Questions about septic tanks and well water (washer, tank, drains)

[njprintman]

Now here is a nice topic for dinner time.
When we move............it sure looks like we will have a septic tank thingy.
Never delt with this.
Who can give me some info?
How long before I have to get somebody to clean that bugger out?
What should I do and NOT DO while living in my home?
Thanks guys/gals.
Dennis

[Wisteria]

Well, I just had mine replaced six months ago -- it was a bear!!

The old owners had built their own redwood septic (I'm in California) and then they .... get this .... built a bedroom over it!!! So.. in order to pump it out, they had to stick the hose under the house.

Anyway, the thing was so old it began backing up. Nothing we did helped. We didn't even....gross, I know....flush our toilet paper down (apparently, this is pretty common to not put toilet paper down septic systems). The one I had was pretty old, but because they had built the bedroom over the old one, and then the codes changed, my new one had to be put into another part of my yard -- thank goodness there was room for it!! (I have a lot of land.)

My entire yard was torn up and it was up to me to put it all back -- including grass and patios. And I am a single (boomer) woman living with my 17-year-old daughter. Not easy.

So, the trick to keeping these in working order is to NOT put grease down the sink or anyplace else that will go into the septic system. I know they advertise all those things you can put into your toilet to keep it "clean," but I've heard conflicting reports about their use and if they work at all, or if they, in fact, can be harmful -- so I don't use any of that.

I take my cooking oils and cooking pan stuff outside to my compost area and dump it there before I wash them in the sink. I'm assuming if you will have a septic system that you will be in a rural area, so no one seems to notice when you dump your grease outside!

If you notice any "gurgling" sounds coming from your sinks or toilet, then it's backing up. I hear that one doesn't need to pump it except for every few years or so. I know some people who haven't pumped for ten years! Check around with the neighbors and they can give you some tips. (Good way to get to know your neighbors, by the way!) My neighbor is actually a septic guy, so he replaced my system. I did get quotes from other people, but in the end figured it was better to be a good neighbor and give him my business than to go with someone else.

So, rule of thumb: no grease, and watch the toilet paper -- especially if it's an older system.

Good luck!!

[gypsychic]

Wisteria, I am in Florida and in the process of replacing a very old septic system. It kept filling and nothing would help - there were lots of roots in the tank and in the drainfield. They will be tearing up my whole yard I hear. I hear ya about the toilet paper, etc. - we have had to be real conservative on the flushes.

Anyhoo I agree with Wisterias suggestions about dumping your grease in your yard (or I sometimes put mine in old cans with a lid and dispose in trash. Also do NOT ever put paint or harsh chemicals, and it's best to space out laundry loads or other large amounts of water at one time. Be sure not to ever have any pipes, toilet or faucets leaking, over time they can flood your drain field.

If you are careful you can go for YEARS without pumping.

[Wisteria]

gypsychic Wisteria, I am in Florida and in the process of replacing a very old septic system. It kept filling and nothing would help - there were lots of roots in the tank and in the drainfield. They will be tearing up my whole yard I hear. I hear ya about the toilet paper, etc. - we have had to be real conservative on the flushes.

Good point about the chemicals and laundry -- actually, my washer water drains into the ground, but not directly into the septic (grey water).

Lots of luck to you!!

[Richard Martin]

I guess I'm pretty lucky. My house had a brand new septic system installed when we moved in and it only takes the black water. Black water is generally the water from the bathrooms.

All of the grey water goes into the old septic system that appears to be functioning perfectly normal. Grey water is from the kitchen and laundry room.

This is the 3rd house we've owned. The 2nd house we owned had a septic system too. The area had a very high water table and dispite a home inspection the system was failing from the moment we moved into the house. Due to the high water table the county wouldn't issue a permit for a new septic system and pretty much told us we had to live with it until they installed a new sewer/septic system in 5 years. We had the system pumped every month for 5 years and it still overflowed after about a week. The pumping at least kept the floaty stuff to a minimum.

[KodakMoment]

How's it all work? Can you pay to be connected to a city line? How often do you clean the tanks? Can you still flush most stuff? Or do you have to have special toliet paper? So many questions....

[leighbhe]

I think a lot of it may depend on when the septic was installed. We have a new home (2005) that has community well and septic. We cannot connect to city water because it is not an option yet, it may be in the future, but for now it is not. So, our septic is a dual tank kind of thing where the "solids" are on one side and the "liquids" are on the other. This is suppose to be better because if you end up with a back up you will see it in the house first (backing up into the toilet) then you can have someone come and flush out the system. I called a septic company when we moved into this house to answer some questions, and they said you don't need to have it pumped regularly (they suggested every 5 years) but also said you don't need to add things to it (like septic cleaners, etc) because it is suppose to naturally be able to do this.

We don't use special toilet paper or anything. I have clients who bought a home with a septic that is over 20 years old, the previous owner's never had a problem with it, and they inspection revealed it was in great shape.

Leigh

[rfb]

leighbhe's experience matches mine. One additional consideration is due to building code changes newer septic systems have a filter between the "solids" tank and the "liquids" tank which needs to be cleaned annually. You will want a septic system company to come out and give the system an annual inspection, so you can have them clean the filter at the same time. If you don't, then you can have a system backup, which you really don't want .

[NewUser]

I asked a few questions regarding landscaping around a septic system a week or so ago. The general concensus was that you should not plant any shrubs or trees nearby due to the possibility of roots seeking out and destroying the plumbing in a septic system.

As far as wells are concerned, the house that we are looking at uses a community well. Inside the house there is a water filter and water softener. These items should be maintained as well, if present in your house.

One thing that our realtor told us is that you should limit the amount of food waste that you put down the sink and through the disposal. I guess the microorganisms have a harder time with that than human waste and it will require the system to be pumped more often.

[leighbhe]

Builders of homes on septic are not allowed (by code) to put in garbage disposals. We don't have one, and you really shouldn't put anything down the sink except liquids if possible.

Leigh