Septic filter issue


  #1  
Old 07-05-14, 01:06 PM
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Septic filter issue

OK, back to fighting my septic system.
Now it's that long, like 6 feet long, nylon mesh filter before the pump compartment.
My system has 3 compartments - 2nd one has a long sleeve type filter preventing particulate from getting into the sump pump compartment.
In my case, I have to pull it out about every other month and flush. Or it won't let effluent into the pump well.
Thing is, this somehow just started, as of this year or so. System is almost 14 yo and this is original filter. we take ALL precautions NOT to let any fats or sediments into the tanks. We have strainer in kitchen sink and I have fat and particulate filter installed in the sink plumbing. It's like a large built in strainer.
Regular water from showers and toilets does get in the normal way.
What I found about this filter, where it is against the pipe, leading to the pump well, it simply gets all slimy and plugs the filter. It's 2 minute job to clean it - but I AM IFFING TIRED of doing this every 5-6 weeks.

Suggestions?
 
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Old 07-06-14, 09:13 AM
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hii ukrbyk–

I’m just a newbie so take this with a grain of salt, but is your filter telling you that the tank needs pumping? I didn’t think there should be much of a scum layer or sediment buildup in the second compartment? But I'm not sure.

The pros and experts will probably be along. Good luck with the problem.

( I hate messing with that stuff myself, lol)
 
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Old 07-06-14, 09:36 AM
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Pumped 2.5 yr ago. They're normally pumped every 4.
 
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Old 07-06-14, 09:40 AM
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Is there a dam or baffle upstream of your filter to prevent the surface scum layer from entering? Sometimes it's as simple as a T oriented vertically or a baffle built into the tank. Basically it just holds back the scum layer to liquid flows up from underneath and out the discharge pipe where your filter is located.
 
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Old 07-06-14, 10:20 AM
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See for yourself.
Effluent is basically a clean blackwater. No solid particles floating on the top


This is where the filter plugs. It's right across the horizontal T pipe leading to pump well. It plugs with something that basically looks like slime. When it plugs - tank overfills. Dark circle below it is a plastic reenforcing ring inside the filter. But it's below the pipe



 
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Old 07-06-14, 02:17 PM
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hi again uk-

I’m not sure but I think I see what you are saying: the filter in the middle pic connects into the short horizontal pipe in the bottom picture and that short horizontal pipe connects to the pumping chamber. In other words that filter hangs in a vertical position and forms the vertical part of the output tee to the pumping chamber?

It seems to me, and I certainly could be wrong, that water does not look clean enough if that in fact is chamber number 2. I have 2 septic tanks connected in series: a 1000 gal concrete tank connected to a 500 gal concrete tank. Typically my tank 2 water actually looks like rain water, with no scum on top, as your picture also shows. But to me my tank 2 water looks a lot cleaner than your water does, however, I know that is hard to tell from a picture. Pilot Dane would know if anything can be gleaned from the picture.

Is that chamber number 2 in the pics? Maybe I misunderstand Pilot Dane, however my understanding also is that you would check the output baffle from chamber 1 to see if it is properly stopping stuff from going into chamber 2.

Maybe the output baffle from compartment 1 fell into the tank? I have heard of that happening.
 
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Old 07-06-14, 02:27 PM
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Yes, it's tank 2.
You can see baffle on pic # 3. It's opposite T leading to pump tank.
Yes, that long filter is vertical in the T so black water comes up the vertical T with filter in it, seeps through the filter and then goes into horizontal part of the T.
I think, it's more than typical install.
No, tank 2 has no solid particles floating atop. Just bubbles. It's grey/see through.
 
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Old 07-06-14, 02:57 PM
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I see what you are saying uk, and I don’t want to go off on a tangent, especially since my tanks are not like yours. But what I was thinking was that this:

Is it possible for the output baffle in chamber 1, which is obviously connected to the input baffle in chamber 2, to fail somehow? Could it fall off for example yet not affect the input baffle in chamber 2?

Or are they connected in such a way that if the output baffle in chamber 1 would fall off, the input baffle in chamber 2 would also fall off? Or how about if the output baffle in chamber 1 broke off in some way which would not cause any visible signs when inspecting the input baffle in chamber 2?

Guess I’m just fishing here!

Maybe you have an inspection port on chamber 1 and/or chamber 2 where you can look down and determine if the baffles are OK. I think I heard that most tanks have these. But they might be buried. I have one exposed above ground now but I can’t get the plug out to look down– it’s jammed. lol

It just seems to me that although the water in your chamber 2 looks pretty clean, there must be enough sediment in that water to quickly clog the filter. I wonder if there is some way to run the water through some kind of filtration test, since you obviously have easy access to the problematic water?
 
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Old 07-06-14, 05:04 PM
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It's all in place.



Water is not that particulated, but it's the slime in it that clogged the filter. SLIME. Maybe it's soap, but then again we don't really do that much of it
yes, do have inspection provision in the downpipe from the house, before T1. Have it all inspected and cleaned.
It's the water in T2 that has something in it, that clogs filter too fast. And truly, till end of last year, I cleaned same filter maybe once in 2 years. Something changed, now I have to pull it out and hose spray every 5-6 weeks, or effluent level starts raising up.
 
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Old 07-07-14, 09:54 AM
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I see what you are saying uk. From what I know (and that’s not a lot, lol) your water level and baffles in T1 look right. That is really a mystery! Seems like you don’t have much of a scum layer on top, but since you get your tank pumped very regularly, maybe that’s just normal. (I have about a 3” scum layer right now – but I haven’t had a pumping for a long time. You are doing really good maintenance.)

Since the liquid levels in the tanks look right, I don’t see how there could be any kind of tank breach. Yet as you say, where is the slime coming from? Are you on a well? Wonder if there has been some kind of change in your water supply with algae or something now passing through? Something you wouldn’t notice in the house? (grasping here – lol).

I was thinking maybe there is a bacterial problem in that the bacteria in the tanks have been compromised and are not doing their job. However I guess that must be ruled out since you take very good care of the system so that harsh damaging chemicals wouldn’t seem to be the case.

A real mystery! I see why you are perplexed. I can’t believe the experts and the guys really familiar with septics can’t figure that out here. Hope they jump in!
 
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Old 07-07-14, 05:00 PM
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See, that's what I am thinking too. Like I said, one time I let that filter be for 2 years untouched, forgot about it, and it was OK. Now, I have to flush slime off it regularly in short times.
Makes me think same - water somehow turned clear but slimy. Like mucous. Don't really want to dump $400 into unnecessary pumping, as it's not overfilled with solid waste.
Btw, that's Tank 2 in the picture, not 1. 1 has a bit of floating dooky but no bad. Has separate access hole for it.
 
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Old 07-07-14, 05:33 PM
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Just a wild card thought, but have you changed soap, detergent, or other tub/toilet cleaning products in recent history?

I'm thinking that the useful bacteria may have been weakened or killed off.
 
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Old 07-07-14, 07:48 PM
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Not really. We are very "boring" in those respects. Same old stuff. About the only difference is I installed kitchen sink water filtration system. About the same time the change occurred. Osmosis and 6 filters. That's the only I can think of that is a "change".
 
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Old 07-07-14, 09:09 PM
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You need to fix tank one. solids are getting in. Also all tanks need to be pumped. How many in the home???

Every 3 years at a min to pump the main...

Additionally I would aerate the second compartment... Your looking for trouble and a costly repair. The slime is biomat... You field will fail soon if not addressed...
 
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Old 07-07-14, 09:25 PM
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3 people.
Aerate? How do we?
Of course solids are getting into T1. Isn't that what it's for? Poo, basically? (As we have kitchen solids blocked with 2 filters). To let solid sediment and black water to overflow into T2? Never heard of solid prefilter for T1.
 
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Old 07-07-14, 10:39 PM
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Of course solids are getting into T1. Isn't that what it's for?
Solids are getting into tank 2... you need to find the issue with tank 1.

Aerate the second tank. 3 rd tank is pump correct?


Read my novel here.. Post back with questions... All similar...

http://www.doityourself.com/forum/we...lp-advice.html
 
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Old 07-08-14, 11:56 AM
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No, bud, mine is quite different. Mine is 2 large sediment tanks and 3rd tank indeed is pump tank. Then I have large leach field. Pump tank water is just that - grey colored water.

Appreciate opinion, but I do NOT see any solids floating atop the tank 2 water. Air bubbles, yes.

I am likely to add laundry soap filter to the system. That she does, she laundries a lot. The way a woman does it. I just drop it all in and it's done, she has to do pre washes and separate colors and whites and heavy from light, and underwear from the rest... Soap filter makes sense.

It's truly not that much of an issue, more of annoyance.

Btw, they say to be very careful with aerators, as they lift sludge up and THEN it causes trouble.
 
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Old 07-08-14, 12:08 PM
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How to minimize the possible clogging or other effects of laundry soaps on the septic system
Apartment building washing machine room (C) Daniel Friedman

A private septic system tank and drainfield can be protected from clogging due to excessive use of detergents.

And even if a building's wastewater is carried to a public sewer there may be concerns with detergent clogging in the drain system. In the laundry room serving a residential apartment building such as shown in our photo (left, Bronx, NY), asking residents to follow these suggestions can help prevent sewer drain clogging.

Avoid using more than the necessary amount of powdered laundry or dishwasher detergent. Excessive amounts of powdered laundry detergent often fail to dissolve in the washing machine.
Liquid laundry detergent: Safer if you are not the one operating the clothes washing machine, use liquid laundry detergent.
"Budget" powdered laundry detergents contain extra amounts of fillers (in some cases montmorillonite clay) which increase the risk of system drainage or drainfield clogging.
High phosphate laundry detergents may be a factor in reducing drainfield life [more data is needed on this point.]
Liquid detergents recommended: We prefer to use liquid detergents in the recommended amounts or less in clothes washers connected to or draining into any onsite disposal system, septic tank, cesspool, or drywell.

The following measures may relieve the water volume load on septic fields from the washing machine:
photo of a graywater filter for septic systems

Use liquid laundry detergent rather than a dry soap powder laundry detergent to reduce septic system clogging. Some experts report septic system clogging in pipes, septic tank, and drain field when large amounts of dry laundry soap powders are used.
Install a lint filter on the washing machine water drain line to avoid sending lint into the septic tank and fields or install a graywater filter ahead of your drywell if you are using one to receive washing machine discharge waters. Details are at FILTERS SEPTIC & GREYWATER
Install a separate drywell to receive water from the washing machine drain, and perhaps dishwasher and other graywater.
Spread out use of the washing machine over longer intervals - perhaps washing loads in morning and at night rather than running one laundry load right after another. This "dosing" of the septic system or drywell gives the absorption system time to recover between washes.
Cleaning out the septic tank more often than the minimum schedule will extend the life of your drainfield. In turn, this will permit the drainfield to better absorb the extra volume of wastewater generated by clothes washing.

Similarly, any other measures that protect the drainfield's ability to absorb water, such as avoiding flooding the fields with surface runoff, become more important if a family is using their washing machine alot.
 
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Old 07-08-14, 12:18 PM
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Appreciate opinion, but I do NOT see any solids floating atop the tank 2 water. Air bubbles, yes.

I am likely to add laundry soap filter to the system. That she does, she laundries a lot.
OK.. Thats fine.... Its possible all the laudry has killed the bacteria in the tank and its dead.. There is no digestion so its getting into tank #2..


Btw, they say to be very careful with aerators, as they lift sludge up and THEN it causes trouble.
Thats if you aerate the main tank with the solids. One with a dual chamber tank as you have is an ideal candidate.

The particles would not necessarily float in the top.

Aerobic bacteria eats waste 25% faster the anaerobic. Your system is anaerobic..

read this.

http://www.waterloo-biofilter.com/do...erformance.pdf

And I am well aware of what you have. And the 3rd tank houses the pump and punps to the field...

[ATTACH=CONFIG]34414[/ATTACH]





Good luck with what you chose to do..Or discover.. Let us know..
 
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Old 07-08-14, 12:21 PM
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Additionally you would benefit from this filter in the first tank...


[ATTACH=CONFIG]34415[/ATTACH]


Gravity Filters
 
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Old 07-08-14, 01:38 PM
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We have seen this problem on drip system filters.
Try cleaning the filter with anti-bacterial soap & then with bleach.
If that does not work you will have to pump all (3) tanks & pressure wash the inside of the tanks with a anti-bacterial cleaner & pump that out.
Nobody has been able to explain why this happens, but at least they have figured out a way to stop it.
And yes it happens on aeration systems.
We will not install a drip system unless it has a aeration system in front of it.
 
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Old 07-08-14, 02:10 PM
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We will not install a drip system unless it has a aeration system in front of it.
Thank you ATUMD.. I assume because you want anaerobic at all times hitting the mound correct?

I would assume if the pump tank is large enough, that would be the preferred tank to aerate? Or the second chamber?
 
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Old 07-08-14, 05:42 PM
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The drip system does not use a mound.
The drip system is tubing buried 2 - 8 inches in the ground with emitters that drip the effluent out.
just like drip irrigation.
You want to use a aeration system in front of the pump chamber, because you want the cleanest effluent you can get.
After the pump chamber you have more filters.
We prefer to use the Norweco Singulair system which is a 3 compartment tank.
1st compartment is the trash tank
2nd compartment is the aeration chamber
3rd compartment is the settling & filtration chamber
Also any solids that remain settle to the bottom & are suck back into the aeration chamber to break down some more.

No we do not want to aerate the pump chamber.
You need a settling chamber after the aeration process for any suspended solids to settle out.
 
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Old 07-08-14, 07:34 PM
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Ok, OK, I got it.
Not sure about aeration, but already asked mi esposa to start using liquid detergent. Looks like she "got it". And to NOT do 3-4 washes in a row.
Now, let me go check on something...
 
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Old 07-08-14, 07:39 PM
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Here we go

This is tank 2 water. Not sure what the golden standard is. Doubt it's supposed to be perfectly pure.



 
 

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