Septic Tank

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: Bryophyte

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: tyler811
Well looks like I made it in the nick of time. I opened it up because I have an appointment tomorrow at 11 am. Took about 20 minutes to dig up and lift off lid. Almost all the to the top.

I believe they are designed to fill almost to the top before it goes into the leech field.

Yes, and then the leach field does it's job and allows the liquid waste to percolate down into the soil. A septic tank should never need to be pumped if the system is working as it was designed to do.

The solid waste breaks down into a liquid helped my microbial action. When the liquid level in the tank gets high enough, the liquid flows out to the leach field. They are designed to be maintenance free.

You should never have to pump a septic tank unless you have problems with the leach field or the piping to the leach field.

Um, no. That is absolutely false. There will always be solids that settle in the tank. Even a healthy tank (with ideal bacterial conditions) will accumulate solids that cannot be further broken down and will need to be pumped out periodically to avoid having those solids escape the tank and clog the drainfield.

What solids would not break down?

 

[OCGuy]

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: Bryophyte

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: tyler811
Well looks like I made it in the nick of time. I opened it up because I have an appointment tomorrow at 11 am. Took about 20 minutes to dig up and lift off lid. Almost all the to the top.

I believe they are designed to fill almost to the top before it goes into the leech field.

Yes, and then the leach field does it's job and allows the liquid waste to percolate down into the soil. A septic tank should never need to be pumped if the system is working as it was designed to do.

The solid waste breaks down into a liquid helped my microbial action. When the liquid level in the tank gets high enough, the liquid flows out to the leach field. They are designed to be maintenance free.

You should never have to pump a septic tank unless you have problems with the leach field or the piping to the leach field.

Um, no. That is absolutely false. There will always be solids that settle in the tank. Even a healthy tank (with ideal bacterial conditions) will accumulate solids that cannot be further broken down and will need to be pumped out periodically to avoid having those solids escape the tank and clog the drainfield.

What solids would not break down?

PF Changs

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: tyler811
Well looks like I made it in the nick of time. I opened it up because I have an appointment tomorrow at 11 am. Took about 20 minutes to dig up and lift off lid. Almost all the to the top.

I believe they are designed to fill almost to the top before it goes into the leech field.

Yes, and then the leach field does it's job and allows the liquid waste to percolate down into the soil. A septic tank should never need to be pumped if the system is working as it was designed to do.

The solid waste breaks down into a liquid helped my microbial action. When the liquid level in the tank gets high enough, the liquid flows out to the leach field. They are designed to be maintenance free.

You should never have to pump a septic tank unless you have problems with the leach field or the piping to the leach field.

more wrong information.

solid waste IS going to form even with microbial action. One with it is going to be needed pumped far less then one without.

Originally posted by: Modelworks
The last time we had ours done the guy said that laundry detergent and bleach are a couple items that can hurt a tank by killing the helpful bacteria. Also grease can clog lines . He recommended the ridx stuff to boost the bacteria that might be killed off by heavy washing. Also recommended we get a grease trap.

interesting. from what i read teh RIDX type stuff is bad. it goes in and kills off the helpfull bacteria. will have to do mor looking on that

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Modelworks
The last time we had ours done the guy said that laundry detergent and bleach are a couple items that can hurt a tank by killing the helpful bacteria. Also grease can clog lines . He recommended the ridx stuff to boost the bacteria that might be killed off by heavy washing. Also recommended we get a grease trap.

interesting. from what i read teh RIDX type stuff is bad. it goes in and kills off the helpfull bacteria. will have to do mor looking on that

Well, ridx is a box of bacteria. Maybe the ridx bacteria kills the normal bacteria ?

 

[boomerang]

Well, I guess I'm living on borrowed time. 22 years in this home and I've never had mine pumped.

I concede.

 

[CPA]

What did your septic maintenance guy say? Mine says about once every 3 years. We have 6 people in the house.

 

[Modelworks]

Mine said every 3 years.

 

[tyler811]

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: tyler811
Well looks like I made it in the nick of time. I opened it up because I have an appointment tomorrow at 11 am. Took about 20 minutes to dig up and lift off lid. Almost all the to the top.

I believe they are designed to fill almost to the top before it goes into the leech field.

Yes, and then the leach field does it's job and allows the liquid waste to percolate down into the soil. A septic tank should never need to be pumped if the system is working as it was designed to do.

The solid waste breaks down into a liquid helped my microbial action. When the liquid level in the tank gets high enough, the liquid flows out to the leach field. They are designed to be maintenance free.

You should never have to pump a septic tank unless you have problems with the leach field or the piping to the leach field.

Dude put down that crack pipe and set that half gallon of Jack Daniels in your other hand down also. Did you not read the helpful link Waggy put up. Lots of great info in it. Because of soap and cleaning products unless you d not clean your toilet or shower, this kills the bacteria that breaks down the poop.

 

[tyler811]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: tyler811
Well looks like I made it in the nick of time. I opened it up because I have an appointment tomorrow at 11 am. Took about 20 minutes to dig up and lift off lid. Almost all the to the top.

i'll bet that smells fantastic

Actually it was not to bad because we have a pleasant day here. It is about 65 degrees and a slight breeze from the south.

 

[tyler811]

When we bought our house the real estate agent and the septic inspector said not to do it. Also the guy who pump our septic six years ago said not either. All them said to restart the bacteria process again is as simply as putting down the seat, lowering your pants and bending at the knees. Over the toilet of course.


Even the guide Waggy posted said not to use it.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: boomerang
Well, I guess I'm living on borrowed time. 22 years in this home and I've never had mine pumped.

I concede.

Well, your septic tank/leach field will have a much shorter life. Enjoy spending thousands to tens of thousands to replace it while other's have their systems last twice as long.

 

[tyler811]

Originally posted by: tyler811

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: tyler811
Well looks like I made it in the nick of time. I opened it up because I have an appointment tomorrow at 11 am. Took about 20 minutes to dig up and lift off lid. Almost all the to the top.

I believe they are designed to fill almost to the top before it goes into the leech field.

Yes, and then the leach field does it's job and allows the liquid waste to percolate down into the soil. A septic tank should never need to be pumped if the system is working as it was designed to do.

The solid waste breaks down into a liquid helped my microbial action. When the liquid level in the tank gets high enough, the liquid flows out to the leach field. They are designed to be maintenance free.

You should never have to pump a septic tank unless you have problems with the leach field or the piping to the leach field.

Dude put down that crack pipe and set that half gallon of Jack Daniels in your other hand down also. J/K Did you not read the helpful link Waggy put up. Lots of great info in it. Because of soap and cleaning products unless you d not clean your toilet or shower, this kills the bacteria that breaks down the poop.

 

[tyler811]

Originally posted by: boomerang
Well, I guess I'm living on borrowed time. 22 years in this home and I've never had mine pumped.

I concede.

Well how big is your tank and how many people live your house.

One last thing, are you sure your not hooked up to city sewer?

 

[tyler811]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: boomerang
Well, I guess I'm living on borrowed time. 22 years in this home and I've never had mine pumped.

I concede.

Well, your septic tank/leach field will have a much shorter life. Enjoy spending thousands to tens of thousands to replace it while other's have their systems last twice as long.

Especially if he lives on a lake or his ground is clay. Special engineered systems are well over $10,000.

 

[OCGuy]

Actually if you avoid Taco Bell and Mexican beer, you can stretch it out to 6 years.

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: tyler811

Originally posted by: boomerang
Well, I guess I'm living on borrowed time. 22 years in this home and I've never had mine pumped.

I concede.

Well how big is your tank and how many people live your house.

One last thing, are you sure your not hooked up to city sewer?

Well, I've put down the crack pipe .......

500 gallon tank, two people in the house. I watched the house being built and the septic field and tank put in.

 

[tyler811]

Originally posted by: Ocguy31
Actually if you avoid Taco Bell and Mexican beer, you can stretch it out to 6 years.

Actually all the grease in Taco Bell will clog your arteries before your septic. Ya'll be dead from a heart attack long before you have to pump your septic.

 

[tyler811]

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: tyler811

Originally posted by: boomerang
Well, I guess I'm living on borrowed time. 22 years in this home and I've never had mine pumped.

I concede.

Well how big is your tank and how many people live your house.

One last thing, are you sure your not hooked up to city sewer?

Well, I've put down the crack pipe .......

500 gallon tank, two people in the house. I watched the house being built and the septic field and tank put in.

Seriously you are lucky or constipated.

You have never had it pumped before?

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: tyler811

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: tyler811

Originally posted by: boomerang
Well, I guess I'm living on borrowed time. 22 years in this home and I've never had mine pumped.

I concede.

Well how big is your tank and how many people live your house.

One last thing, are you sure your not hooked up to city sewer?

Well, I've put down the crack pipe .......

500 gallon tank, two people in the house. I watched the house being built and the septic field and tank put in.

Seriously you are lucky or constipated.

You have never had it pumped before?

I lived in a house that was built in 1954. I moved in 1993 . During that time nobody had ever pumped the tank. The original owner of the house did not even know where it was in the yard. The tank worked fine for the first 2 years I had the house, then we added on a bathroom and it started backing up. When we found the tank it was actually a metal casing round tank about 2 feet below the surface.

So that tank went 1995-1954 = 41 years without any maintenance.

Edit:
One thing that was different with that house was that the washing machine and kitchen sink drained into a nearby ditch. We never knew about it till the county came to do some tile replacement and saw soap suds in the bottom of the ditch. We had to fix it since it isn't legal to dump grey water in the ditches.