peanuts - the peanuts do not compact and they are clean - apparently the dirt from rocks in a septic field to wash down and seal the septic lines like a cement.<br /><br />Also get some septic tank bacteria from lowes or somewhere -YEAST DOES NOT WORK - that piece of bread trick - yeast needs a certain warmth something a septic tank does not have.<br /><br />If possible dig some french drains away from the septic field so that water does not drain into it during rains<br /><br />Also <br /><br />You could always extend the existing fields if you have the land just add pipe onto the end of the existing field.

 

[Realgun]

Re: leach field woes

I went and rented a mini excavator and redid mine for about 800 bucks.

When I was 15 my mom made me and my brother dig a new field cost here nothing except a few minutes of grief.

 

[lakelivin]

Re: leach field woes

Originally posted by tomatolord:<br />...Also get some septic tank bacteria from lowes or somewhere -YEAST DOES NOT WORK - that piece of bread trick - yeast needs a certain warmth something a septic tank does not have....<br />

We have two tank systems here. Last time I had my solids tank pumped it was an older guy who did the job. Said he'd been doing it for over 20 years. Told me about one of his customers that had multiple systems. In each one, first thing he did after it was pumped, was to get a bucket of cow manure and dump it into the tank. The service guy swears that he's pumped those tanks several times over 20 years and that basically, the solids tanks contain only liquid, the bacteria works so well. Can't confirm, but if you're out in the country, pretty cheap to give it a try...

 

[Mark42]

Re: leach field woes

I keep meaning to get mine pumped. Hasn't been pumped since new in '92. Is that a problem? I thought the pumping was to remove undisolved waste from building up in the bottom of the tank. Does a lot of buildup hurt the tank?

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: leach field woes

Sounds like the bacteria is doing the trick Mark. <br /><br />So, I've been doing septic research the last few days and I have some major issues I have to resolve if/when I replace the whole field.<br /><br />First and foremost is the washing machine, 2 loads a day can't be helping it. Second, my water softener is backflushed into the system, that can't be helping it. Lastly, I have several trees on the outskirts of the field that I'm sure are growing roots into the field, and that can't be helping it much either.

 

[tomatolord]

Re: leach field woes

Oh yeah i put the backflush from my water softener into a french drain as well..<br /><br />The salt water and minerals from the flush will pack the drain field as well<br /><br />If it is a 'regular" house - not a vacation home and you have 2 kids the bacteria will NOT work fast enough to do the job.<br /><br />Even so over time the sludge will drop to the bottom of the tank and fill up.<br /><br />It becomes a problem when the tank is full and the "solids" are flowing into the drain field<br /><br />You should find the cap to the tank and pop it open to have a look see.

 

[tomatolord]

Re: leach field woes

oh and gg <br /><br />the average top loading washer uses 60 gallons per load vs a front loader which uses 15<br /><br />Washers put a tremendous load on the septic system.

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: leach field woes

Originally posted by tomatolord:<br /> oh and gg <br /><br />the average top loading washer uses 60 gallons per load vs a front loader which uses 15<br /><br />Washers put a tremendous load on the septic system.

Yeah, I have a 60 gallon washer and two young boys that just keep the laundry coming. Now that they are a little older, they are taking their own showers as well...Why does an 8 year old need to take a 20 minute shower???? Sure was nice when I could bathe them both at the same time in the same tub.