shop-talk
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Septic Tank Problems

To: <shop-talk@autox.team.net>, <tshirley@vol.com>
Subject: Re: Septic Tank Problems
From: "Nolan Penney" <npenney@mde.state.md.us>
Date: Wed, 08 Aug 2001 06:31:10 -0400
You've got two different layers of gunk in a septic tank.  The floating layer 
on top, 
and the settling layer on the bottom.  Both can get into your leach field, 
plugging it.
The top layer tends to be crusty, while the bottom layer tends to be goey.  The 
top,
being crusty, tends to break off in chunks.  The bottom, being goey, tends to 
ooze.
You break the crust usually by raising or lowering the water level in the tank. 
 The
bottom layer gets kicked up by agitation.

Now before we get into hysterics over the leach field, you might have a simpler 
plug
in the line, or in the tank outlet to the leach field.  If this is the case, it 
can be removed
mechanically.  The plugging up of an entire leach field in a mere month is 
quite dubious.  
This is normally a far slower process.  It also tends to be gradual.  

You tend to get plugs like this from poor servicing of the tank.  If the folks 
that 
pumped you simply left the crust on top, allowing it to break off and plug 
things up, 
or if they kicked up the bottom sludge without removing it, you've had a 
disservice 
done to you.  I mention this because you mention just having the tank serviced.

You also can get sludge knocked out of the tank by large water flow, heavy
slugs of water, or certain chemicals or solvents.  Friends coming over and
spending the weekend in the shower can overflow a tank.  So can a wild
session of clothes washing.  And, going wild with the shop or household
chemicals, especially things like drain cleaners or bleach.

While I am a believer in things like Rid-X, there are some things about it you
should be aware of.  By its very nature of increasing solids breakdown, it
promotes their being flushed into the leach field.  Now if they continue to 
break
down in the leach field, and do so quickly enough, you don't have a problem.
But if you're flushing them out into the field faster then they can break down,
you will plug up the field.

At this point in the game, playing with Rid-X is too little, to late.  You're 
backing
up, and you must get that fixed.  I'd contact a different, highly reputable,
septic company to come and service you and examine you.  This will be a bit
more costly then a mere pumping, but it really is a mere pumping and a snaking.
You want them to clear your lines, or at least ensure they are clear.  You also
want that tank cleaned at this point.  Then start over again with fresh poop and
Rid-X.  Hopefully, they will find a mechanical blockage, and end your problems.

///
///  shop-talk@autox.team.net mailing list
///  To unsubscribe send a plain text message to majordomo@autox.team.net
///  with nothing in it but
///
///     unsubscribe shop-talk
///
///


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>