Septic Systems

The septic tank holds the waste and bacteria break down the solids and what can't be broken down settles on the bottom of the tank. The liquid flows into the drain field where it is absorbed into the soil. One thing to remember is have the tank pumped every 3-5 years as the solids build up and reduce the capacity of the tank. I have read it is not a good idea to have a garbage disposal on your kitchen sink others say its OK.

 

good idea to have a garbage disposal on your Green house sink' makes the compost happen quick .. PLUS .
Every fall after grow , flip 6-8 " and add the ground up compost !!
S

 

New tech showing for either new or rework of septic systems'
Replacing A Leach Field | Styrofoam Septic Drain Field Cost And Install - YouTube

 

Been in our current house 9 years now, we've had to pump 3 times. It was only 2 years since the last pump, and our tank was full, but not full of solids, mostly liquid. 2 years ago when we had it pumped the pumper guy said it looked like a "toilet was leaking' as there was a constant stream of water coming into the tank. I didn't think either toilet was leaking, but I checked anyway. Nope, neither tank was leaking and I just wrote it off as something still in the pipe partially blocking the water and it will eventually work out. Turns out our shower valve in the master bath was leaking, the leak was caught by the drain pan and went to the tank. That went on for 2+ years until the drain pan got clogged up and overflowed. Turned into a real bad mold remediation problem and a complete bathroom remodel.
Back to septic tanks, our biggest issue is taking long showers or anything that can flood the system. This is especially true in the winter months when the ground stays wet from rain in our area and the drain field can't drain fast enough. No garbage disposal here and we try to minimize the chemicals that go into the tank, also put Rid-X or similar in the tank once a month. Some people say it helps, our septic guy says it won't hurt but usually recommends to put the stuff in the tank the first couple of months after pumping to get the system going again.

 

A couple of years back my septic tank began to overflow had it pumped and overflowed again. Took a metal rod and probed the ground (I installed the system) and found the drain field lines. I have 4 25' legs that come off the main line from the tank. Found the ends and dug it up ran a garden hose down and found a blockage. Fun part digging it up ---come to find out there was a 15 foot section blocked with fine tree roots on the first 2 legs. Rand R the drain pipes working good as new. My cost less than 50 bucks and my labor---septic people wanted over a grand
If your system is not handling the water you may need to increase the size of your drain field

 

Beware of Clorox! My mom was a habitual user of the magical germ killing concoction. She used it on everything and it went down the drain. When we moved to the country the tank got plugged in 3 months. It was full of a gelatinous mass and the pumper guy asked straight away if we used a lot of Clorox.

 

Clorox is7-12% bleach , wallmarts is less than 5 %. I use it on the outside of the farm on walkways to siding , green moss in a rain forest .

 

Yes beware of what you flush into the septic system the process is based on bacteria breaking down the waste/ What they can't break down settles to the bottom thus it must be periodically cleaned out. Come to think of it mine is do for a clean out

 

On the subject of a garbage disposal:
https://youtube.com/shorts/Kwsb7Eq6pMo?si=OFiXAoW8Fd0P44aw

 

I rerouted my kitchen sink drain to the aquaponic garden in front of the house and left the rest of the house drain in the septic tank and never had a problem.

 

Septics101: A Guide to Septic System Maintenance

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYu06XHEBZESW4Hky6T57_6QsiEaV2Lib&si=dFOH3d5zggEIXYR9

 

My old house I put in a dry well for the clothes washer it was just gray water --never had a problem with the septic system

 

My family home has the same. Dad installed it when I was a teen - early 1970s.

 

When I was growing up ,, my grandparents lived on an old 100 acre farm ,, raised crops and cattle. It was an old septic system. But the kitchen sink was piped out about 150+ feet out in the cow pasture,, ran thru them old clay tile pipe behind the old pack house. Back then ,, all I knew about that small ditchline where that drain ran to ,,, was that anytime, day or night , spring, summer , winter and fall ,,, you could go out to that ditch and dig all the worms you needed to head down to the pond to go fishing.