np! good luck!and let us know what you came up with please!

 

i think we all know what i will come up with, or hope i don't come up with

 

VX I hope what we all have suggested to you helps you out and what mike told you in a pm, but I would check the vents though too just to be on the safe side,

 

Thanks all for your insight and help.

 

If you use a lot of Bleach in the wash (not good) that killz the Emzines that help eat up the stuff..... If you have never used Rid-X then 3 years = time to pump, every 5 years is normal time. We have a 1500 gallon system at our home If you can make your Wash water into Grey water for watering Trees and Bushes etc.
Small storage and pump = tax credit

 

not big on bleaching. going to try snaking and guess it is time to pump.
thanks

 

I have 4 neighbors up the street from me who have septic systems, and they've never pumped in the 20+ years I've been here. A properly sized/maintained system shouldn't need pumping. Phosphates, bleaches & meats are what usually cause the problems.

 

This is really not true! The tank acts as an (active) filter, and like all filters it needs to be cleaned periodically. The amount of time between pumping depends on a lot of things: tanks size, family size, do you have a garbage disposal, dishwasher, how much paper you use, et.c etc. The solids will build up in the bottom of the tank and if they build up too far they'll start to flow out to the leach field where they will eventually plug up the field. Getting the tank pumped is cheap money compared to replacing the field.

Open the the cover of the tank closest to the house and check the level of the liquid - it should be below the level of the inlet pipe by several inches. If it's above the pipe your leach field may already be in trouble.) There should be a tee or a baffle around the inlet pipe come into the tank - make sure there's no grease build up there. There should also be a baffle around the outlet pipe, it's meant to drain liquid from about the middle of the depth of the tank, keeping the solids that sink to the bottom and the grease that floats on the top in the tank - that's how the "filter" works.

Run a snake the like back up the inlet pipe towards the house - use a good 4 inch snake and make sure the pipe is good and clean. Flush a toilet in the house. The water should come out in one steady slug - no trickle, no waves, no long period of draining. If it doesn't act like it should you could have a blockage, blocked vent, broken or sagging inlet pipe...

When you get the tank pumped, ask them what the level of the solids were in the tank - more than a 1/3 full is too much. If you also know how long it was since the last pumping you can get a good idea of when to pump it next. 2-4 years is typical, but if you got a big family, lots of laundry and cooking and dishes, 1 year isn't unheard of.

 

Forget the Rid-X. Your septic needs no chemicals to work properly. Pump it every 3-4 years, or sooner if you have a large family, and you'll have no problems.

 

Rid-x is not a chemical. It's dried microbes. Septic systems are not like filters, they are anaerobic digesters. The bugs (microbes) break down all of crap in the septic system. Once they are broken down, they float out of the overflow and into the lateral lines. Pchristman is exactly right.

 

Sorry hofuf, but you're wrong. Not completely wrong - yes, there is microbial action which reduces the nature and the volume of the effluent. But it is not all reduced to liquid. So the tank does act as a filter, retaining the solid results of the digestion process and allowing the liquid to flow out. If you look at the construction of a septic tank and understand how it's meant to work you'll see that it is designed explictly so that things *cannot* "float out of the overflow". This would be a bad thing, as what floats is typically mostly grease which is extremely detrimetal to the leach field.

 

That is right Rid-x is a joke. I drove a honey dipper for 4 years for Concord wastewater management. I know my septic systems. You should get it pumped 1 time every 3-4 years. IMO i would go about once every 2 years. It is all in the size of the family. I go on 4 people in the house. for 3-4 years. Its like changeing oil in your car. The motor will last alot longer if you take care of it. Same thing with a septic system. To the guy that says he knows people that havent got there septic pumped out in 20 years LOL I hope they got 25,000+ for a new system cuz they are going to need one real soon. I hate to be the pumper truck going to that call.

 

I agree with Powerstroke above. Having been familiar with septic systems for over 20 years installing and repairing them, I find that the best maintenance is frequent cleaning and no additives. Pump them every few years, or more depending on the size of the family and useage. Make sure that whoever pumps the system loosens the sludge and cleans that out well, as well as the inlet and outlet. The additives do nothing; but they have convinced the average homeowner that they are necessary. Save your money; pump the tank on a regular basis and you will have no problems. The guy who said he knows people who have not pumped their system in over 20 years will find that (a) the system drains into sand, or (b) the drainfield is plugged with sludge, which will be a costly $ repair.

 

I'm that guy. There's no sand and no sludge plugging.

Additives do plenty - they replenish the microbes that have been killed off by improper usage. If people treat septic systems the same as city sewer systems, they're bound to have trouble, because the microbes cannot digest everything that's thrown down at them. Take care of them and they'll take care of you.

The baffles mentioned earlier do prevent solids from escaping - that is their purpose. But the solids don't remain solid forever (if the system is working), but are digested and converted into soluble nutrients.

Those who just dump anything into their system (except proper additives) and pump frequently are essentially using their system as a holding tank, and don't seem to know the difference between a house and an RV

 

In years of pumping tanks and repairing systems, I never saw even *one* system that needed any additives to keep the activity in the tank going. Which is not to say it is impossible to kill off the bugs in the septic tank (think about the word "anti-septic"), but in practical terms - don't waste your money. The initiators for microbial process are inherent in what gets flushed into the tank - for instance, no additive is needed to get the microbial action started in a new tank - why would a non-abused working tank require any?

All that enters the tank does *not* eventually get converted to soluble nutrients - most do, but some does not. If your septic tank was nothing but a holding tank, it would have to be pumped every couple of months. The reduction of effluents to liquid means in the average home you can go years between pumping. But eventually the solids will build up to the point where they escape the baffles in the tank, and when that happens your leach field's days are numbered. Anyone who has dug up failed leach fields can tell you exactly why they fail - they gravel interface in the field is plugged with grease and/or solids.

So do you feel lucky? Then spend your money on snake oil instead of pumping. But odds are good you'll be replacing the field...