ot sepitic system

Anyway, there are also a lot of configurations of tanks, in parts of Michigan it is now a law to have two tanks in a series (I do not have this).

OK been in my house 16 years. Pumped the tank for the third time two weeks ago. When you have it pumped - stand there with a flashlight and watch and see what is happening and talk with the guy.

A tank does a couple of things - heavy stuff sinks to the bottom where the inorganics sit and collect and never go away and the organics decompose (slowly). The middle is the liquid. There is a "skimmer wall" on the newer tanks or a pipe that acts as a skimmer. This allows grease and the like to float and draw liquid from somewhere, maybe a foot or so under the surfact to flow out to the drain field. So - for anything that goes in, something must go out.

Hopefully - solids settle, grease floats, and liquids go out.

As far as pumping. The solids will build up and decrease the holding capacity of the tank reducing settling time and resulting in more suspended solids going to the field - BAD. The grease and low density material will float and accumulate to the point where it will go below the skimmer and go out to the field - BAD.

Therefore a tank needs to be pumped. How often is a matter you can only determine by looking at the tank and finding out how much guck is on the bottom and how much is floating. If the bottom or the top stuff gets to the field, time for a new field. Pumping is cheaper - here it is $160 for a 1,000 gal tank.

How much you accumulate depends on what you put in it and how much. Obviously a couple without a garbage disposal will put in far less than a family of 4 or 5 with a garbage disposal (yes you can run garbage into the tank, but you will need to pump it more often). A big killer, overlooked is lint from the wash machine - this will plug things up quick. Put a mesh lint filter on the discharge of the washer and change often. That link messes things up in a drainfield.

For what it's worth. Sorry bout the length.

JU

Probably plugged right at the tank inlet with grease. A 3/8" snake will break that loose. Use a piece of 1/2" EMT on the first 10ft to keep the snake from twisting up. A cordless drillmotor works good on the other end. You can also rent a power snake from HD. Eats PVC if not really careful.

A septic tank should never have to be pumped. If it does then you used too much bleach and killed the bacteria. Vinegar will restart the bacteria action. About 5gals of any cheap vinegar.

Tree roots take a auger to cut them out. They will disolve in the tank or compost inside the tank. Compost is nitrogen (tank solids), browns (T-paper, wood shavings, food scraps) and water.

Septic tanks do not like colored TP. All TP used should be septic tank safe, says so on the package. A spetic tank is not a trash can.

T_Bone

if you have a burn pile, you think the wood burns all away, but if you look, there is a bit of ash from each burn that does not go away. As well, bits of metal & dirt somehow end up in the fire. Bits of wood don't always burn 100%. Some fool will throw on a load of stuff with a lot of plastic or metal every now & then, really add to the 'unburned' part.

A septic is the same way. Bits of dirt & fiber from washing your hands & clothes stay in the bottom. Paper, grease, & small plastic toys get flushed down. Don't go away. On & on. Between 2 & 25 years, almost all tanks will fill up. Then there is no room for the stuff that woulda broken down, and it runs into your drainfield raw, sealing up the dirt/ gravel. Then the drainfield no longer works, and you get to build a new one.

It is not correct to say a tank never needs pumping. People regret thinking that all the time.....

--->Paul

In 60yrs that would be 9" of waste sludge accumalated, based upon my past usage ratio's.

So I agree, at some point my tank would need to be pumped.

T_Bone

Hi T-Bone, I think that statement is not at all correct. a septic tank is just a long term holding tank for the solids. It allows the liquids to drain off, but the solids have to be pumped out every so often depending on amount of usage. In Wisconsin it is law that they be pumped every three years (or there abouts). Here in Arkansas they recommmend pumping every three or four years, again depending on usage.

I had never heard of that law. That don't mean very much as there's alot that I haven't heard of...lol

See my resopnse too Paul.

T_Bone

My house had a problem similar to yours. Turned out the pipe from the house to the tank had gone bad. They dug it up, took out the old clay pipe and put in PVC.

Your problem could also be a collapsed drain field. If the effluent can't drain out of the tank, new effluent can't come in.

It sounds like you need a septic specialist to examine your system to tell you what's not working properly. It could be your "tight line" from the house to the tank or the tank or the leach field.

I think they are supposed to be full all the time.