Hi folks - Didn’t know if this is right forum since problem might be the septic system. Getting some sewage backup in my basement. Don’t really understand my plumbing setup and I thought maybe folks here could give me some help. (Some pics below). (This is pretty long but I tried hard to make it fast reading.) Here is some background information: (1) House built in 1967 and I’ve been residing in it for last 9 years. (2) 2 bedroom rancher with unfinished basement. (3) One person living in house. (but was 2 people for about 3 years.) (4) Inspection report from 2002 says : [I] “Primary treatment consists of a 1000 and 500 gallon concrete septic tank, connected in series...Secondary treatment consists of a gravel seepage pit that probed to be approximately 10 feet wide and in excess of 4 feet of gravel/aggregate…” [/I] There is a diagram below made by the inspector in 2002 – I added a few details. (5) The septic was pumped before I moved in 9 years ago. Never pumped since. I go very easy on the septic: no garbage disposal, no additives, no bleach, no grease, very light close washer load, very light dishwasher load, no real long showers. Paper only goes into septic. I thought because of my light load and a 1500 gallon setup, that 9 years wasn’t too long to go without pumping. (Turns out I was actually going to get it pumped this fall.) Hope I didn’t really screw up big time by waiting too long. There is however definitely some kind of blockage. I now get drain backup at the clothes washer in the basement. There is also a pipe on the basement floor that has started to sometimes seep sewer water out on the floor. I don’t understand what the pipe is for? Some kind of cleanout? (Please see pic below.) There is also a toilet in the basement (please see diagram) never used, and now that toilet bowl in the basement sometimes fills to near overflow when a toilet is flushed on the first floor. That basement toilet then drains down very slowly. I also don’t see or understand where the clean out is for the main sewer pipe leaving the house. I found the 2 septic tanks and opened up the manhole covers (please see pic below) . I didn’t really measure the scum level and the sludge level. But the top of the scum layer is about 1 foot below the bottom of the riser. Using the stick it feels like mostly water in the first tank about 4 feet deep, then it feels solid. Same in the second tank except that after 4 feet of water it feels like about a foot of sludge. Maybe the sludge is more solid in the first tank? Didn’t really do a thorough job, but doesn’t seem like a lot of sludge to me in either tank! I did not look for the secondary gravel seepage pit identified by the inspector (4 above). But I cannot find any wet spots outside anywhere and there is no smell of sewage outside anywhere. In short, I don’t see any changes outside. I flushed the upstairs toilet and looked down the riser in the first tank, but I didn’t see a ripple or a bubble or anything in the water? Does that indicate the problem is before first tank - or possibly right at input to first tank? I was reading about those concrete baffles, but I can’t see anything when I look down the riser except the top of the water (scum) about a foot below the bottom of the riser. What I was really hoping to do: (a) is first pray that the septic system is not dead (I will have to sell my furniture, car, etc. to do that kind of job). (b) try to figure out where the blockage is myself – before I get the tanks pumped. I figured if the blockage is really in the pipe from house to the tank, wouldn’t pumping just leave me with the same problem? But I really don’t know? (c) if the pipe is blocked between house and septic could I find out myself whether it’s because the pipe is broken? Doesn’t that happen to old underground pipes sometimes? Guess that would be real bad news – time for a big dig? Was hoping maybe I could snake it and either clear it or determine if the pipe is collapsed. I’ve used snakes before (only 1/4 inch) but I certainly wouldn’t be afraid of a bigger snake. But as I said above I don’t understand my piping and where you would enter the snake in my setup anyway? If someone could guess how the cleanout might most likely work in my setup that seems like that would be of great help! Or whether or how I could rule the septic definitely in or out. Any thoughts would be sincerely appreciated! [IMG]http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr355/zoesdaddy/diagram.jpg[/IMG] The above diagram is not to scale. The pictures below show the large pipe in the diagram that goes down into the basement floor and also the floor drain and also the pipe in the diagram that seeps sewage. Only other drain pipes that go into the floor are for the sink and toilet in the basement. [IMG]http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr355/zoesdaddy/drainsonfloor.jpg[/IMG] The above picture shows the floor drain for rainwater and the pipe that must be connected to the septic since sewer water seeps out from it. [IMG]http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr355/zoesdaddy/mainpipefrontview.jpg[/IMG] The above picture shows the large pipe that goes into the basement floor depicted in the diagram above. This is right next to the wall for the room with the toilet and sink. No other drain pipes (except for the sink and toilet) go into the floor. I thought there was supposed to be a cleanout right there at the main pipe as it enters the floor? There is a cleanout on the 2 inch PVC pipe that connects to this main pipe in the picture. The cleanout is on that 2 inch pipe about 7 feet to the right. (At least I think it’s a cleanout? Please see pic below). [IMG]http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr355/zoesdaddy/mainpipesideview.jpg[/IMG] This above is another view of the main pipe that goes down into the basement floor. [IMG]http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr355/zoesdaddy/pvcpipecleanoutpoint.jpg[/IMG] The above picture shows the 2 inch PVC pipe that connects to the main metal pipe that goes down into the basement floor (see pic above). [IMG]http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr355/zoesdaddy/2manholes.jpg[/IMG] The above picture shows the manholes for the 2 septic tanks. Cover to cover is 13 feet. The first tank in the foreground is about 40 feet from the basement. (see diagram above). [IMG]http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr355/zoesdaddy/tank1coverand2pipes.jpg[/IMG] The above picture shows the first tank cover and 2 pipes to the left. The plug on the leftmost is loose and looking down it looks like you can see some liquid down several feet inside. The plug on the pipe in the middle is really stuck. Was trying to open it but I need a better wrench or something. Figure I can’t use a torch or – kabooom! I don’t know what those two pipes are for? I can’t find any such pipe close to the second tank cover? Seems strange. Maybe I have to dig around more? If you read all of this God Bless You!

I just bought a new refrigerator and, reading thru the instruction manual, reverse osmosis equipped water systems must have 40 - 60 pounds of pressure for the ice maker to work properly. Is there some way I can check the pressure or do I need professional help? Filter system is mounted in the basement. Water enters the filter thru a small, plastic line then into a tank, 5 gallons maybe. The same size tube then runs to a copper tube then thru the floor and into the refrigerator.