Posted: 4/19/2011 11:08:00 AM EDT
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Anybody a resident expert on the systems? or at least stay at a Holiday Inn?
My poo field has had to get pumped about every 8 months for the past 2 years and I'm kinda getting tired of it... I think it may be the leech field thats the problem. The guy who pumped it today said the tank was mostly water. We don't use that much water really; its just me and the wife. I shower most of the time on post at the gym, so its really just her using the shower 90% of the time. Any help would be appreciated. Also, how much is one looking to pay to get the leech field dug up and reinstalled? |
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What is the reason you are having to pump the leach field every 8 months? Sewage backup?
How old is the septic system? Without knowing any details, it sounds like your leach field is getting backed up by solid waste, which is supposed to be contained in the septic tank. You should only ever have to pump your septic tank, not your field. The leach field is only designed to handle liquid waste. Do you have a garbage disposal on your kitchen sink? I helped a buddy do the septic inspection on our house we sold. We had to do a "soil absorption system adequacy test". Which means, we tested to see how fast the leach field filled up. We pulled the leach field inspection pipe caps and ran a garden hose full blast into the pipe farthest away from the house. We then took a cheap 10' piece of 1x2 and marked off 6 inch increments with a sharpie, which was used to measure the waste/water level at 15 minute intervals. My house had 3 leach field inspection pipes, so we stuck our "shit stick" down into each pipe every 15 mintues and noted the level. We did this for 2 hours. The most our field ever accumulated was about 2 inches of water. I'm not sure on how much it would cost to have a new leach field set up. But it sounds like a shitty situation 
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Your septic tank should be mostly water with some sludge at the bottom. When it needs pumping the sludge is filling the tank. The leach field lets the excess water drain off and filter into the ground. A good running septic should have enough bacteria to eat the sludge and disolve it into solution. Microbe lift is a product that will boost your bacteria and get a leach field free flowing again. Rid-x is just a food for the bacteria and will do little for a problem system.
I hope this helps. I can answer more if needed. I know poop, I talk shit, give shit, and step in it once in a while. |
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Normal pumping interval for a properly size tank and leachfield is every two years, even though pumpers want to hit you annually. Without more information it is tough to say for sure what your problem is, but I agree that the leachfield is suspect. You either have an obstructed/crushed/rooted pipe or your system is plugged your leachfield with biofilm. This will happen to older systems. A new leachfield is normally the fix. If you have the real estate, construct a new leachfield elsewhere and install a diverter valve. You can run the new field. Over a year or two, the old field will clear up, as the biomass decomposes. You can switch field over time, and have no further field problems. More information is necessary. If you are in Anchorage, you can pull up your septic system design on the muni website. www.muni,org/onsite. If you are elsewhere you will need to got to DEC and get a copy. It is advisable to obtain a copy of the design. If your system is a younger system, you are likely on marginal soils. If this is the case you will have to go trenched or mounded system (if you have the grade) or to an Advantex type of system which is $$$. |
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System is 3-4 years old. Was installed by the previous owner (did the whole take pictures of it and send them in for approval thing before covering it up with dirt) when the house was built.
When we bought the house we had the inspection done and there was never any water that reached the end of the leach field, but the tank never actually filled up either, so it was draining somewhere... There's only 1 inspection pipe at the end of the leach field btw. The guy who pumped it looked at the pipe and said it was the wrong kind (I don't know the difference...) I'll see if i can't take some pics when I get home for frame of reference since you guys apparently know shit
The local septic guy said last time that the tanks here aren't warm enough to actually digest stuff b/c the bacteria doesn't get warm enough to do its thing. I'm just glad we caught it before shit poured all over the lower level for the 3rd time... Wife failed to let me know of the impending doom last time (downstairs toilet bubbling and filling up with water randomly) This time she learned 
ETA: Don't have a whirlpool or garbage disposal. Found the design on DEC link |
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Deep trench design used, but no percolation test data. My initial thought is that poor soils or seasonally fluctuating water table. Normally you dig a test pit to inspect for water table and perform a percolation test. Only the water table inspection was noted as performed. Soil type is listed as GM, which is a Unified Soil Classification System designation for silty gravel. I am pretty confident that the soil is too tight and won't pass a percolation test. I think there might be a good chance the trench is not draining fast enough to keep up with your household discharge. I haven't reviewed these regs in a while. Page 12, Notice the double asterisk for GM soils. A percolation test is required, and to be signed off by an engineer or someone working under an engineers direction. No allowance for an approved individual as was the case with your installer . http://www.dec.state.ak.us/water/wwdp/onsite/pdf/18AAC72_122309.pdf The omission of the test may have set you up for failure. |
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Working with DEC on this now.
A percolation test was never conducted, but the soil was classified as GM by Soils Alaska (have the paperwork on it now) The response I got was "All we require is that the home owner have the soil be analyzed by a professional soils testing lab. A percolation test is not required unless the soils are marginal silt/clay soils found in wet areas." Sent them page 12 of the reg and raised the WTF flag... OH looked back at my receipts... Pumped in Dec 2009, Nov 2010, and then this week. |