Septic tank
#1
05-03-00, 06:11 PM
I live in a 3 bedroom 2 bath home with 2 adults and 1 child the house is 8 years old and the septic tank has never been pumped we have never had no problems but how often should a septic tank be pumped. And do you start to have problems if the tank gets too full if so what would they be. Cameron
#2
05-03-00, 07:36 PM
IF YOU HAVE A GARBAGE DISPOSAL THIS BRINGS THE MAINTENANCE INTERVALS CLOSER TOGETHER,
ABOUT EVERY 3 YEARS, AND IF THE WASHING MACHINE IS ON THE TANK AS WELL SAME APPLYS.
WASHING MACHINE DISCHARGE (GREY WATER) WILL
KILL OFF THE GOOD BACTERIA SLOWING THE
DIGESTION PROCESS IN THE TANK. THE WORST
TO HAPPEN THAT I'VE SEEN IS THE OUTGOING BAFFLE ON OLDER TANKS IS JUST A PIECE OC CONCRETE THAT BLOCKS THE PASSING OF SOLIDS
INTO THE DRAIN FIELD STOPPING IT UP,THAT ISNT GOOD. IF YOU DO HAVE IT SERVICED BE SURE THEY REMOVE THE LID AND INSPECT IT GOOD.
ABOUT EVERY 3 YEARS, AND IF THE WASHING MACHINE IS ON THE TANK AS WELL SAME APPLYS.
WASHING MACHINE DISCHARGE (GREY WATER) WILL
KILL OFF THE GOOD BACTERIA SLOWING THE
DIGESTION PROCESS IN THE TANK. THE WORST
TO HAPPEN THAT I'VE SEEN IS THE OUTGOING BAFFLE ON OLDER TANKS IS JUST A PIECE OC CONCRETE THAT BLOCKS THE PASSING OF SOLIDS
INTO THE DRAIN FIELD STOPPING IT UP,THAT ISNT GOOD. IF YOU DO HAVE IT SERVICED BE SURE THEY REMOVE THE LID AND INSPECT IT GOOD.
#3
05-05-00, 05:19 PM
quote:<HR>Originally posted by GARPLUMCO:
IF YOU HAVE A GARBAGE DISPOSAL THIS BRINGS THE MAINTENANCE INTERVALS CLOSER TOGETHER,
ABOUT EVERY 3 YEARS, AND IF THE WASHING MACHINE IS ON THE TANK AS WELL SAME APPLYS.
WASHING MACHINE DISCHARGE (GREY WATER) WILL
KILL OFF THE GOOD BACTERIA SLOWING THE
DIGESTION PROCESS IN THE TANK. THE WORST
TO HAPPEN THAT I'VE SEEN IS THE OUTGOING BAFFLE ON OLDER TANKS IS JUST A PIECE OC CONCRETE THAT BLOCKS THE PASSING OF SOLIDS
INTO THE DRAIN FIELD STOPPING IT UP,THAT ISNT GOOD. IF YOU DO HAVE IT SERVICED BE SURE THEY REMOVE THE LID AND INSPECT IT GOOD.<HR>
A Garbage disposal does not effect a septic tank that much.
The recommended pumping interval is 5 years
Its not the gray water that kills bacteria, it's bleach and other harsh cleaning products.
By The Code Plumber
#5
05-05-00, 07:01 PM
quote:<HR>Originally posted by celeste davis:
me and my husband just a mobile home. It is a 3 bedroom and 2 bath. We want to put our own septic tank in because it is so much cheaper. Can you give us instructions on how to do that?<HR>
If your connected to city now you can't switch to a septic system
Sorry
By The Code Plumber
#7
05-07-00, 06:42 PM
Cameron --
I learned the hard way -- do not ignore the need to pump your septic tank! As others have already said, many things affect how often it has to be pumped, but it definitely has to be done. In essence, what happens in a septic tank is the solid matter falls to the bottom, and the liquid runs off the top of the tank to the leach field. The solid matter is decomposed by active bacteria, but the dead bacteria then fall to the bottom. So, even if the system is working perfectly, you still get an accumulation of solid material in the bottom of the tank. This solid material (more like sludge, actually) is known as septage.
In my case, I went six years without pumping the tank and it backed up. Inside the tank are baffles, and the liquid has to be able to pass from one chamber to another. If the septage builds up too deep and blocks the baffles, well, let's just say that the stuff finds another way out, and it's usually not a pretty sight.
Garplumco talked about the worst case scenario, and if this occurs, it can cost thousands of dollars to repair or replace the leach field. As I said, the liquid passes out of the tank to the leach field. Thats where more biological activity taks place and (we hope) the last of the contaminants are removed. In oreder for a leach field to work properly, the water has to be able to percolate into the ground. If solid material escapes from the tank and gets into the leachfield, the sand or crushed stone, or whatever the leach field is made of will get clogged, the water won't percolate, and you'll have to either replace or rebuild the leach field. Even though it was a gross, nasty mess, I was very lucky that when my system backed up nothing went down the pipe to the leach field, so I had no damage there.
In my particular case, we have a family of four, and a 1000 gallon septic tank. I have it pumped every three years. Depending on how big the tank is, and how many people are living in the house, you may need to have it pumped more or less frequently than I do. And, as By the Code has pointed out, anything that kills bacteria, such as chlorine bleach, will reduce the effectiveness of your septic system. This is not to say that you should never send bleach down the drain, just be careful and don't use very much.
I learned the hard way -- do not ignore the need to pump your septic tank! As others have already said, many things affect how often it has to be pumped, but it definitely has to be done. In essence, what happens in a septic tank is the solid matter falls to the bottom, and the liquid runs off the top of the tank to the leach field. The solid matter is decomposed by active bacteria, but the dead bacteria then fall to the bottom. So, even if the system is working perfectly, you still get an accumulation of solid material in the bottom of the tank. This solid material (more like sludge, actually) is known as septage.
In my case, I went six years without pumping the tank and it backed up. Inside the tank are baffles, and the liquid has to be able to pass from one chamber to another. If the septage builds up too deep and blocks the baffles, well, let's just say that the stuff finds another way out, and it's usually not a pretty sight.
Garplumco talked about the worst case scenario, and if this occurs, it can cost thousands of dollars to repair or replace the leach field. As I said, the liquid passes out of the tank to the leach field. Thats where more biological activity taks place and (we hope) the last of the contaminants are removed. In oreder for a leach field to work properly, the water has to be able to percolate into the ground. If solid material escapes from the tank and gets into the leachfield, the sand or crushed stone, or whatever the leach field is made of will get clogged, the water won't percolate, and you'll have to either replace or rebuild the leach field. Even though it was a gross, nasty mess, I was very lucky that when my system backed up nothing went down the pipe to the leach field, so I had no damage there.
In my particular case, we have a family of four, and a 1000 gallon septic tank. I have it pumped every three years. Depending on how big the tank is, and how many people are living in the house, you may need to have it pumped more or less frequently than I do. And, as By the Code has pointed out, anything that kills bacteria, such as chlorine bleach, will reduce the effectiveness of your septic system. This is not to say that you should never send bleach down the drain, just be careful and don't use very much.
