For the past few years, occasionally we will notice an odor emanating from our septic system and sometimes there will be surface water on the ground just beyond the tank. The water is black and oily looking. Last year we had the tank pumped and this solved both problems -- for a few months. Now the problem is back and worse than ever. The odor has gotten stronger and more persistent. I suspect the leach field is failing. I have been doing a bit of research on the Web and am more confused than when I started. There is a bewildering assortment of advice about chemical and bacterial solutions and others who say none of that stuff works; the only solution is a new leach field. I have gotten good advice here on other topics. Any help would be much appreciated. I figure I'll wind up calling someone to come out and look at it, but I wanted to get some good background info before doing that.

 

There is no majic wand to fix a failed drain field.
The reason it worked for a while once you got the tank pumped in all the liquid was filling up the tank and not over flowing out into the drain field for a while.
The whole area where your drain field is now will have to be dug out and hauled away and all new soil and lines done.
Drain fields will always fail unless you happen to have some real sandy soil.

 

Hi.

The best you can do is not try any of the treatments. I have tried them all. There is one that worked for me. Its expensive but it disapated my water after a few days. Here is a link to my post.

http://www.doityourself.com/forum/we...lp-advice.html


I would have the tank pumped, and find your distribution box. Once you do this treat it with the aid ox.

http://www.herchem.com/specs/aidox.pdf


You need to find who sells it in your area. You need to foloow the instructions exactly. After the water disapated I then treated with cess flo. It ate the biomat. You can get at home store.

Products





Let us know how you make out.

Mike NJ

 

Thanks for the replies. I guess the controversy continues.

 

Well do you want to spend $5000 for a leach field or try a product for $300.

Mike NJ

 

Without seeing what you have it's hard to say...

I would seek out a septic tank pumper who really knows septic systems and how to repair them. This will probably not be the average guy who drives a pump truck but maybe the business owner (the old guy). You really want to make sure you get "the" person who knows septic systems in your area. He/she will be able to look at your waste and see if there is a problem with what you are putting into the tank (grease & oils are a big culprit). Then he can check the line out of the tank and lines to the leach field. Sometimes these lines can be pinched or crushed if someone has driven over the area or if the ground settled since the system was installed. If you have trees nearby it could be roots clogging the line. Then there is the possibility of a failed drain field.

 

I don't want to do either -- I hate spending money!

Seriously, I would happily pay the $300 -- if I was reasonably sure it would work. But even though it's a lot less, it's still a lot of money to waste. And much of the literature I have found says that these kinds of solutions just don't work. It's not that I don't believe you -- I just don't know whether it would work for me. I'm hoping for a few more opinions.

I do appreciate the replies.

 

I am not saying pour-in septic products are good or bad. The are not regulated like drugs by the FDA so they are not required to prove that they work or cause no harm. The manufacturers can make whatever claims they want until they are sued hard enough to make them stop. They exist in the same world as non-medical diet pills, snake oils and dietary supplements. Some products may or may not work and some may actually cause damage. Do you research and do not rely on the manufacturers claims.

 

That is excellent advice, Pilot. In my experience, I have found that whenever there is a problem (be it weight loss or a failed leach field) that is expensive and/or time-consuming or requires personal sacrifice to fix the right way, there is always someone out there with a cheap, quick fix. And more often than the not, the cheap quick fix is worthless.

I guess I'll go ahead and have a guy come and look at my system. I know of a guy who comes highly recommended. I'll just wait and see what he says.

 

Your best bet if it comes down to replacement, and if you have the room, is keep that field. Install another field and use a bull nose valve to alternate between fields.

It should be the last septic repair you will need.

Use the new field for 3 years. The other field will restore itself to new in that time. Then switch back and forth every year after that.

It should cost less because they will not need to remove the old rock.

How old is the septic anyway?


Mike NJ

 

Thanks for that suggestion, Mike. Part of my problem is I have no idea where exactly the leach field is, just a general idea. And there is not a lot of room back there, so I am not sure if building a new one is an option. But that does sound like a good idea, if it can be pulled off. Of course, it may be that the field is physically compromised. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what the guy says. Another good reason to have a pro look at it.

The system is pretty old -- the house was built in 1967. The tank itself is concrete and the last time I had it pumped, the guy said it was solid as the day it was installed, so I'm not worried about that part.

 

Your county Building Inspections Dept., Health Dept. or Environmental Services Department may have a record of your septic system. Take whatever they have on file with a grain of salt and consider it just a clue as to where and what you actually have. If you have to install a new or second leach field your local inspectors will need to be contacted for permits. They will also advise you as to where you can put the new field. How large it should be and of what design.

For all my repair and secondary fields I install EZ-Lay or Infiltrator system mainly because both systems do not require the many tons of stone that a traditional leach field needs. But, whatever you may do will depend on your local inspectors, your site layout and soil conditions. EZ-Lay is very similar to a traditional system but they replace the heavy stone with packing peanuts and they come pre-packaged in 10 or 20ft. lengths. The Infiltrator is a chamber type system that is very resistant to tree roots and allows you to install considerably less length than would be required with a traditional or EZ-Lay system, but it costs a bit more.