I had two floods in my basement this week. The first one we thought maybe the flapper valve was leaking. The valve needed replacing. So I thought maybe with the toilet running continous. That it maybe leaking around the seal of the toilet. After new seals and valve a second flood. This time we saw it coming up the sewer line. Checked my back flow valve in the basement and it was seeping back. The valve came un hinged.
So checked the tank It was up in the collar. 8" frpm the wirng.
So today in this downpour had it pumped out.
My tank alarm never went off and the pump not working.
The septic guy notice that the wirng was in the collar and was just mereted . Pulled them up and found them all corroded. He said these should coated with heat shrink or mounted in a box outside the tank.
The guy who installed my tank took a short cut.
So maybe a warning to you guys that live on farms and acreage. Check how your tanks are wiried in so you can prevent the problem I'm having.
Now I have to dig the wires up and mount an external box for wiring.

Sheldon take note of this for your business. When installing a septic tank wire them outside with a plastic box, so wires can be checked and service and no risk of corrosion.

So Now I have to fix this and possibly have to replace my pump.
AARGH!

 

I have heard that happening before also and other septic tank nightmares.

 

sorry for your trouble Glen. man am i glad we live close enough to town to be included on the town sewer system.

 

It's raining again here today. If if stops. Maybe after work tomorrow I can dig down to where the wires go into the collar. I plan to put plastic pipes to a plastic box that will be mounted on theoutside of the collar. Where a person acn service and check the wires that will feed the pump and tank alarm. It will take a few days since My holidays are over and I'm back to work. So I can omly do so much in the evenings.
Plus they still forcast rain for the rest of the week here, off and on. So it will be working in mud.

 

Believe it or not Glen, some inspectors will not pass inspection unless you mount all the wiring in the tank.

When we do ours, we get it inspected, get it passed, and THEN we do the wiring in a nice little box, or however the customer wants it, outside of the tank.

We actually get some good heat shrink to do the stuff inside the tanks, cause sometimes you cant get around it.

I dont know who did yours, but wiring in any sort of damp conditions should never be done like that. (Learned that as an electrician, but really its just common sense)

If you need any supplies or another tank alarm Glen, let me know as I have accounts at pretty much every plumbing type shop in the city.

It shouldnt take you more then 30 minutes to put a chunk of conduit in the ground, drill a hole in the tank, mount the box, and do the wiring. All the holes you drill through the tank (the collar technically) you can use some goop to seal them up too!

Who did you get to empty your tank? (wish you woulda called, I have a backup pump you coulda used for free to pump your tank, mighta costed you a cold drink for bringing it over!)

 

I got Starling septic here in Delisle. They do not advertise. I don't know why they don't . It is hard to remember which Starling family does the septic tanks.
I may still need a pump after or for temporary.
The collar already has a hole drilled into it for the wiring.
I don't know why inspections would requir the electrical to all be hooked inside. It makes more sense to have a box and conduit on the outside. To me that would be safer and easier for pulling and removing wiring for future repairs.
If it does not rain too much tomorrow I will see about digging it up to expose access to the wires entry point.
I will try and get it done this week, but being back to work and getting the stuff I need yet.. Once I got it exposed then I can see howmuch conduit and get a plastic box.
Mayb I will just contract you to do it for me. That would be better.
Let me talk it over with my wife.

 

They say that with the wiring being outside, its exposed to alot more elements!

I know what ya mean, and most guys know what ya mean, but you know how some inspectors can be.

And I can do the work for you Glen, but its really very very VERY simple to do. It really would be a waste of your coin to get me to do it for ya!

I will get ya a good deal on a pump or whatever if ya need me to though.

 

First will see if pump still works. Just the corrosion preventing power. The pumps are about $250. for one. Home depot has ones for $125. But they do not say what HP they are on their web site.
The others are 1/2 HP. which is what I rather have for the pump to push the liquid that distance.

 

I`m glad I have a lagoon instead.
I`ve had more than my share of problems with my two rental houses that have septic pumps........

 

I have my septic tank pump the liquids to a lagoon also. Just the solids stay behind .

 

With mine everything gravity drains into the lagoon, no tanks or pumps, switches, basement floods, no plugged/frozen jets/field tiles. I`ve got a real good slope from the house down to the lagoon.

 

Oh man I almost got an acreage that had that system. The deal fell through before I got the place I'm at now.

 

Lagoons arent really the best technology for septic systems anymore. Pretty old technology actually. (Im not sure if you can even install them anymore)

Lagoons can be really high maintenance(they are SUPPOSED to be "cleaned" out regularly), not very eco friendly, and are always a hazzard to have around (think animals etc near there)

A properly installed field, or best yet a straight pump out system is much much better then a lagoon, with the proper sized, or even larger then proper sized septic tank. The treatment is unbeatable, and if you get quality components, and everything installed right, you wont have a problem at all, and they are much MUCH nicer to have around then a lagoon!

Ive installed gravity systems with tanks too, and they work OK. Nothing beats a good pump system though.

 

My lagoon is for the liquid pump out. It was like you said the one that pumps into a feild. Well we found it hazardess in the winter for horses when we had some here. So I dug a lagoon and just put up posts to fence it off. I just do not need a feild skating rink that someone horses may slip and break a leg. Sherry hopes to have a horse again soem day. SO my lagoon is a liquid pumpout lagoon that will be fenced.

 

In 25 years my lagoon has had zero maintenance. It has never been cleaned since everything (that belongs in there) decomposes better when in contact with the ground rather than concrete. With the fence around it there is no problem with animals.
Unlike my other two systems that have tanks/pumps/switches/jets etc with plug ups, basement back ups and all too many -30 freeze up.....
Any system that requires more components is guaranteed to have more problems. My lagoon only has pipes from the house to the lagoon, with the proper slope, and you just can`t get any simpler or fool proof than that!
It`s fast, cheap, easy to do and no expensive components.
I don`t know if lagoons are still being approved but I got mine and I`m keeping it!